New Forms Media Society strives to create spaces for experience and engagement in a way that is accessible and inclusive to everyone. Approaching the festival's 20th year, the society's board of directors and staff have have taken actions to ensure the safety of our community, and we would be grateful for your help and participation in implementing these changes as we move forward.
At the centre of these efforts is our
Code of Conduct, which applies to all staff, board members, volunteers, artists, and attendees at New Forms events or spaces. Everyone in the New Forms community is expected to have reviewed the Code of Conduct and will follow it while at our events or spaces.
To support our Code of Conduct, we have created a survivor-centered
Power-Based Misconduct Policy. This living document provides procedures for handling incidents reported to us. It ensures reports are addressed confidentially and in a timely manner, with consistent documentation towards the goal of keeping the New Forms community safe. Using this policy, New Forms will navigate all reported acts of oppression or violence, including, but not limited to, racism, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, ableism, fatphobia, unwanted or nonconsensual touching, sexual misconduct, or assault.
In selecting venues, our team has made an effort to ensure sure that our our events can be accommodating for audiences with a variety of different abilities. Recognizing that accessibility needs are unique, we will share details about accessibility features and limitations at each of our venues and events. More details can be found in individual event pages.
For reports related to sexual violence, New Forms Media Society uses
REES, a trauma-informed, easy to use, secure online reporting tool. If you are looking to share the details of sexual harassment or assault you may opt to make a report through REES. REES allows survivors to share their story at their own pace over an encrypted platform. It includes the option to share anonymously.