UK events including Bluedot, The Great Escape, Boomtown Fair and End of the Road festival have pledged their commitment to tackle sexual violence.
The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) first launched their charter of best practice in 2017 and has shared an updated version for 2022 as UK festivals are set to return in full this summer. The campaign, entitled Safer Spaces, outlines a survivor-led approach to address incidents of sexual assault and harassment, creating safer environments at festivals for audiences, performers and the workforce.
A hundred and three UK festivals have signed up to the initiative, pledging that “all allegations of sexual harassment, assault and violence will be taken seriously, acted upon promptly and investigated” as well as ensuring that staff and volunteers are provided adequate training to monitor for and deal with incidents.
A 2018 survey by YouGov reported that one in five festival attendees had experienced sexual assault or harassment at a UK festival. Phoebe Rodwell, AIF’s membership and operations coordinator, said, “The original Safer Spaces campaign has had a positive impact across festivals for music fans and festival staff alike. Festivals are microcosms of society and sexual violence is a problem that persists in our society. Our understanding and approaches to tackling the issue are evolving all the time. That’s why it’s important that we renew the Safer Spaces campaign in 2022 with up-to-date messaging, resources and practices, to prevent sexual violence and promote a survivor-led approach, helping festival organisers to fulfil their duty of care at events.”
You can see the full list of festivals signed up to Safer Space here.
Last month Face the Music Now Foundation was launched to support survivors of sexual abuse in the music industry.
The UK helpline for those impacted by sexual violence or abuse of any kind is 0808 802 9999. In the US, the national sexual assault hotline is 1 (800) 656 4673. A 24-hour support service can be accessed via RAINN.
