SAFER SPACES
Credit and thanks to Sled Island for allowing us to reference their policy.
Purple City Music Festival is committed to providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all festival goers, artists, volunteers and venue staff. Everyone has the right to a harassment-free experience regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, age, race, religion, or place of origin. We do not tolerate harassment in any form.
General Conduct +
Purple City Music Festival does not tolerate abusive or discriminatory behavior from attendees, artists, volunteers, or organizers. Such behavior is reason for potential removal from a Purple City venue and could result in the cancellation of passholder privileges, a permanent festival ban, artist cancellation, or cancellation of volunteer privileges.
Purple City Music Festival organizers and venue staff have the authority to remove offenders from festival venues. Any decision to act on a permanent festival ban is at the discretion of the Purple City Music Festival Board of Directors. We believe survivors, who remain our main consideration in making decisions related to cancellation of passholder privileges, permanent bans or canceling volunteer shifts. Bans and passholder cancellations will all be made on a case-by-case basis.
Resources to provide guidance and education are available to attendees or volunteers who have had their pass privileges revoked or have incurred a permanent ban. Survivor safety is our priority.
If you witness abusive or discriminatory behavior at Purple City Music Festival, please find one of our trained Volunteer Venue Managers, who will be wearing lanyards. Our Volunteer Venue Managers and many of our volunteers have taken Bystander Intervention Training provided by the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton and are equipped to assist you.
Artist Conduct +
Artists with a history of abusive or discriminatory behavior, or any sort of behavior that is deemed harmful to the creation of Safer Spaces at Purple City Music Festival are not welcome at the festival. Programming decisions are made with this in mind using the fullest extent of our knowledge.
Purple City Music Festival believes survivors. We reserve the right to cancel any artist, without payment or other compensation. Should new information arise, we will exercise our right to re-evaluate an artists’ participation in Purple City Music Festival. Any decisions to cancel an artist will be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with survivors when possible. Resources to provide guidance and education are available to artists who may have been canceled. Survivor safety is our priority. If you witness abusive or discriminatory behavior at Purple City Music Festival, please speak with one of our trained Volunteer Venue Managers, who will be identified by a festival lanyard. Our Volunteer Venue Managers have taken a mandatory Bystander Intervention Training provided by the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton and are equipped to assist you.
Offensive Attire +
Offensive attire, including (but not limited to) hate symbols, or culturally appropriative attire, is not welcome at Purple City Music Festival. Such attire may be grounds for removal from a festival venue as well as cancellation of passholder privileges or a permanent ban from the festival. Any decisions to cancel a festival pass or invoke a permanent ban will be made on a case-by-case basis by the Purple City Music Festival Board of Directors.
Community Bystander Intervention Training
All organizers and volunteers of Purple City are offered Bystander Intervention training each year, offered by the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton. The majority of our organizers and volunteers have completed the training at least once. This training provides the skills needed to recognize when and how to help when witnessing power-based violence. Purple City Music Festival actively encourages all participating venues to complete a Bystander Intervention Training with the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE). All Purple City Music Festival participating venues are made aware of the Safer Spaces Policy and expected to abide.
Harm Reduction +
Naloxone kits will be provided on site at participating venues. Volunteers are available for support should you require it. If you would like your own naloxone kit and/or training, please inquire with one of our volunteers or venue managers. Party safety is extremely important to the festival, and we will offer further harm reduction options as we are able. As with all information in this document, we hope to continually improve our policies and promote safety in all areas, and suggestions are welcome.
Accessibility Information +
Purple City Music Festival will continue to review its practices and any that do not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified or removed. We are committed to seeking input from people with disabilities in order to ensure Purple City meets the needs of people with disabilities. We will have information regarding accessibility at each venue available.
Washrooms +
Purple City Music Festival continues to work with venues in promoting all gender washrooms, and will ensure clear signage in all venues. If anyone has concerns or questions about facilities available, please reach out to a venue manager.
Resources +
211 Alberta (24 Hour Service Referral): 211
Access 24/7 Addictions and Mental Health: (780) 424-2424
SACE (Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton): 24 Hour Hotline: 780-423-4121
Community Urgent Services and Stabilization Team: 780-342-7777
This team is the amalgamation of the Adult Crisis Response Team and the Community Support Team. The team offers a range of community based integrated and recovery focused assessments and stabilization services to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Services include crisis response, either phone or mobile, and short-term clinic, community, or home based stabilization services.
If there is risk of immediate harm to self or others, please call 911.
We believe everyone has the right to feel safe and have worked to create a policy to foster safer spaces at festival events. This policy is available on our website (www.purplecityfest.com), and in our programs. Everyone has a valuable role to play in the creation of safer spaces. Relevant information related to our policy such as Bystander Intervention Tips, will be posted in all venue washrooms and spaces. These policies are also reviewed in our volunteer orientation, and each volunteer to be familiar with the information.
Above all, we believe in community care, and ask that all patrons, staff and volunteers participating in this festival look out for each other and if you have a concern that someone is at risk, please talk to a venue manager.
This policy will continue to evolve to meet the growing needs of our community. Please direct any questions or concerns info@purplecityfest.com and we will respond as soon as we can.