Policy

Updated: 14/08/2022

Purpose

The Festival of Sensations is an event where people can engage in potentially intense interpersonal interactions, including touch and transformative exercises. It is everyone’s responsibility to understand, ask for, and choose whether to give or withhold consent. Together, we seek to create a supportive and consensual space where people are free to say no, are accepted for who they are, and have the ability to explore different aspects of themselves if they choose to do so.

In order to support such an environment, we expect everyone at Festival of Sensations to follow the policy below while they are attending our event and interacting with anyone present or involved with the Festival of Sensations. (We also hope our values and policy can be an ongoing inspiration for any interactions beyond our festival as well!)

Applicable to:

All participants, volunteers, facilitators, staff, delegates and core team members are subject to this policy & procedure, as well as receiving support & consequences, without any exemption.

Consent

1. Treat everyone as an equal by default. That means approaching everyone with consent and personal agency in mind: Everyone has the responsibility to always ask consent and be ready to gracefully receive a no. Same goes for managing and expressing boundaries/refusing any interaction without the need of an explanation.
2. Nudity, outfits, flirting, or any expressed sexuality or identity is not an invitation for escalating interaction, which would require explicit consent.
3. Each participant is responsible for making sure, to the best of their ability, that everyone involved has the physical, mental, and emotional capacity to give informed and voluntary consent. That applies both during negotiation and the activity itself. When in doubt, consider taking the lesser risk of incidents by downscaling the interaction (adjusting it to a level which feels certain and comfortable for all parties involved.)
4. Anyone can withdraw consent at any time during any activity. A “no” in any form, verbal or nonverbal, should be taken as a withdrawal of consent.
5. All participants are responsible for stopping immediately any activity at the withdrawal of consent, or when they feel uncertain of ongoing consent. While you can discuss a deescalation of your activity, you do not negotiate the withdrawal of consent.
6. Ask consent for anything that ventures into someone’s personal space. For example: ‘Can I join you/sit here/etc…?’.
7. When sexual energy/arousal/intention/interaction are involved:

• Give clear and explicit consent to the negotiated acts.
• Participants need to agree on the meanings for safe words or safe signs when used. Ask each other how your ‘no’ and ‘stop’ sounds/looks like.
• Unless previously agreed upon, we recommend avoiding re-negotiating in the middle of an activity. When a person is not in a clear state of mind, you may not have full or informed consent—even though they agree in the heat of the moment. If you do anyway, be aware of the heightened risk and responsibility that comes with this.

Nonconsent

Sometimes things go differently than agreed on, either by mistake, lack of information, miscommunication, differing nonverbal communication styles, or physical limitations (slipping, mishearing, bumping into…). While we strive to avoid these ‘consent accidents’, we understand that it is a part of daily life.

Other times, consent gets intentionally broken by, for example, not disclosing important information, being driven by personal desire at the cost of the other’s autonomy, or by challenging the other person’s boundaries.

In both cases — accidental or intentional — you can inform us and we will initiate the procedure with the intention to (re)build on community safety, educate on better consent practices, and/or build capacity for accountability.

We offer the following ways to support you and address this: 

• Approach any member of the Awareness Team, the Conflict Support Team, or Core Team to discuss an incident
• Access our report form online and fill it in.
• Write your message in a private channel to our Telegram number which is only accessible by our Awareness Team (+43 677 643 084 18) and the CST Team (+4368120672556)  
• To report an incident concerning an Awareness Team/CST member, please approach another member of another team/core team. All team members commit to holding each other responsible and supporting each other in taking accountability by informing at least one other member for proper follow-up.

There is a procedure in place which you can read below so you are aware of what happens with a received report. Please contact us as soon as you are able (the form is available for 6 months after the event. After the 28th of February 2023, you can still send an email to consent@festivalofsensations.com). It is your right to report what happened and to ask for support. 

Discrimination

Please be respectful of other people and be mindful of their feelings and personal space. This space and its Awareness Team prioritize safety, equity, respect, and well being. If behavior we consider to be potentially unsafe, inappropriate, or disrespectful is observed or brought to our attention, the Awareness Team will respond. They will attempt to meet, discuss conduct, and recommend action to change unsafe behaviors. We will prevent entry and revoke access without refund in response to serious, dangerous, and repeated offenses that jeopardize the safety and agency of our space, our participants, or our team members. 

Under no circumstances do we tolerate discrimination and harassment. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination and/or harassment on the basis of: gender identity or gender presentation, sexual orientation, relationship status, relationship type or practice, socio-economic status (class), race, ability, language fluency or accent, age, physical appearance, mental health status, education, religion or lack thereof, and body shape.

We acknowledge that most of us grew up with discriminatory beliefs and practices embedded in culture. This festival aims to be aware of this, and support each other in this (un)learning process of becoming anti-discriminatory. We will not just ban people who are in this learning process and make errors. A key attitude we look for is willingness and openness to listen, learn and grow, and face the discomfort that comes with it. The Awareness Team can support with this. 

Discriminatory Behaviour

Discrimination is not limited to individual behavior but is deeply embedded in our socialization, our institutions, and organizational structures. All these forms of discrimination can be either implicit or explicit.

In general, discriminatory behavior can look like this:

• using words that were historically used to perpetuate violence against marginalized groups. Here it is important to reflect from which position one speaks – while certain words are perpetuating this historical violence when used by non-members of the groups they address, the same words can be a subversive tool of empowerment when used by members of those groups to refer to themselves. WHO is talking is key here.
• Excluding said groups from certain spaces 
• Reproducing stereotypes and therefore violence against said groups
• Violence of any kind against someone because they are a member of a certain group

Homo-/Queer-/Transphobia

While this is called a phobia it is actually an internalized hatred against homosexual, queer, and trans people which results in violent behavior towards these groups or creating dangerous circumstances for homosexual, queer, and trans people.

Homo-/Queer-/Transphobia may look like:

• Using slurs or words historically used for the oppression of those groups if you’re not a member of said groups yourself
• Not respecting someone’s pronouns or chosen name / repeatedly deadnaming or misgendering someone
• Denying someone their gender or explain why you think differently about gender as a response to their gender.
• Belittling, erasing or not respecting someone’s sexuality, gender, pronouns, identity
• Using the term “women*” to refer to the openness of trans women and other FLINTA people – trans women are women and FLINTAs are FLINTAs and not “women*”
• Binary/gendered bathrooms
• Using/expecting people as personal education dispensers by asking multiple questions on personal experience without consent of time/energy/availability.

Racism & Colorism

The discrimination against someone because of their racialisation or ethnicity and/or skin color. Since racism can only exist in a long-standing system of oppression and violence there is no such thing as racism against white people! Claiming such only deepens racialisation.

Racism & Colorism may look like:

• Using slurs or words that were historically used to justify violence against BIPoC when you are not a member of those communities yourself
• Microaggressions, such as speaking slower to someone, or in English because you think they don’t know the local language, based on the way they look
• Asking someone where they’re from without context
• Appropriating BIPoC aesthetics or art practices, clothing, words, culture – for example being a white person with dreadlocks
• Centering the discomfort of someone who got feedback of racism instead of tending to the racism.
• Putting racism in a vacuum – Not acknowledging racism to exist. “I don’t see color”.

Classism

Discrimination on the basis of class. Classism is a strategy used by members of a supposedly higher class to discriminate against people from a lower class.

Classism may look like:

• Making spaces inaccessible by, for example, asking for a lot of money, a certain type of clothing, events with no childcare
• Making fun of someone’s dialect or way of speaking
• Being ignorant to privileges that come with being middle or upper class
• Writing or speaking in academic language to make someone else feel small
• Claiming laziness or low effort in acquiring skills or financial stability

Sexism

Discrimination on the basis of gender. This often goes along with a binary understanding of gender where women and men are opposites.

Sexism may look like:

• Treating women as inferior to men – equating feminine to weak and masculine to strong.
• Seeing women as objects to be used/watched for the pleasure of men
• Gendering care work and housework as feminine.
• Using slurs against women
• Calling a woman too emotional or even hysterical as a way to diminish arguments
• Letting kids play only with specific culturally gendered toys – denying choice based on gender.
• Making fun of crying men – equating being emotional to being feminine.

Ageism

The discrimination on the basis of age. This can affect older people as well as younger people depending on the context.

Ageism may look like:

• Refusing people over or under a certain age to specific spaces/roles.
• Asking for someone’s age out of context
• Viewing/stereotyping older people as undynamic, boring,…
• Viewing/stereotyping younger people as lazy, hedonistic,…
• Making jokes about someone’s age
• Not taking someone seriously based on their age

Ableism

The discrimination against people with disabilities. This form of discrimination is mainly based on the conception of able people being superior to people with disabilities.

Ableism may look like:

• Making a space wheelchair inaccessible or not providing wheelchair-accessible bathrooms – Architectural exclusion/ignorance.
• Using slurs or words historically used for the oppression of disabled people if you are not a member of this community yourself
• Disregarding mental illness as disability
• Speaking to someone with a disability as if they were a child – belittling
• Not granting disabled people their autonomy and privacy
• Asking intrusive questions about someone’s disability
• Not “believing” someone is disabled

On Allyship

• Using allyship as personal benefit/decoration – Ally is a verb, not an identity: you are only an ally when you are taking action to fight oppression
• Sometimes you can act as an ally, while in some situation you are the marginalized person

How to help in situations where the Awareness Team is approached with the above issues:

While all of these forms of discrimination can happen separately, a lot of times they intersect with each other – meaning that several forms of discrimination are influencing a situation. In these moments it is especially important to be present and open to the needs of the people that are affected.

We ask you to support members of marginalized groups and to stand with the oppressed. While in theory this might sound easy, in reality, situations are usually more entangled. Sometimes it can be hard to disentangle the complexities of certain conflicts. While sensitivity for political issues, for macro-politics and the engagement in these topics all help, it is most important to take care of the people who are involved. 

• Listen, support, and ask if you can provide options for the person who is affected by discriminatory behavior. 
• You are here to support this person in a situation which is aligned in a history of oppression and violence. Be as sensitive and caring as possible towards this person and most importantly: listen and acknowledge their experience! 
• Do not do anything the person has not agreed to! 
• If consenting, offer different options such as talking to the person(s) responsible, a mediated conversation, a shoulder to lean on, change setting, or just a listening ear. 
• If the person agrees to any of those things, try to execute this as promised, with follow up, and if not, please respect the person’s choice

Respect for Cultural Identity and their Significance

No racial or cultural caricaturization is to be worn by anyone at the festival. This includes, but is not limited to, black face or things that could be interpreted as black face (such as chimney sweep make-up), Native American inspired headdresses (including hawk or eagle feathers), and stereotyped costumes and makeup.

Threatening Symbols and Political Beliefs

All political beliefs are welcome and we will not bar someone for their political affiliation.

People often dance for an escape and a place to feel safe in a community. To that end, we ask people to be thoughtful of other people’s sense of safety and belonging when choosing what clothes to wear, slogans to represent, and political conversations to have. Moreover, if there is someone you want to engage in a political discussion but they are not willing/interested, we ask you to respect their boundaries. However, if someone is making harassing or discriminatory statements, it is not okay. We cannot tolerate intolerance nor can we permit signs and symbols that have become associated with political intimidation, trolling, white supremacy, transphobia/trans-exclusionary feminism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, etc.

For more information on our (un)dress code, please check out our website. 

Intoxication

Festival of Sensations is an event where we will establish a break from the usual centering in commercial spaces around mind-altering substances, generally alcohol. 

Through this decentralization, we aim to foster higher inclusion of people who cannot or do not want to drink alcohol. Further, we invite people to experience the Festival of Sensations by tuning into their personal baseline of perception. While we are understanding and accepting of diverse medical needs (through prescribed drugs as well as self-medication with the intent to support a mindset that increases personal agency), we ask all participants to avoid recreational use of alcohol and other drugs. There will be no alcohol sold or allowed on the festival premises and campsites.

Further Breaches of Policy

• Anything that presents a clear contradiction to the Values of the Festival
• Trolling & creating intentionally excessive workload
• Abuse of power, acts of intimidation, or any leveraging of interactions/choices that benefits one party and negatively affects the other.

Consequences when the Policy is Breached

Violation of the policy has consequences. These can range from offering support in regulation and growth, to an awareness conversation/warning, to being escorted out of the Festival of Sensations—and/or a temporary ban from the Loslassen Verein activities—in accordance with our procedure. These decisions are taken at the Festival by the CST, and after the Festival by the Consent Committee. 

Disclaimer

Every reasonable effort will be made to ensure awareness of this policy and execute the procedure, but we cannot make guarantees about our ability to successfully reach every participant and offer satisfaction to all parties involved. Each situation we are made aware of is unique and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the CST (Conflict Support Team). All participants and attendees retain full responsibility for their safety and the safety of others with whom they interact. Failure to live up to providing what we wish to provide can not be used against us in a legal or unreasonable way.

Guidelines for Intimate Interactions between Team Members, Facilitators, Musicians and Participants

This section is addressing ‘you’, meaning the team members, facilitators, performers, and volunteers on shift.

Team members, facilitators and performers often set the tone for festival culture. People will look up to you for inspiration and leadership regarding how to behave in a consent-aware space. This makes them role models. Be careful with your responsibility and always practice authentic consent. 

Always aim to empower everyone to say no, offer the possibility to leave a space/situation/workshop/interaction at any time, to not do an exercise when they would rather not, and try to actively reduce peer pressure.

Do not engage intimately with anyone while you are facilitating your workshop, shift or set. If you want to roleplay an exercise during a workshop, pre-negotiate this with your assistant. Inform the participants about this pre-negotiated roleplay/interaction.

When engaging with a participant, keep in mind the heightened risk that this entails. Power can be a strong, yet sometimes subtle, aphrodisiac. Power dynamics can make consent blurry and even more complex. If in doubt, don’t engage at the festival and ask them to message you after the festival if they are still interested.

We recommend waiting until a participant approaches you and not the other way around. In all cases, make them aware of the power imbalance and how this affects consent and accountability. 

We do not believe a full ban on intimate interactions between people in power positions and participants is necessary. All interactions between everyone should be negotiated and consensual, and that is always context specific. Further, some facilitators are facilitating in exchange for a ticket—and are therefore in a participant-facilitator double role—further complicating matters. Being in a power position means being aware of the increased risk factor, but forbidding interactions could reinforce and strengthen the power imbalance (and increase the allure of the forbidden fruit!). 

More information on how to reduce risk as a facilitator read the Nibana website. They offer great reflection questions to start a conversation about these kinds of interactions.

If a consent accident/ incident occurs, we will start a process according to our procedure.

If anything happens in a workshop, please report to the Awareness Team as soon as possible so we can make sure the impacted person(s) gets support by our Awareness Team or the Conflict Support Team.