FRINGE CODE OF CONDUCT – Hollywood Fringe Support

WHY DO WE HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT?

The Hollywood Fringe is committed to creating an inclusive environment in support of participants from a multitude of backgrounds, especially those who have been historically underrepresented based on race, ethnicity, disability, D/deaf, age, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, body type, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, or religion.

Consequences for breaking the Code of Conduct are based on the nature of the incident and are decided upon by a committee of Fringe veterans, board members and peers. The decisions from this committee hold participants accountable for the impact of their actions regardless of intention. The Hollywood Fringe believes in allowing ample opportunities for growth and education whenever possible.

Our festival is built on freedom of expression and lack of censorship, which means we must maintain the utmost respect for one another and create a safe place for people to take risks. Any Hollywood Fringe participant is free to produce any content of any length without fear of censorship from the Fringe, barring anything outlined in the below agreement or illegal activities. Upholding these values allows you to create the cutting-edge work we’re known for at the Fringe.

The Code of Conduct does not exist to threaten or scare anyone. The intention of this agreement is to ensure a safe physical and creative space for all members of our community, which now includes you.

WHOM DOES THIS APPLY TO?

The primary producer is responsible for upholding this Code of Conduct within their production, and will be held responsible for the actions of their cast and crew while they are participating at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The primary producer is also responsible for providing a copy of this document to each member of the cast and crew before rehearsals begin.

WHERE DOES IT APPLY?

The contents of this Code of Conduct are concepts we hope our participants value in their daily lives, but this Code of Conduct applies specifically to interactions in various areas of our shared festival grounds: including, but not limited to, festival-sponsored events, shared online spaces (including social media), Fringe Central, performance venues, Fringe-specific rehearsals, Fringe workshops/town halls, Fringe Hot Spots and other surrounding businesses.

WHAT IS IT?

The Hollywood Fringe actively works to confront racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ageism, fatphobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, audism and ableism at the festival. This includes, but is not limited to, any derogatory comments, unsafe actions, intentional misgendering or harassment towards any party.

We strive to eliminate microaggressions within our community.

A microaggression is a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. This may include but is not limited to: evoking stereotypes, uninvited comments or actions, or making assumptions about an individual.

Verbal and physical intimidation, hate speech and/or harassment are not allowed.

Hate speech is abusive or threatening speech (verbal, written, and/or any other form of communication) that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially on the basis of race, religion, gender, body type, or sexual orientation.
Harassment is unwanted, unwelcomed, and uninvited behavior that demeans, threatens, or offends the victim and results in a hostile environment for the victim.
Harassing behavior may include, but is not limited to, epithets, derogatory comments, assault, impeding or blocking movement, offensive touching or any physical interference with movement, and visual insults, such as derogatory posters or cartoons.

Sexual harassment and sexual assault are completely forbidden. Sexual harassment includes unwanted touching, comments, lewd propositions, and gestures.
Know your limits when it comes to alcohol and other legal substances.

Fringe reserves the right to stop serving you at any point.

Aggressive behavior (which often goes along with excessive drinking) has no place at our events. Aggressive behavior can include, but is not limited to, physical violence, physical and verbal threats, and verbal altercations.

If you see or experience any of the above, report it to any present Fringe staff member or Empowerment Team member as soon as possible. Or you can email conduct@hollywoodfringe.org. (This email is exclusively monitored by Fringe executive staff and will be responded to within 48 hours.)

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU’RE NAVIGATING THE FESTIVAL

Intention Vs Impact

Intent is what you aim to achieve through an action, and impact is how a person or community receives that action. However, the impact of that action does not always match the intent. Good intentions do not always result in a positive impact, and although our intention is not to hurt someone, our actions may lead to harm.
At The Hollywood Fringe we look at the impact of our actions, whether direct or indirect, beyond the original intention. Read this blog post about intent vs impact to understand why, and how to respond if you get called out for harmful impact.

Public Vs Private Interactions

Our actions, discussions, and behaviors are nuanced between different settings. And sometimes what’s appropriate in one setting may not be appropriate in a public setting.
Especially when you are in a public Fringe space, keep your interactions appropriate for our community and please be mindful of how others there might be affected by your behavior.

If you make a mistake, bravely take responsibility for it, listen, and learn.

We encourage you to take a deep breath and avoid defensive reactions that come from pride, embarrassment, and white supremacy culture (see here for more reading on this).

HOW IS THE CODE OF CONDUCT ENFORCED?

The Hollywood Fringe Festival staff reserves the right to ask you to leave any Fringe activities at any time. The Hollywood Fringe Festival reserves the right to refuse access to anyone from Fringe Festival activities, events, spaces, programs, and more for violating the above policy, with or without warning. The Hollywood Fringe also reserves the right to prohibit you from presenting as a part of the festival.

The Code of Conduct Committee considers each side of cases brought to our attention. From there, if the afflicted party wants, we will try to engage in conflict resolution. This is up to the afflicted party to want and cannot always happen.

If another party has injured you, know we will work with you to make sure you feel supported coming back into the community, but sometimes it will take a bit of time. We work as quickly as possible but need to do our due diligence and confer with all parties involved. Please note that if a situation is brought up in the moment, it helps us expedite this timeline, so please take advantage of our Empowerment Team.

The Empowerment Team consists of Fringe staff members and trusted associates who will be present at all Fringe-sponsored events (virtual and in-person).
Anyone may approach them if they need support. Empowerment Team members will provide a safe space where concerns can be raised to senior staff members.
The primary objective of the Empowerment Team is to protect and advocate for our participants, hopefully preventing harmful incidents from occurring; such as microaggressions, hate speech, non-consensual contact, etc.
Empowerment Team members will wear identification so you can easily find them.

Thank you in advance for honoring our Code of Conduct, and in doing so showing your respect for our incredible Fringe community!

ANTIRACISM, INTERSECTIONAL FEMINIST, AND OTHER RESOURCES:

Intent vs impact

Understanding white supremacy culture

Anti-racism reading lists

Disability & Queer resources

Articles in this section

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