Jam for Safer Spaces

Policy for safer spaces at musical & creative events in Brussels

Summary

Jam for Safer Spaces Policy is designed to raise awareness on what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and to give clear protocols to staff and organizers on how to respond to situations involving harassment.
Define the role of the jam host, introduce role of the Safe Space Facilitator.
Define harassment, discrimination and abuse and protocols.
Familiarise staff and organizers with protocols and responses.
Jam for Safer Spaces Campaign aims to encourage debate in creative events in the Brussels music community towards building bridges to safer and inclusive events.

What We Expect From Participants:

Participants include hosts, Safe Space Facilitators, engineers, artists, musicians, singers, collaborators, mentees, and all other clients, guests and visitors.

Role of the Jam Host: The jam host is responsible for their event. Many focus on the performing artists’ and sound quality, some take more of an interest in what’s going on. We believe that the host is also best placed to manage their night to ensure it is safe and inclusive. This host is approachable to everyone and a direct link to the bar manager/owner. Encouraging diversity of jam hosts in Brussels and encouraging more women into the role will be something we will raise with venues during the campaign.
Role of the Safer Spaces Facilitator: The jam host will appoint a Safe Space Facilitator (SSF). This role is to be approachable and if necessary gain information to update the host or the bar staff. The role is to be an approachable and discreet first point of contact. Monitoring, liaising and coordination. Facilitator’s can dispense First Warnings but may not exclude anyone from the venue without approval from the Jam Host or Bar Staff.
Role of owner/bar staff: Ultimately the power of exclusion is devolved from the owner to the bar manager/staff. In the absence of security, the bar is ultimately responsible for dealing with complaints and kicking people out. In some cases this authority is also passed to the host.
Role of the community: By sharing and raising awareness of what behaviour is unacceptable, we are all encouraged to be kind and respectful. Untoward and unacceptable behaviour by strangers or regulars should be reported to the host or the SSF and/or bar staff. There are protocols in place to deal with this type of situation now.

We expect integrity from all participants. We envision creating and holding a space that is fun, respectful and safe. We invite you to participate in this endeavour so as to create an environment where creativity and collaboration can flourish - a space that is open to and engaged with diverse ways of thinking, and learning and creating; where we speak of and treat peers in a respectful manner; and where we are supportive, inclusive, patient and encouraging.

Inclusivity and support are important aspects of creating a safer space so that people of all abilities can experience and enjoy the space. Inclusivity means not just tolerating, but celebrating differences – be they physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, cultural, social, artistic, communicative or otherwise. It means that we must acknowledge the centering of the white, able-bodied, heterosexual, cis male experience in the music industry and beyond. When we identify this reality, we can then work toward decentering it by intentionally creating space for other experiences.

To create and maintain the values fundamental to a safer space, it is necessary to have a willingness to hold dialogue, receive criticism, accept responsibility and take accountability for responsible communication. We endeavour to do this and to intentionally practice clear, open, respectful and honest communication in our events in order to set a precedent for healthy and effective communication in all interactions.

Harassment

We do not tolerate harassing, discriminatory or abusive behaviour that violates our standard of an inclusive, non-discriminatory safer space. We may redeem the right, at our own discretion, to remove participants who engage in harassment.

Harassment includes:

Offensive comments related to race, ancestry, colour, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, social disadvantage or religion.
Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.
Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not consensual.
Physical contact without consent or after a request to stop.
Threats of violence or language alluding to violence directed towards a person, or persons.
Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to harm themselves or die by suicide.
Deliberate intimidation or verbal/physical/online behaviour that provokes fear.
Stalking or following or prolonged unwanted contact.
Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes.
Unwelcome sexual attention, verbal, physical or otherwise.
Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others.
Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.
Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent except as necessary to protect vulnerable people from abuse.
Deliberate misgendering or use of rejected names.

Please make the host or the ‘Safe-Space Facilitator’ aware of the situation if you are a victim of harassment, discrimination or abuse during one of our events.

Discriminatory Art

We welcome art that is challenging and cutting edge; however, we do not promote nor tolerate artistic practice that engages in the intentional discrimination or glamourization of harm against marginalised people. We reserve the right, at our discretion, to refuse to share work that promotes hate, and/or that is homophobic, racist, culturally appropriative, transphobic, ableist, ageist, misogynist or otherwise discriminatory.