Safer Spaces Policy
Introduction
Folk On The Rocks is committed to fostering a harassment-free workplace and event experience where people are treated with respect and dignity. Folk On The Rocks (FOTR) belongs to everyone and everyone has a right to feel safe and included. Knowing that no place can be completely safe to all people, all of the time, this policy has been created to:
help FOTR prevent harm within our workplace and programming;
better equip FOTR as an organization to respond to harm stemming from violations of the Code of Conduct defined within the Safer Spaces Policy;
have a clear reporting and feedback process for attendees, team members, suppliers, and talent to report violations of the Code of Conduct or other situations that have made them feel unsafe; and
Help FOTR team members be accountable to each other and the community in our safer spaces work.
This policy will be communicated to all artists, attendees, staff, vendors, and volunteers before all FOTR events and activities. This policy applies to all behaviour at the Folk On The Rocks festival site, at FOTR events, on FOTR digital spaces such as social media, and all communications with FOTR staff and volunteers.
Definitions
Assault means the act of inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or putting another person in apprehension of an imminent harmful or offensive contact.
Consent means the voluntary, freely given, active, and specific agreement to engage in any type of contact or activity.
Discrimination means to deny any person any goods, services, accommodation or facilities, or to treat any person or class of persons in a demeaning or belittling way.
A Folker is any person attending Folk On The Rocks events in any capacity.
Sanctuary is the Folk On The Rocks “Chill Zone” and home base for the Safety Squad. Folkers can come here for water, sunscreen, safer sex and safer substance use supplies, or for help regarding harassment or any unsafe situations. Located near the Beer Garden, the exact location is on the Festival map available onsite and online.
Freedom means that every Folker is free to enjoy the Festival without experiencing any of the following:
physical and sexual violence;
physical and emotional abuse;
assault;
discrimination;
harassment;
unsolicited physical contact;
non-consensual sexual attention;
non-consensual objectification;
non-consensual touching or flirtation;
hatefulness;
shaming;
bullying;
deliberate intimidation;
stalking; and
following.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
Written or verbal abuse, threats, or outbursts;
The display of visual material which is offensive to any persons;
Unwelcome remarks, jokes, comments, innuendo, or taunts;
Leering or other suggestive or obscene gestures;
Condescending or patronizing behaviour which is intended to undermine self-esteem, diminish performance or adversely affect conditions of participation;
Practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment, endanger a person’s safety, or negatively affect performance;
Any form of hazing;
Retaliation or threats of retaliation against an individual who reports harassment;
Bullying;
Offensive or intimidating phone calls, texts, voice mails or emails;
Displaying or circulating offensive pictures, photographs or materials in printed or electronic form;
Psychological abuse;
Discrimination and;
Behaviours such as described above that are not directed towards a specific individual or group but have the same effect of creating a negative or hostile environment.
Oppression means the unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power, whether explicit or through systemic policies and behaviours.
Threatening means the implicit or implied expression of an act of potential violence, discrimination, harassment, or oppression.
Violence is the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation (World Health Organization).
Stalking is the repeated act of unwanted pursuit or close proximity to an individual. FOTR defines proximity as consistently staying within a space of 30 meters for an extended period of time.
Roles of Safety Squad, Uniformed Security, and FOTR Staff
To prioritize a safer space during the annual Folk On The Rocks Festival, FOTR has several paid and volunteer teams who can provide support or respond to an incident that may violate the Code of Conduct. A description of each of these teams and their role in keeping the festival safe are provided here.
During the festival, Safety Squad members can be found wearing purple shirts labelled Safety Squad. They serve as the first point of contact for harm reduction, and safety, well-being, or security concerns that are not emergencies. They provide community care through active bystander intervention, crowd monitoring, and de-escalation.
Uniformed Security will be in a full uniform or vest labelled Security. They act as both a visual deterrent and a point of contact for safety concerns that may be dangerous, aggressive, and/or violent.
FOTR Staff will be in a shirt or sweater clearly labelled Staff and will carry a radio. All staff are required to undergo mandatory Bystander Intervention Training and have access to resources to provide the support needed to the situation and people involved. They are also trained on the Safer Spaces Policy, Reporting Procedures, and Emergency Response Procedures. Only Staff hold the power to make a decision regarding removing any Folker from the Festival site.
Code of Conduct
Creating Safer Spaces requires collective commitment, participation, and accountability, and we ask that all Folkers treat others with respect, kindness, and care, and notify FOTR of any behaviour that violates this Code of Conduct.
Folk On The Rocks reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate with individuals violating this Code of Conduct, which may include issuing a warning to the offender, asking them to leave the premises or have them removed, or calling the authorities if absolutely necessary. Moreover, our course of action will always take into consideration the wishes of the person(s) harmed or impacted, within reason.
FOTR commits to communicating these agreements to all Folkers, and holding all Folkers accountable to the community of Folk On The Rocks.
Folk On The Rocks does not tolerate:
Physical, sexual, and emotional violence;
discrimination;
harassment;
unsolicited physical contact;
non-consensual sexual attention, touch, and objectification;
hatefulness and hate speech;
shaming;
bullying;
deliberate intimidation and;
stalking or unwanted following.
Folk On The Rocks asks that all Folkers:
Prioritize Safety and Care
Do not tolerate sexual, verbal, or physical harassment from your friends in any situation;
Check in with your fellow Folkers to make sure that everybody is having a fun and safe festival;
Check in with fellow Folkers who may appear to be in a threatening situation.
Ask for Consent
Respect people, their bodies, beliefs, possessions, and space;
Maintain respectful and safe boundaries on dance floors and in crowded areas;
Consent is active, conscientious, voluntary, verbal, and ongoing, and is not restricted to sexual contact.
Be an Active Bystander
Be aware of the signs of distress, and alert the Folk Staff or Safety Squad member if somebody needs help;
If you witness a person acting in a way that appears threatening, violent, or aggressive, speak up if it is safe to do so, or alert FOTR Staff or Uniformed Security;
If you see somebody acting in a way that makes you or somebody else uncomfortable or unsafe, speak up if it is safe to do so, or alert FOTR Staff, Safety Squad or Uniformed Security.
Help and Ask for Help
Find out where the Sanctuary is located, and use it if you need support and;
If you witness or are involved in an assault or other dangerous situation, identify yourself to a Folk On The Rocks Staff or a member of the Uniformed Security immediately.
FOTR commits to communicating these agreements to all Folkers, and holding all Folkers accountable to the community of Folk On The Rocks.
How to Report An Incident
Folk On The Rocks understands that oftentimes reports of assault and abuse can be dismissed, and it can be very difficult to come forward. Please know that we take these claims very seriously and are here to listen. We will handle every situation to the best of our abilities.
If you witness a violation of the Folk On The Rocks Code of Conduct at any FOTR event, please speak with a Folk On The Rocks Staff member. Notifying a Staff member ensures that senior management is notified and that the incident can be followed up on.
If you would like to report an incident after the fact or anonymously, FOTR has partnered with REES (Respect, Educate, Empower Survivors) to provide online reporting for unwanted sexualized behaviours and incidents of bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination.
REES allows Folkers to create a record of an incident and share it with festival organizers. The reporter can also choose to chat with FOTR anonymously, or they can choose to use the platform as a diary and never submit their report, but still have a record of it for their own use. REES also provides information about community-based resources such as sexual assault centres, healthcare and other support services.
REES online reporting can be found here or through QR codes posted at FOTR events.
All Folk On The Rocks Staff undergo mandatory Bystander Intervention Training and have access to resources to provide the support needed to the situation and people involved. If Staff or Safety Squad are approached about any violation of the Code of Conduct, the following procedure will be followed:
Staff/Safety Squad will collect and record details on the violation of the Code of Conduct immediately from who is reporting and will offer support;
Staff/Safety Squad will provide the person who is harmed with a safe space and any resources required for processing their experience;
If appropriate, FOTR will make efforts to speak with all other concerned parties regarding the situation;
FOTR will decide on an immediate response which could include issuing a warning to the offender, asking them to leave the premises or have them removed, or calling the authorities if absolutely necessary.
To the extent possible, the wishes of the harmed person will be included when coordinating the response;
When possible and reasonable, responses will be implemented or overseen by two people;
Note that only Staff hold the power to make a decision regarding removing any Folker from the Festival site.
Depending on the incident, follow-up response will be carried out in a timely and appropriate manner.
While we understand and respect the wish for anonymity of individuals fearing retaliation, we cannot commit to properly addressing an issue in the case of anonymous disclosures and complaints. We will never disclose the identity of a person sharing their concerns with us without their consent and will always ask for permission to involve outside help if we feel like the issue is beyond our professional expertise.
We are a small staff and do not have the human resources to guarantee an immediate response to concerns that do not represent an imminent threat to attendees' and participants' safety in the days leading up to and during the festival. Regardless of timing, we take incidents of abuse and discrimination seriously and will address all concerns as efficiently as possible.
Thank you to Ivy & Dean for their help in developing previous iterations of FOTR Safer Spaces Policy. FOTR would like to thank Dawson City Music Festival and Sled Island for generously sharing their resources with us. Some of the definitions and wording used in this policy were borrowed from or inspired by these resources.
