BadAss Creative

Some projects remind you why you do this work in the first place.

Getting to work alongside Cirque Nuit is one of those for me.

I am constantly humbled by the level of talent, creativity, and commitment in this room. The kind of humans who don’t just make shows… they build entire worlds and invite you to step inside.

The Time Machinist is returning to The GRAND this May, and it’s something special. Truly.

If you haven’t experienced it yet, this is your sign.

Step right this way…

The door is open once again, but what’s waiting on the other side has changed.

The Time Machinist returns this May 21-24 The GRAND in a bold new remount, reimagined, reawakened, and more immersive than ever.

Named one of the Top 10 Theatre Productions of 2023 by Louis B. Hobson Calgary Herald

Will you step through?

All Ages! Bring the kiddos!

🎟️🔗 https://www.cirquenuit.com/upcoming-cirque-performances-the-time-machinist/

📸 Kelly Hofer

Ever wondered how public art actually gets made?

Not just the shiny final piece, but the budgets, approvals, community wrangling, and “how did we get this installed without losing our minds” part of it?

Calgary Arts Development quietly built a whole thing for that 👇
https://calgaryartsdevelopment.com/public-art/projects/public-art-101/

It’s called Public Art 101 and it’s basically a backstage pass to the process. Workshops, real talk, and the kind of knowledge that usually lives in meeting notes and mildly chaotic spreadsheets.

Current plot twist: the recordings aren’t up yet (tech gremlins, we’ve all been there), but they’re being re-recorded and will land eventually.

In the meantime, if you’re an artist, a community builder, or just someone who’s ever side-eyed a sculpture and thought “but… how?”, this is your rabbit hole.

Public Art 101 | Public Art | Calgary Arts Development Public Art 101 is a series of professional development workshops designed for artists, community groups and commissioning bodies who would like to learn more about developing a successful public art project.

After 10+ years of running BadAss Creative as a scrappy, idea-fueled sole proprietorship, I finally did the thing.

We incorporated.

BadAss Creative Inc. is official, and I’m stepping into this chapter as Managing Director.

Which feels accurate, because lately my job description has included:

• Diplomat between Google Drive kingdoms and Microsoft Team empires

• Capacity-building co-conspirator

• Public art project wrangler

• Grant strategist

• Policy translator to procedure architect

• Professional turner-of-big-ideas-into-actual-workplans

In the past year alone, I’ve had the absolute privilege of collaborating with

Foundry Conferences & Events , Calgary Arts Development, Niki Wilson, Huu-ay-aht First Nations, City of Edmonton - Local Government and Le Cirque de la Nuit

Different mandates. Different pressures. Different software ecosystems.

Same throughline: remarkable humans doing meaningful work.

Here’s what I didn’t fully anticipate when I moved from part-time gigs to full time BadAssery:

How generous people would be.
How much trust they would place in me.
How much I would learn in return.

Behind every organization is a small group of people holding vision with duct tape, brilliance, and stubborn hope.

Getting to strengthen the scaffolding around that work? That’s the good stuff.

Self-employment is not for the faint of heart. Some days I am strategy. Some days I am systems. Some days I am “why is this PDF 47MB.”

But the exchange has been wildly worth it.

Incorporation isn’t just a paperwork milestone. It’s a signal.

We’re building infrastructure for bold ideas.

We’re scaling impact.
We’re staying curious.
And we’re just getting started.