Get ... at your own ris (L - R) Jean-Luc Bedryk, a first-time drop-in, and The Underground Circus (TUT) supervisor, Peter Boulanger, discuss how to do a requested trick. PHoTo By CAMERON THOMSON q Latest carny training trend could cause injuries, Says expert By CAMERON THOMSON ewcomers to a Vancou- ver circus-training fit- ness trend need close supervision from a qualified instructor to avoid risking injury, say experts. As of last week, The Under- ground Circus (TUT) on Fraser Street, started offering drop-in cir- cus classes in the evening where anyone can practice prop manipula- tion, aerial acrobatics and balancing acts. These sessions are not run by certified instructors, but by com- pany supervisors who trained at the National Circus School in Mon- treal and performed with Cirque du Soleil. Dr. Robert McCormack, an or- thopedic surgeon, said that while certifications indicate whether someone is qualified to teach, not every certified coach teaches in a way that mini- protocols and what their emergency action plans are.” Peter Boulanger, who supervises TUT’s drop-in circus classes in the evening, said the National Circus mizes injury. . “Circus "T trust Peter with my School offers acts are dif- . . . one-to-three- ferent in life. I think experience year coaching terms of the * * ”" programs which risks but all Sa better premium. hand out certifi- of them have potential acute injuries which would be sprains, fractures — things related to falls and overuse injuries,” McCormack said. “Things that you would look for if you're doing [these] activities are what [coaches] have in terms of emergency equipment, what their — RENEE MAK, A TUT DROP-IN CIRCUS CLASS ATTENDEE cates. But there are training cen- tres that offer a one-weekend coaching workshop that does the same as well. “When someone has a certifica- tion for coaching, it doesn't neces- sarily tell you about their depth of experience,” Boulanger said. “They could have gotten that certification last weekend.” According to TUT’s Facebook page, new participants are given a safety orientation and other safety essentials, such as a restriction on aerial rigging which involves hoist- ing performers into the air using ropes and pulleys during their first visit. Cell phone use is also prohib- ited while using circus equipment. Reneé Mak, who has been at- tending TUT's drop-in circus classes for five years, said certifica- tions do not always represent skill. “T trust Peter with my life,” Mak said. “I think experience is a better premium. Sure, a certification is nice but there are personal trainers who are certified [and] not good at all. So what does it mean to be certified?” Women Female-only workshops increasingly in demand By AMANDA POOLE omen-only technology workshops provide a safer space for women to learn, according to organizers and participants. Ewuraesi Thompson, the Van- couver chapter lead for Canada Learning Code, a non-profit orga- nization that hosts coding work- shops for girls and women, said women want to learn in a space that won't make them feel inferior or insecure. “A women-only or majority [workshop] is a place where people can feel safe, which is why we put them on,” Thompson said. learn to Canada Learning Code is in its sixth year of hosting Ladies Learn- ing Code where women and youth can learn about web design, arti- ficial intelligence, WordPress and more. Other non-profit organiza- tions such as Django Girls and Women Who Code Vancouver teach similar courses and also high- light a safe atmosphere. Christina Reider, a recording engineer, said attending Ladies Learning Code was one of the best educational experiences she has ever had. “T felt like I could ask more ques- tions,” Reider said. “There was a certain relaxed vibe that I really enjoyed.” ‘Thompson said there is a wide range of women interested in wom- en-only technology workshops. “It ranges from people who are unemployed and looking for a job to lawyers and accountants who want to up their skills,” Thompson said. Jessie Adcock, the chief technol- ogy officer for the City of Vancou- code together ver, has been working in technology for 20 years. Adcock said there are noticeably fewer women than men in the fields of science, technol- ogy, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). A Statistics Canada report con- firms Adcock’s observation, despite the fact it also shows that women represent the majority of young university graduates. Adcock said women-only tech- nology workshops allow women to explore STEM careers in a less pressured environment. “It reduces a barrier to entry be- cause it allows women to see what this is all about without necessarily having to go up against other exter- nal pressures,” Adcock said. (L - R) Linda Ng, Tiffany Chu and Eliza Xu editing their career portfolios in an Adobe Creative program. PH070 BY AMANDA POOLE Artists illustrate need for change Alternative to note-tak- ing ‘helps people see’ By LISA STEACY .C. businesses, service pro- B viders and community or- ganizations are increasingly turning to graphic recordings to tackle heavy topics, saying they are more effective when it comes to sharing difficult experiences and educating the public. A graphic recording is a large- scale drawing created by an artist who documents a discussion as it happens. This new technique is an alternative to minute taking, report- writing and audio-video recording. Amal Ghazal, the director of SFU’s Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies, recently asked art- ist Tiaré Jung to create a graphic recording of their Being Black & Muslim event where attendees dis- cussed discrimination based on race and religion. “Recording in this way did not impose in the way that video would,” Ghazal said. Ghazal said the recording cap- tured the most important elements of the discussion, and she has been sharing it online to educate the public. Some of Jung’s other clients in- clude Indigenous organizations, women’s groups and community service providers. In some cases, she is asked to record an entire discus- sion or the top three ideas. Jung said the visual and interac- tive nature of a graphic recording makes it easier for participants, particularly marginalized people, to confidentially share their stories. “But it still animates the experi- ence in a way that fully captures the emotion and life,” Jung said. “Visualization really helps people see and hear themselves and also see and hear each other.” Sam Bradd, the founder of Draw- ing Change which hosts workshops on graphic recordings, said that un- like a lengthy written report, an im- age is a compelling way to engage and educate people about pressing social issues. “It's that hook to get them in- volved,” Bradd said. “Where we're at in society right now is that we have infinite infor- mation but what we need are tools to help us make sense of it.” drawing by an artist who docu- ments a discussion as it happens. to minute-taking, report-writing and audio-video recording. the most important elements of a discussion (e.g. top three ideas). SOURCE: TIARE JUNG, ARTIST AND GRAPHIC RECORDER