Transcript
Circuspreneur Podcast : Hello listeners of the Circus Pinot podcast. I'm your host Sinead Saleto and today I am giving a very big thank you to the White House. We are on the eve of the inauguration and so the White House will be switching hands. And so for those that were maybe familiar or unfamiliar, ah the Circus Arts Guild of America founded by myself ah was able to bring the circus arts industry to the White House this last September for the first -of -its -kind historic circus arts industry roundtable in conversation with the Department of Labor and presented by the Department of Labor. And so I'm so thankful as i you know as we go into this you know this next
Circuspreneur Podcast : this next period um in reflecting on you know the benefits and the spotlight and the highlighting that the Biden -Harris administration was willing to do for the circus arts industry because we definitely are an industry and they treated us as such.
Circuspreneur Podcast : and you know they was so much work that had to be done to get us to the White House this past September. I really can't you know go into enough detail about how challenging it was and how many rooms I was in and how many you know how many folks you know put their efforts behind it and into it. The invited guests um from the circus arts industry and outside of the circus arts industry that really wanted to support this roundtable and I'm still so grateful for those you know individuals that you know really stayed with it um and made sure that this happened because it wouldn't have been able to happen without them either. um And you know the event, we were working on another event just up until the inauguration just to let folks know yeah know there was supposed to be a series for the circus arts industry. And due to the White House changing hands, we ran out of time in presenting the next event.
Circuspreneur Podcast : for the circus arts industry, which is unfortunate. um However, I'm still again grateful that the administration you know was willing to invest in our industry and give us a series of events. And because there are so many moving parts,
Circuspreneur Podcast : And, you know, things are, you know, very, you know, they're booked so much in advance and, you know, trying to get things to come together and scheduling and things like that. That's that's a very real thing. And, um but again, very grateful that, you know, even up and until the inauguration, we've been working and trying to bring another event to the White House that was going to be different than the roundtable.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um And so trying to bring in, you know, different and unique incarnations of the circus arts industry and representation. And so, you know, they really wanted to give as much diverse and inclusive representation as possible.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And we couldn't fit everybody in into the first ah you know industry round table. And that happens. Everybody knows events don't turn out exactly the way that they were planned. They you know don't have the people, all of the people that were maybe essentially supposed to be there. They can't accommodate all the people that were supposed to be involved. And that is definitely what happened with the first round table, even though it was a marvelous success. And we were you know very fortunate to have representatives from OSHA, from the US Center for Safe Sport. from Actors' Equity, from the Musical Artist Guild of America, from Circus Meets Medicine, a long -term representative from Cirque du Soleil, was there, Pavel Kotov, who is is is the is the face,
Circuspreneur Podcast : of Cirque du Soleil, no matter where he goes in his life and and what he does. And I'm so grateful for their support um in being there because it was marvelous. And then we rounded out, obviously, the roundtable with various representatives from the White House staff, Department of Labor, as I said before, and um other members of the White House Office of Public Engagement and those that represents the entertainment and arts and culture. And also to a shout out to the National Endowment for the Arts, who was also there, to join our Circus Arts Industry Roundtable as ah to obtaining
Circuspreneur Podcast : as circus arts recognition by the National Endowment for the Arts with and with its own individual category was one of the main themes of the circus arts industry roundtable and kind of how that would serve as an umbrella um for all of the other amazing initiatives that could you know, turn into more expansive legislation and policy for the circus arts industry and more rights and more access to power and then more access to funds for the circus arts industry. So again, we were so grateful that all of, you know, these representatives came and, you know, provided their perspectives and their support. We, you know, we looked at the past of the circus, how it's been, how it is right now, and then what it could look like in
Circuspreneur Podcast : the future, which, um you know, was a really powerful, I think, ah you know, um conversation to have, especially in rooms that were not normally and typically in nor normally and typically invited into. And so I knocked on so many doors to have that happen. And like I said, i I definitely didn't do it alone. And the support that I had throughout that was um was was was was phenomenal um in terms of harnessing everyone's energy and perspectives. And you know I also want to give a big shout out to Agva and Wai, who was also supposed to be at that roundtable, but due to scheduling conflicts with Union negotiations, wasn't able to attend the roundtable. And so again, just a perspective of you know things that happen when we pick a date and you know folks are are very busy and have so much on their plate in representing various parts of the industry. So again, a you know beautiful thank you to them. And while I'm speaking about New York, a really big shout out to the model Models Alliance.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um which is a phenomenal effort that just got legislation passed in New York and signed off by the governor called the Fashion Workers Act. I believe it's the Fashion Workers Act and ah you know forgive me if i if I'm misrepresenting that, but ah you know they we were working with the same White House staff.
Circuspreneur Podcast : And um they you know for those that want to look towards a policy um that is representative of something that we could do for the circus arts, specifically in Nevada, that is a brilliant blueprint of what we could achieve through efforts of advocacy and lobbying on our behalf.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um of ourselves. And you know we've been working with lawmakers locally and nationwide ah for the past you know few years here in you know in setting that standard and that blueprint for them to give them a visual. So the you know the Fashion Workers Act, it's a phenomenal achievement. And just to give you a little bit of background, I won't go too much into it. I don't want to misspeak But obviously, i I've ah been very attuned to what they've been able to do. But the majority of fashion workers and models are independent contractors. And so they are in a very similar category to entertainers, performance artists, and gig workers, and circus artists, and circ artists that many you know ah are not employees on a regular basis, if ever. And so what they did was basically get this act that ensures those protections that you would probably have under union rights and union status. So they got the bill passed so that, you know, they technically couldn't organize um in the same way that employees could, even though they're not fully limited to do that because there's so many different ways that you can organize if you are not an employee of a company.
Circuspreneur Podcast : There's a video out there somewhere of me discussing that on the Circuspreneur podcast. And I talk about it all the time. So for folks that you know have so much perspective on unionizing and organizing and things like that, you know I speak in depthly all the time about how there's so many different unique ways to organize right um and to gain union rights. And this is a really you know big one.
Circuspreneur Podcast : ah for listeners out there of what could be achieved through policy and legislation if you're not, for example, able to go to through the traditional route. um And you know I would like to echo as well is that you know whatever situation you're in, um you should always check with your local um labor board.
Circuspreneur Podcast : to ask them about your situation and what your actual rights are because so many of the situations that you could be in in terms of employment are very fluid. So it's very important to ask folks that know before you jump to conclusions about what your rights are because you may have way more rights than you think that you have access to. So again, rounding it back to the gratitude for the White House, for the administration, I was so honored the other year to be invited to meet Vice President Harris directly. And that was an amazing you know show of support for my work as an advocate, and as a survivor of USA Gymnastics or folks out there that aren't familiar with you know what started my advocacy years ago and how I got so invested in legislation and policy.
Circuspreneur Podcast : and how that you know ah transform transformed into the advocacy work that I've been doing on behalf of the circus industry, which I love and which means so much to me because it's been my entire career, my entire life after, and even while I was competing as an acrobatic gymnast for USA Gymnastics. So building those connections um and and and understanding how government works,
Circuspreneur Podcast : you know It was a great education. It's something that informs me now. But you know meeting again the vice president and then you know having that introduction into um you know ah the administration and you know kind of being ushered in and inviting invited in and then being able to bring up those conversations and topics and be like,
Circuspreneur Podcast : I'm the one in the room representing circus arts alongside folks that are representing all sorts of industries um and you know, making it, legitimatizing our industry as best as I could and as best as I can.
Circuspreneur Podcast : and And knowing that you know the White House really wanted to amplify the need ah for the circus arts industry to have policy and legislation, which again is a very profound thing and something that I really want the industry to remember that over the next you know four years, as we you know there will there will be an entirely new administration and none of us know really what's going to happen. there are you know kind of what's at stake and you know what's going to what's going to be a part of that administration's particular makeup. We were fortunate that this administration was so open to so many different um environments of labor and workers' rights.
Circuspreneur Podcast : and um you know and of of unique niche industries. And so again, they you know created a really incredible space for an industry like us to come in and be represented and to also explore what our options are and what our industry could look like. and beyond where it has been and and where it is now and and again straight to into the future because I have so many ideas and I know you know I'm around a lot of folks ah that are you know so brilliant and have such perspective on our circus arts industry and you know have um have so many ideas and I think that you know, again, in going to the White House and getting this type of his support, we got to see that it is a reality, that these are spaces that are for us. We have to just continue to establish that dialogue and work with the systems that, you know, are there and then also to creating new systems because, again, you know, prior to the Fashion Workers Act, I mean, no one believed that they could get policy passed.
Circuspreneur Podcast : for the modeling industry. um you know Whoever, you know if you listened a little or or ah know a bit about the fashion industry and the modeling industry, I mean, you know and so I have to say as well, ah you know the folks that I've been speaking to in DC, and they put this and this is no disrespect to the modeling industry, but they said if they can get policy passed, if they can get um more rights, we would think that folks that are risking their lives and doing as much magnificent work as you all do,
Circuspreneur Podcast : that um you use your bodies and you do so many years of specialized work and hard labor. They said, we imagine that you would have that right too and that privilege and and that access. So I think that it's an important step for us to remember that. ah you know I could provide so much insight, but I won't go too long ah in this special reflection on the circus arts industry round table. that was presented by the White House and by the Biden -Harris administration and something to honor as we um you know as they usher in the next administration and as there is a whole new you know set of folks.
Circuspreneur Podcast : um you know in various positions of government and you know all of us seeing where do we go from here in terms of our advocacy and what does that look like ah for all of us that are advocates um in so many different ways and um you know I just want to remind everyone that you know it's it's important for us to continue to stay engaged um and to work together and to you know find different ways to come together. And um you know that's been a really important important lesson that I've learned in my own advocacy in terms of you know how you come together um for for from all walks of life in government and in DC and seeing how policy has been passed because I've been a part of policies getting passed and rewriting policies and amending policies. and
Circuspreneur Podcast : you know you really understand uh you know the word i guess is working across the aisle um and we have so many folks from so many different backgrounds that are very in tune with our policy positions and what we're trying to do with the circus arts industry so to close out this episode i do we do have an event coming up the Circus Art Guilds of America in partnership with the Nevada Labor Commissioner's Office with special guest Chris Smalls, who is the founder of the Amazon Labor Union. He will be here next Thursday, January 23, 1130 a .m. to 1 p .m. PST. It's an in -person event. Please go to the Eventbrite link that I have in the notes of this episode. to sign up in RSVP. It's a free event everyone, so don't worry you don't have to buy a ticket. They are coming out and they are doing this for us for free to have engagement to the local entertainment and circus and Cirque Industries here in Las Vegas. And so whatever level of representation that you see yourself as burlesque dancer, any of those things, you know, magicians, jugglers. This is for all of you. And so invite your friends. Come out for any level that you can. If you can't stay for the whole time, that's okay too. And come out and enjoy and our town hall slash workshop. It'll be a Q and &A. You get to interact with them, ask them questions. They're also going to do miniature presentations as well to explain certain different laws um and and rules of employment and different levels of employment as well. So
Circuspreneur Podcast : Thank you again all for coming out. I hope to see you next week in person. It's also going to be live streamed, but RSVPing to be there in person is strongly encouraged. I'd love to meet everyone. Come meet Chris Malls. He's amazing. He's a legend. He was just at the White House too with President Biden on a special invitation. so he's you know he's He's quite phenomenal and I think you'll very much enjoy listening to him and speak and be very inspired by him.
