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“A safer space is a supportive, non-threatening environment that encourages open-mindedness, respect, a willingness to learn from others, as well as physical and mental safety. It is a space that is critical of the power structures that affect our everyday lives. Everyone who enters a safer space has a responsibility to uphold the values of the space.”
– 2015 Golden West Music Festival.
The organisers of Ōtautahi Tiny Performance Festival are committed to providing a safe and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, size, race, or religion. Harassment will not be tolerated.
Tiny Festival draws together a programme of physical performance makers that embrace taking risks, pushing boundaries, and breaking new ground, and this curation is aimed at presenting work to an audience through creating “small moments that can endure long after the performance ends” (Julia Harvie).
In order to achieve this, Tiny Festival aims to create a Safer Space whereby participants are challenged, but not threatened, and can share in an intimate experience at close quarters without intimidation, whereby artists can be vulnerable and audiences can engage with their performances. We believe we must be actively anti all forms of oppression; being non-racist, non-sexist, non-homophobic is not enough. While we cannot guarantee such an environment, we hope that this policy will help people to feel comfortable to approach us with any concerns and to understand what their role is in creating a safer space. Please be aware at all times of power.
Abusive situations are often created when people are unaware of the power they have in a relationship or situation. Don’t assume everyone feels as comfortable as you do, or is completely able to inform you if you are saying and doing hurtful things.
Contribute to making this event enjoyable. Look out for each other. Respect the physical, emotional, and mental boundaries and the safety of all people.
People who are unwilling to discuss and correct their harmful behaviour will be immediately excluded from the event with no exceptions.
As participants of this event, we ask that you take responsibility for your behaviour and understand the ways in which it can affect others. We value freedom of expression, but not at the cost of alienating or harming others.
Whether or not it directly affects you, we encourage participants to call people out for crappy behaviour, if this can be done safely. If you do feel comfortable speaking up when someone is inappropriate, we ask that you refrain from confrontational behaviour that may spark aggression. It is more effective to quietly talk to the person and point out that they are making someone uncomfortable, rather than publicly humiliating them or using physical force.
HARMFUL BEHAVIOUR INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:
Thank you for taking the time to read through our Safe Space Policy.
We can only make our space safe with your support. We believe this policy is an important and valuable way to address some of the issues that people can experience when attending events.
Input from Sara Cowdell and Izzy Kember (PAWA), 128 Radical Community Social Centre, Wellington, Golden West Music Festival and Chronophonium
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