Be Bold

Birth On Labor Day is…

• a global movement to make maternity care mother-friendly.
• grassroots events that use the arts to get communities to educate themselves, speak their truth and take action on maternity care issues.
• an awareness-raising and fundraising opportunity for groups, organizations and individuals to support mother-initiated dialogue and solutions to maternity care.

What is BOLD’s approach?
BOLD’s approach to our mission is based on similar “theatre for social change” models (V-Day, The Innocence Project). Every September (and on Labour Days around the world) we support communities to perform Karen Brody’s critically-acclaimed play, Birth and/or hold a BOLD Red Tent event. The goal of each event is to engage communities in a discussion about how to improve their local maternity care issues. BOLD puts mothers at the center of solving their maternity care problems. At BOLD we ask mothers: what kind of childbirth conditions do you want? What do you deserve?

What does the BOLD acronym stand for?
Our acronym stands for Birth On Labor Day (BOLD). In 2006, BOLD’s first year, over 40 performances of Karen Brody’s critically acclaimed play, Birth, were performed throughout the world over 4 days during the American Labor Day weekend.

Why BOLD?
Playwright Karen Brody wanted to find a way to honor mothers’ birth experiences, get communities talking about their local birthing issues, and raise money for organizations and small groups who are working to make maternity care mother-friendly. “One woman dies every minute throughout the world from a pregnancy or childbirth-related cause,” says Brody, “As a writer I wondered, why are we not telling this story? And as an activist I wondered, how can we tell this story in a way that will make a difference, that will shift the model of maternity care for women to the mother’s needs?”

When does BOLD take place?
BOLD performances take place during the month of September every year (except overseas where they may also take place on Labor Day). BOLD Red Tent events and our BOLD College Campaign take place throughout the year.