Running Your Event

This policy is inspired largely by the Art+Feminism Safe Space, Brave Space Policy, whose language and principles strongly inform this document. It was adapted for Processing Community Day (PCD) by the PCD organizers and community members.

Any inaccuracies or omissions introduced in the adaptation process are to be solely attributed to this document’s contributors, and not to the Art+Feminism authors, who generously shared their work with the wider community.

PCD Safe Space Policy

With Processing Community Day (PCD), we strive to provide a harassment-free event experience for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, religion, nationality, marital status, or any other vector of identity. All PCD organizers and partners share a responsibility to create brave spaces where everyone can participate.

That means PCD events are spaces where we agree to work together to break down our implicit and explicit biases, not only in the technologies and communities we build, but also in our interactions with one another. It also means holding ourselves and others accountable for the ways we contribute to, or subtract from, safe and brave spaces. We point out harm when we see it, and we work within our communities to speak up when participants experience microaggressions, unfair or biased treatment, harassment, or inequitable exclusion. Creating a brave space is an ongoing collective practice, not something we can assume simply because everyone means well.

Principles

Remember the Common Goal

PCD is about bringing people together around Processing, p5.js, creative coding, art, technology, education, and open source. Events should support learning, experimentation, exchange, and community building.

People will arrive with different skills, experiences, and relationships to technology. Help make it possible for everyone to participate and contribute.

This is especially true for people who have been historically excluded from technology and creative coding communities.

Make No Assumptions

When working with people, avoid assuming you know their sexual orientation, gender identity, or anything else related to their identity or experiences. Remember that every person is a complex individual with multiple overlapping identities, that may not fit your personal ideas, understandings or social constructs (i.e. gender, sexuality).

Use Inclusive Language

Through conversation and during workshops and trainings, make sure the language you use is inclusive of all people. When referring to people in general, avoid gendered pronouns, using “they” instead of “he/she” unless they have explicitly stated their gender pronoun. Use words like “partner” instead of “boyfriend/girlfriend” or “husband/wife.” Avoid addressing a group with “guys,” “ladies and gentlemen,” etc. and instead use “folks,” “y’all,” “everyone,” “friends,” etc.

Center Accessibility

Assume people with disabilities will attend your event, even if they have not made you aware of their disability, and know that they are stakeholders in your event. Make sure organizers and volunteers understand how accessibility will be supported at the event. Visit the space in advance when possible and consider what someone else may experience as they navigate it. Is the space accessible to those with mobility concerns? If the building has more than one level, are elevators available? Is the space well-lit and obstruction free? Are bathrooms accessible and all gender-inclusive? Identify accessibility barriers and work to remove or reduce them wherever possible.

On event invitations and registration forms, give participants a way to tell you about access needs or accommodations they may require. When possible, connect with disability and accessibility resources in your local community before the event.

Consider the accessibility of presentations, workshops, and other program materials. Add image and video descriptions and subtitles where possible. Make slides, talks, or handouts available digitally so they can be used with assistive technologies, and provide alternative formats such as large print. Use microphones for talks and workshops when amplification is available rather than requiring someone with hearing loss to publicly identify themselves in order to hear. Avoid strong scents and perfumes, and ask event staff to do the same. Avoid flashing lights and videos that may cause seizures. Provide descriptive content warnings for presentations, talks, performances, or resources that include potentially distressing material.

Accessibility will look different depending on the size, format, resources, and location of each PCD event. The goal is not to claim that a space is universally accessible, but to actively consider who may be excluded and take concrete steps to remove barriers to participation.

Honor Everyone’s Boundaries

• Take care of yourself; listen to your physical, mental, and emotional needs and limits; express and honor your boundaries as you deem necessary.
• Listen and ask others what they need should an issue arise. If someone is asking you for support, do your best to help them find a resource or solution.
• Respect participants’ preferences around photography and recording. Organizers should clearly communicate how photography will be handled at the event and provide a way for people to indicate that they do not want to be photographed or recorded. Ask before taking close-up portraits, staging a photo, or otherwise making someone the clear subject of a photograph.
• Always ask consent before making any physical contact with event attendees, volunteers, and staff. Honor the personal spaces of all, and never assume touching someone’s hair, for example, or imposing on anyone’s personal space is welcome.

Confront Harassment and Reduce Harm

Remember that unacceptable behavior includes but is not limited to:

• making offensive comments related to any personal characteristic or identity;
• deliberate intimidation, stalking, following;
• harassing photography or recording, including deliberately photographing or recording someone after they have indicated that they do not want to be photographed or recorded;
• continued disruption of PCD presenters, talks, workshops, performances, or other activities;
• disrespecting the physical, mental, and emotional space of others; touching a person, their hair, or their belongings without consent; not listening when boundaries are stated;
• unwelcome, deliberate physical contact or attention, including touching a person’s hair without consent;
• physical and/or verbal threats to any person or group.

Participants instructed to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. This applies to everyone, including event staff and sponsors.

Make Support Visible

The organizers or people designated to handle conduct and safety concerns should be clearly identifiable and reachable during the event. Depending on the size of the event, this might be a dedicated safety team or simply one or more named organizers. Make sure participants know who they can approach if there is an issue.

Create a plan in advance for what the protocol will be should someone be on the giving or receiving end of harmful or toxic behavior during your event.

Identify appropriate local support and emergency resources before the event. Depending on your location and event, these might include venue security or support staff, emergency and non-emergency medical services, sexual assault or crisis support services, accessible transportation, or other community resources. Make relevant information available to organizers and participants where appropriate.

Embrace Your Mistakes, Then, Move Forward

We are all learning and unlearning. We will make mistakes. When we do, it’s our responsibility to admit, correct, and repair the harm. Embracing our mistakes cannot be done in a spirit of defensiveness. To confront our own biases requires accepting the fact that we are imperfect and like everyone else internalize harmful biases and stereotypes about marginalized communities and identities. Do not center yourself or your mistake as you work to repair the harm in any given situation and listen to the needs of those who were harmed.

Be Brave in Holding Others Accountable, Then, Move Forward

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, you are encouraged to engage in a conversation with those involved, if you feel safe and comfortable doing so. If you do not feel safe doing so, or a conversation does not solve the issue, please contact a member of event staff immediately.

Event staff and fellow participants should express compassion and understanding when helping those being harassed or harmed contact venue support and safety; avoid intentionally or unintentionally placing blame on the person being harassed and instead show them we value them by taking action to solve the issue, provide escorts, or otherwise assisting them in feeling safer for the duration of the event. Don’t leave them to deal with this alone.

If a participant engages in harassing or oppressive behavior, the event organizers may take action they deem appropriate, including having a conversation with that person, warning the offender, or expulsion from the event.

Remember that our communities are only brave and sustainable so long as we are willing to hold each other accountable for our actions, and we are willing to be held accountable when we make mistakes. Conflict is a natural part of the process. We are here to make progress, not to be perfect.

Reporting Concerns

If you experience or witness harassment or another safety concern during a PCD event, contact the local event organizers first whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so.

PCD events are independently organized, so organizers should tell participants before and during the event:

• who to contact about conduct or safety concerns;
• how to contact them privately;
• what participants can expect after making a report;
• what additional venue or local support is available.

In an emergency, contact the appropriate local emergency services or venue staff.

Credit

These guidelines are adapted for PCD from the Art+Feminism Safe Space, Brave Space Policy.

We reproduce the following statement from the original document here for context:

This Art+Feminism leadership collective, consisting of over a dozen of ambassadors, organizers, and project founders around the world stand by this agreement. In developing our community agreement we looked to organizations/organizers who inspire us and also share powerful anti-oppressive frameworks with their communities, including: FemTechNet, Allied Media Projects, Emergent Strategy, Movement Killing Behaviors by Njimie Dzurinko, Rooted in Rights, Ideas For Ears, and The Queer Futures Collective. This Brave Space policy is a collective effort based on our informed experiences across various intersections of identity. We wish to acknowledge that we do this work in solidarity with a wide-reaching feminist network. We welcome continuing discussion to make it even more comprehensive, inclusive, and brave.

Other resources

• Art+Feminism Safety Toolkit
• Wikimedia friendly space policy
• IdeaLab friendly space expectations
• Maintaining a friendly space, on Wikipedia
• WikiProject Countering systemic bias, on Wikipedia
• Geek Feminism Wiki — Conference anti-harassment
• Geek Feminism Wiki — Policy resources
• Cyberstalking and Cyberharassment Laws

License

This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Theme adapted from Just the Docs, used under the MIT License.