Dwell Music Change Weblog
Our newest publish is by Rosemary Lucy Hill, Senior Lecturer in Media and Fashionable Tradition, College of Huddersfield. Right here she outlines analysis into sexual violence and harassment at gigs, and introduces the information that emerged from it about methods to write a ‘safer areas’ coverage.
TL;DR: safer areas insurance policies are actually helpful; right here’s our Information on methods to write one.
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Proper now music venues are combating for his or her lives. Slivers of hope in placing on gigs once more are tied in with excited about how to take action safely.
While we take into account viewers security from covid, different types of security have to be remembered. Violence and sexual harassment have been a pernicious a part of the gig expertise, particularly for ladies, for a few years. Going to a gig is usually a distinctly unsafe expertise, resulting in long-term trauma, lack of neighborhood and lack of a musical life. For musicians it could imply a reconsideration of profession decisions.
This second, then, presents a chance to mirror on how we would enhance security by way of lowering sexual violence and harassment, and selling equality in gig going.
My workforce and I’ve been researching the impacts of sexual violence at gigs, and what we are able to do to mitigate them. We found that some venues are superb at coping with violence, however others felt at sea when an incident occurred. They didn’t know methods to reply for the most effective.
Safer areas insurance policies could be useful for workers in coping with sexual harassment and violence, particularly if workers have additionally acquired good coaching. Insurance policies can present consistency so everybody within the venue is on the identical web page. They’re good for audiences and musicians too, as they supply extra details about methods to behave or methods to get assist if one thing goes unsuitable.
However for all that, we discovered a whole lot of selection amongst present insurance policies: some lengthy, some quick, some complicated, some as distilled as ‘Don’t be a dick’ (as if everybody is aware of what ‘being a dick’ is). This implies it’s fairly patchy by way of how helpful insurance policies are, or how simple they’re to learn and perceive.
We additionally discovered that individuals who run venues are actually pushed for time. They may not really feel assured about writing a safer areas coverage. One of many venue managers we spoke to stated,
“I’m not the professional on rights and insurance policies, it’s not my factor. I’m actually good at operating issues easily and effectively, however writing isn’t [one of my strengths].”
We wished to assist resolve this drawback with a straightforward information to writing a coverage and a template to go along with it. So we created the 5 Step Information to Writing a Safer Areas Coverage for Your Venue. We drew on our analysis and consulted with venue managers, promoters and anti-violence charities to guarantee that the information is sensible and a optimistic expertise for customers.
Our Information units out 5 steps to steer venue managers and their groups via a dialogue of what to place of their coverage and methods to write it. That is concerning the beliefs of the workers and how much venue they’re operating or need to create. It asks about sensible measures already in place and what extra may very well be carried out (and what assist can be wanted to attain it).
Our analysis discovered that a whole lot of safer areas insurance policies use fairly damaging language: they’re about what folks shouldn’t be doing in a venue, not what they need to be doing (having enjoyable!). We advocate that insurance policies are framed in optimistic language. This encourages folks to share within the values of the venue and to take constructive motion.
Our pattern coverage is explicitly framed on this optimistic language and units out clearly what viewers members can do to get pleasure from themselves safely and with out impinging on others’ enjoyable. For instance,
“Say ‘excuse me’ when shifting via the group, moderately than pushing or touching folks. A few faucets on the shoulder could also be okay in the event that they haven’t heard you”
It is usually clear about what the venue supplies and the way workers will reply if an incident of violence does happen. Sadly, incidents do occur even in venues with insurance policies – however realizing how greatest to take care of it could scale back the trauma for these on the receiving finish.
The Information consists of hyperlinks to additional sources, akin to anti-violence coaching organisation Good Night time Out Marketing campaign, and free entry to journal articles about our analysis.
We hope that the 5 Step Information to Writing a Safer Areas Coverage will show a worthwhile instrument for venues and promoters as they foster security at gigs. It’s our philosophy that the gig expertise ought to be enjoyable for everybody. Clear steering for audiences and assist from venues can promote that. We consider this as a ‘framework for enjoyable’ wherein everybody’s freedom to have enjoyable is being supported, so long as it doesn’t impede another person’s enjoyment.
Please share the Information with venues and promoters that you just suppose will discover it helpful. And in case you use it and prefer it, please tell us! Twitter@musichealthy or r.l.hill@hud.ac.uk
References
Hill, R. L., Hesmondhalgh, D., & Megson, M. (2020). Sexual violence at stay music occasions: experiences, responses and prevention. Worldwide Journal of Cultural Research, 23(3), 368–384.
Hill, R. L., & Megson, M. (2020). In defence of safer areas: punk, privilege and safer areas insurance policies. Punk & Put up-Punk, 9(1), 59–76.
Rosemary Lucy Hill, Senior Lecturer in Media and Fashionable Tradition, College of Huddersfield, UK; Twitter@rosemarylhill
