SAFE SPACE (2021)

Dear partygoer,

This is a letter to everyone who parties, collaborates, and comes in touch with us, Burenhinder. We started this collective out of a need for a strong and safe female music and art network. Throughout our young existence, it has become even more clear to us that the need for this is enormous.

With Burenhinder we want to be part of helping the rave scene become a safer space for everyone. We deliberately use the word 'safer' instead of 'safe', as we realize that it is almost impossible to guarantee a space where a variety of different people party to be without any risks. It’s impossible to be prepared for every kind of situation and to have control over every human beings’ behaviour. Still we collectively have to try and put effort in protecting ravers, artists and crew.

We therefore emphasize the need for organizations to be responsible for a safety policy. Unfortunately, we notice that many organizations count on the good will of their partygoers. This attitude is negligent and not enough.

ZERO TOLERANCE

We want the wellbeing of everyone involved in the scene to be a priority. As a female collective, to worry and care about this subject is obvious and self-evident, as all of us, and all of our friends who frequently go partying, have in the past and present experienced too many situations which made us feel less safe, less comfortable and less protected. For this reason, there is a zero tolerance for all forms of intimidation.

NO CAMERA POLICY

That is why we are committed to take action as an organisation. First and foremost we want to respect the privacy of everyone coming to our events, so that everyone feels free to be who they want to be. We will cover all cameras of partygoers, except our personal photographers. We know it will be a loss of very fine personal images of the night, therefore we will provide you with images appropriate to remember the event. We focus here on the consent of the photographed person and will delete the pictures if the person does not approve to be photographed. We focus on respecting everyones consent.

GUARDIAN ANGELS

In addition, we focus on the approachability of the organization and our volunteers. We will commit to volunteers and/of staff who are visible and helpful in our venues. We will call them “guardian angels”. They will be aware of people who don’t respect our values, and keep an eye out for people who are in a vulnerable state. It’s important to know that as a visitor, you’re part of our family and we will do our best to take care of you.

If you or your friend aren’t feeling well or have experienced something bad or triggering, these volunteers will be there to help you, or possibly guide you to specific professional assistance.

Help and assistance can be things such as offering water, listening to your story, bringing you to a quieter place to breathe and rest.

At our events there’ll always be a phone number visibly written on the toilet doors and other places on the event. If you feel unsafe or in danger, and need help or assistance out of a bad situation, you can contact this number by calling or texting. We will send a volunteer to your location to help you out of the situation.

AFTERCARE AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION

We also want to put an emphasis on the importance and value of aftercare and community connection.

This could come in shapes as offering resources and a listening ear.

As an organization, even after an event, being approachable for complaints, questions, feedback, etc.

An important note we have to add: WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. We are young people who care and who want to see a change. When you come to a Burenhinder event, you become a friend who we care about. Every situation will be a stepping stone for us to learn.

REFLECTIONS ON OUR SAFER SPACE POLICY (2023)

Dear partygoers,

The last time we addressed you in this format, we had just begun planning our first events. It was crucial for us to share our vision for safer club nights with you even before the clubs opened their doors after the pandemic. Since it has been a while and we have gained valuable experience organizing numerous events, we felt that it was important to offer comments and additions to our previous letter on “safer space”. We aim to share these aspects with you because we hold the belief that this information is information we should not restrict access to. Sharing these insights can contribute to the collective growth of our nightlife scene.

Before we delve into these reflections, it is important to note that they are based on our experiences. While we lack formal training to offer scientific proof of how this improves safety, we aim for our experiences and insights to contribute to this topic. This means that our insights stem from first hand encounters, both as participants on the dancefloor and as organizers working behind the scenes during club nights. Important considerations when reading our open letter* include, firstly, that our policy has thus far been implemented exclusively for capacities of up to 700 individuals. We understand that as capacity increases, the difficulty inherently rises. We do not have experience in implementing safer space policies at festivals, big clubs with multiple rooms, etc. Secondly, although we apply this policy at our own events and strive for at the events we host, we may not always be able to guarantee its enforcement for our individual DJ bookings.

* We recommend reading our initial letter before delving into these reflections.

TRIAL AND ERROR

The creation of a safer space is an ongoing journey that will never be entirely complete. It must be continually updated to align with the evolving needs of the public and, more broadly, society. Along our journey, we have made mistakes and had to implement changes as well. Safer space is our goal to reach and these measurements are the means to achieve this goal.

OUR DOOR POLICY

Throughout our club nights, we have come to realize the significance of our door policy. While door policies are used in many clubs to select and inform the audience, in our case, it primarily serves the second purpose. We aim to reassure and inform our public that there are 'guardian angels' they can turn to. By engaging with the audience at the outset, we break the ice immediately. A partygoer is more likely to seek assistance from someone with whom they have already initiated a conversation, namely the guardian angel at the door.

OUR CAMERA POLICY

Our camera policy has evolved over time to align with both our organizational needs and the preferences of our audience. The primary objective is to protect the privacy of the attendees. Besides, we try to immerse the public in the present moment, fostering a heightened awareness of the event's atmosphere. With this conscious approach we hope to enhance the connection between partygoers on the dancefloor, as the distraction of digital devices is minimized. Additionally, in the contemporary digital landscape, the impact of imagery and its online dissemination is potent yet often underestimated. Our policy seeks to raise awareness about the power of digital imagery while ensuring a mindful balance. We aim to provide event imagery in a manner that is both appropriate and intimate, maintaining the essence of our events.

Our policy entails the following: at event entrances cameras get covered, and visitors get informed about the no-camera policy, which prohibits photography and filming for everyone except our in-house photographer, who operates on a consent-based approach. This means the photographer can only post images online without permission when the subject is unidentifiable in the frame. To consider someone unidentifiable, the face must either be completely out of the photo's frame or intentionally blurred, obscured, or unlit. We work with these definitions within our own policy, knowing that excluding someone's face does not automatically guarantee their non-identifiability and, consequently, anonymity. Which is why there is always a double check on the footage.

GENDER NEUTRAL TOILETS

We initially began promoting the concept of making all toilets gender neutral at our own events because it seemed self-evident to us. However, we later became aware that this is not universally perceived as self-evident, and it may not always be safe. The widespread promotion of gender neutral toilets can pose a risk when not adequately supervised. In cases where large venues implement a no-gender toilet policy but lack additional oversight, there can be potential issues. Therefore, we would like to reemphasize the importance of guardian angels, i.e. our crowd control team, in ensuring a safe environment.

Going forward we want to apply a different type of restroom division, a FINTA+ restroom and a cis male restroom, but always under supervision of guardian angels or restroom personnel. This is already widely used in Berlin.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST

A safer space is rooted in the fundamental human need for trust. Trust is a delicate and precious commodity. As an organization, we continually invest our efforts in maintaining the trust of our audience, something that is of great significance to us. We take immense pride in the audience we have attracted over time and firmly believe that they can look out for themselves and others when necessary. Yet we understand that this is not always possible. Unfortunately, we cannot entirely prevent individuals from occasionally crossing their own or others' boundaries, whether consciously or unconsciously. Despite our trust, it is imperative that our organization takes measures to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Throughout our journey, we have often engaged with prominent figures in the nightclub industry, including certain promoters. In these interactions, we have consistently emphasized that merely promoting their club nights, with or without the label "safer space," is not sufficient. When attempting to attract an audience to their renowned club, there must also be a focus on safety. Their role as promoters extends beyond bringing people to their club; it also entails ensuring a safe and positive experience for the partygoers, staff and artists. This necessitates financial considerations, specifically investing in a safer space team, which initially constitutes an expense for the club.

We have tried to convey to clubs that this financial investment is truly worthwhile. However, our efforts have produced limited results. Where we thought we could make a difference through our connections, our message was met with indifference. For this reason, we have resolved not to collaborate with organizations in the future if we have a preconceived notion that they will not embrace this message. We made this decision because we believe it is vital to respect our audience. We would not lead you to places that disregard your safety on nights when we are not present.

Despite our high spirits and efforts to create safer spaces on our events, this journey is accompanied by intensely overwhelming emotions that we ourselves sometimes struggle to let go of. Throughout our endeavors, we have experienced both pride and happiness, as well as moments of sadness and burnout. Therefore, we once again implore you not to view us as machines. We are putting forth our utmost efforts, but perfection can never be achieved. We aspire to refine our policy to be the best version of itself, and this can only be accomplished with your continuous feedback, which we request during our feedback sessions.

OPEN-MINDEDNESS OF OUR AUDIENCE

We anticipate an open-minded attitude from the audience we attract at our events. This entails that when we present a curated lineup of artists, we expect our audience to give these artists a chance to convey their message and art. We do not want to foster an environment where our audience expects a particular genre, and disrespects our efforts when their expectations are not met. Through our curation, we transcend more than just a genre. We aim to create an atmosphere. This is a creative process that is fun, but also takes up some time and effort. We hope to continue receiving positive responses to the creative direction we are going into :-)

OUR ‘SAFER HEAVEN’

Our events usually follow a thematic structure. We design our scenography to align with the preferences, desires and needs of the partygoers. It seemed important to provide a place where people can take a break from the sensory stimulation of the event, i.e. our safer heaven. Our safer heaven is a place between the dancefloor and the safer space, the latter is only used in necessary cases. This initiative aims to avoid people to get overwhelmed by the party, and end up in the safer space. The guardian angels keep a watchful eye and are ready to intervene in case someone reacts negatively. Recognizing textiles as a comforting material universally sought in times of distress, this safer heaven provides partygoers an opportunity to unwind and take a sensory breather.

These spaces function as sensory rest-stops, strategically leveraging stimuli through touch, color, and open surroundings to create an influential calming effect. It serves as a refuge for those feeling overwhelmed by the festivities or simply looking for a quiet place to engage in conversations with friends. This space together with our aim for an interactive scenography is significant for the gathering of people, something that is very important in our desire to create a community within our partygoers.

INCLUSIVITY

Throughout our journey, we have consistently aimed to provide a platform for FINTA+ artists, and we intend to continue doing so in the future. While the gender balance on the general club lineups may create an illusion of diversity, we urge ourselves and other organizations not to settle too quickly. It is crucial to delve deeper into promoting diversity, both in front of and behind the scenes. Therefore, we will set higher expectations for venues that express interest in collaborating with us and engage in this dialogue with them.

Inclusivity extends beyond providing a platform for specific artists; it also encompasses inclusivity of the audience. An essential point in this regard was already raised by MONTAGE, when they openly addressed the current issue of unaffordable ticket prices. In line with this, we would like to emphasize our commitment to making the tickets for our own events as affordable as possible. If you have a lower income or are currently tight on finances, we invite you to reach out to us via Instagram DM or our email address at burenhinder@gmail.com so that we can discuss potential options with you.

CALLING OUT TRANSGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

As a collective in this generation of nightlife, we have witnessed instances where certain individual artists or partygoers showed transgressive behavior. The act of calling this out has significant repercussions for both the individuals in question (victim and offender) and their surrounding environment. We have personally experienced this process from various angles. Throughout these experiences, we have consistently maintained our stance that there is no place for these abusers within the nightlife or any public spotlight. Much of this troublesome behavior often finds its roots in a lifestyle that becomes further distorted when placed on a pedestal. We believe that these offenders need to step back from their position in nightlife and prioritize their personal healing, so they do not hurt other people anymore. Given the inherent association of nightlife with drug and alcohol abuse, we contend that this environment may not be helpful for those dealing with boundary issues.

It is worth emphasizing that the act of calling this out is frequently ridiculed and not given the serious consideration it deserves. It is often being dismissed as ‘cancel culture’, a passing trend. However, this perspective overlooks the vital role it can play in holding individuals accountable for their actions. Some individuals might not (be willing to) realize the gravity of their actions. Calling out transgressive behavior can be a necessary step for them in a process towards recognizing the (psychological) problems they struggle with and taking responsibility for their actions.

Removing offenders from their pedestal also demonstrates to victims that their pain is acknowledged and not ignored. This will always be the most important aspect for us. We aim to create an environment where victims feel comfortable attending events without the fear of encountering abusers.

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOU

Throughout our journey, we have often been asked about the key to success in creating an inviting, inclusive space. In response, we want to underscore just how important your role is in this matter. Our party’s atmosphere is not solely a product of the safety measures and preparations we undertake. It is also a reflection of the actions and attitudes of the partygoers we have at our events. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who have attended our parties and demonstrated that it is not just the physical space that can be a safer space, but the people within it as well.

Time and time again, we have witnessed your genuine care for one another, your proactive efforts to look out for and support each other, and your willingness to stand up for what is right. It warms our hearts to observe how you carry these principles beyond our events and into other club spaces.

To make it easier for you to share your thoughts, feedback, and cherished memories with us, we have included a feedback form in our Instagram bio.
We invite you to leave a message after any party, event, or occasion when you feel compelled to share something. Your input is incredibly valuable to us and greatly contributes to our ongoing journey.

SHOUT OUTS

We would like to mention a few significant players who are assets to our generation in the club world, Psst mlle, Leda collective, Club Derivé and Montage. Those collectives use their platform to address important values and norms that we also hold dear.

We love you, take care,

Sincerely,

The Burenhinder team