Safer Spaces Policy
Hi, and thanks for taking the time to read this document. This is how we define and share our studio’s collective values in order to create a safer, more inclusive, respectful, welcoming and fun environment where creativity can thrive.
We recognize the privilege of owning and operating a business on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories and we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past as well as the effects of settler colonialism and the fact that we primarily benefit from this as a white-run organization. We are committed to moving forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration by creating space for Indigenous artists and youth to the best of our resources and abilities.
No Fun Club is committed to providing a safer experience for everyone. We envision our studio as being a supportive space for all artists and engineers. We endeavour to foster a healthy space within the music industry, where physical and emotional wellbeing intentionally come first.
We want people of all gender identities, abilities, ages, sexualities and cultures to feel welcome to participate in our space.To this end, harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated in any form. We ask that all participants ask about and respect one another’s physical and emotional boundaries, identities and backgrounds, including pronouns and names.
Please follow up with any questions or feedback – we’re happy to hear from you and to engage in dialogue.
What We Expect From Participants
Participants include studio staff, engineers, recording artists, musicians, collaborators, mentees, and all other studio clients, guests and visitors.
No Fun Club expects 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 decentring 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. We endeavour to do this and to intentionally practice clear, open, respectful and honest communication within our staff team in order to set a precedent for healthy and effective communication in all studio 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 cancel sessions or remove participants who engage in harassment, be it during a session, a meeting, an event, or in the bunk rooms.
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.
Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names.
Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not consensual.
Physical contact and simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like “*hug*” or “*backrub*”) 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.
Stalking or following.
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.
We also reserve the right to cancel or terminate sessions with artists who have a history of abusive or discriminatory behaviour, or behaviour that is otherwise deemed detrimental to the creation of a safer space at No Fun Club. All booking and programming decisions are made in consideration of participants’ safety and wellbeing, using the fullest extent of our knowledge and judgment.
We will always believe survivors / victims. Consideration of survivors’ physical and emotional safety will always take precedence in our response to accusations. In a case where a survivor / victim comes forward because their harasser is present in the building, we will immediately address the situation in consultation with the victim. In most cases, this will mean requesting that the accused individual exit the premises. In some cases, this may mean action such as rescheduling or terminating a session.
If a person requests to book a session at the studio and has a known history of abusive or discriminatory behaviour known to staff, the situation will be evaluated individually. Second chances may be offered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of studio staff, in consultation with survivors whenever possible. Conditions for a second chance include: a demonstrated change in behaviour, preferably accompanied by an accountability partner; understanding that prioritizing survivors may mean that second chances are not permanent; and agreement that they must leave if requested. The safety of survivors will always remain our primary consideration.
Studio staff is committed to holding ourselves to the same accountability standard as all other participants. We are available and prepared to deal with situations that arise as best we can, and will share available resources when possible - whether it be personal resources (based on available time and relevant experience); or linking to external resources, i.e. other organizations with more expertise. (A list of crisis support lines will be provided.)
We use both “Survivor” and “Victim” in this document to reflect differences in how people experience violent acts. Some feel “Survivor” fits their experience best, while others resonate more with “Victim”.
Discriminatory Art
No Fun Club welcomes 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 record work that promotes hate, and/or that is homophobic, racist, culturally appropriative, transphobic, ableist, ageist, misogynist or otherwise discriminatory.
What You Can Expect from Us
No Fun Club and its staff is dedicated to creating a safer environment where creativity can be nurtured and fun can be had. We do this with the help of anti-oppression consultants’ training and guidance as well as our own research and growth as individuals and as a team.
We always aim to frame all studio interactions with respect, openness of perspective and lack of judgment. Should any issues arise during a participant’s time in the studio, we will strive to deal with these situations with respect, dignity, and confidentiality. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you witness violence of any kind, feel unsafe, or notice another person who feels or is being made to feel unsafe.
Feeling “unsafe” means that you experience discomfort or harassment caused by another individual or group of individuals. If such an incident is reported, studio staff will address the report or complaint as promptly as we can and according to our protocols. We believe survivors of violence, and will act on any and all information brought to our attention.
In the event that studio staff are not present for any part of your session, or when you are staying in the bunk rooms overnight, you will be provided with staff members' cell phone numbers so that if a non-urgent safety situation arises, we can act as the first point of contact.
We will ask you what is happening and what you need in order to find out how we can make sure everyone is safe, support you and help resolve the situation. Staff can come in person to, when possible and appropriate, provide mediation in non violent situations or, as a last resort, ask parties to leave.
In the event that a harassment claim is made against a studio staff member, they will recuse themselves from handling your incident and, if appropriate and necessary, other staff will be called to replace them. Staff members are held to the same standard as any other participant at the studio. If a staff member is called out by a client or the public, the rest of the staff will handle the incident following our protocols.
Please note that due to our finite personal resources (we are a very small team), there is a chance that someone may not be immediately available to respond to situations after studio hours. Additionally, if staff are not comfortable with or don’t have the resources to mediate a situation, outside support resources should be shared, including offering to contact appropriate authorities or groups if safety is in question. These decisions are at the discretion of studio staff on site.
That being said, all participants’ safety and comfort are always a top priority, and we will do everything we can to create a safe situation according to our protocols listed below.
Staff Response Protocols
Is the situation in question a) based on a personal conflict, or b) does it involve harassment or abuse? Can this situation be worked out between both parties with our assistance?
If the situation is based around a personal conflict, staff will do our best to provide impartial third party mediation, according to individual capacity and comfort, with the goal of resolving the conflict or offering support to de-escalate the current situation in order to ensure safety and work on solutions to address the viability of continuing session(s).
If the conflict is resolved, we can move forward and potentially resume sessions/activities.
If the conflict cannot be resolved in-house, this may be outside of staff capabilities. We will offer a list of resources for crisis resolution/mediation.
If the conflict escalates, we may have to end a session and request that any offending party leave the studio in a way they feel safe doing so. We would obviously prefer to avoid this and hope that most conflicts can reasonably be resolved.
If the situation involves harassment, discrimination or abuse, the offending party will be asked to cease any harassing, discriminatory or abusive behavior, and are expected to comply immediately.
If the behaviour ceases, and the accuser/harassed person(s) gives consent, the session may continue.
In the event that such behaviour continues, a corresponding course of action will be determined, up to and including removal of persons from the studio, and/or termination of a session.
If an accuser feels they need to leave the premises, appropriate support contacts will be given and we will offer to stay with them until they are comfortable leaving.
Online Protocols
We will respond to any discriminatory or hateful comments or messages on our social media on a case-by-base basis. If it seems that there’s a conversation to be had, we will respond if we deem it appropriate to do so, and we also reserve the right to stop responding in order to prevent staff burnout. Hateful comments may also be deleted, and any accounts who “troll” us may be blocked in order to protect ourselves and our account followers.
Staff Training
All No Fun Club staff are committed to consistently educating and challenging ourselves in order to provide an environment where safety and wellbeing is a top priority.
These protocols were developed with guidance from anti-oppression consultants. We will be participating in Safer Spaces training once it is safe to do so and once they are ready; and workshops will be attended annually (covid willing) to ensure all knowledge regarding safer spaces is up-to-date.
We do not have the expertise or authority to mediate all conflicts or to provide advice on conflict or crisis resolution.
Sources
The content of this document has been compiled from and informed by a variety of sources, including: the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, the Sled Island Safer Spaces online page, the Mental Health Commission’s Safer Spaces Guidelines, the Geek Feminism Wiki, Pixelles (Montreal), the Synonym Art Consultation’s Safer Spaces Policy and the Forth Safer Spaces Policy. We couldn’t have completed this policy without the expertise of our consultants, who offered much valuable guidance and feedback. This policy was last updated on January 28, 2021.