Brave Exhibitions wants to extend their welcome to this year’s festival. In such a turbulent time for our local music community, the event recognises the importance of coming together and being proactive about change. There is an understandable doubt that music organisations are claiming to take the right steps forward but have nothing to show for it. We want to be fully transparent in the precautions we are taking and provide you with regular updates; peace of mind doesn’t take a lot! This is a tricky time for the music industry and reassurance of our progress is the least we can do. As a festival, we are looking inwards to see if there are any changes or improvements we can make first, in a bid to make the space safe to the best of our ability. To ensure we do this properly, we have requested the help of Tits Upon Tyne to assist us in this development. With their guidance and research, we have budgeted time and space to make this a priority. We would love if you could take the time to read through some of the steps we have taken in implementing comprehensive and safe measures:

• A Safe Space Policy is to be put together and distributed to everyone involved with the festival. This has the intent to be made public and compiled using research conducted by Tits Upon Tyne and their sister organisations. This will include huge focus on the MU’s Music Sector Code of Practice, in partnership with the ISM, to tackle and prevent bullying, harassment and discrimination in the music sector. It sets out principles to help employers meet their legal requirements, and presents a shared vision for promoting and maintaining a positive working culture. Policy will be followed by primary research and secondary input to constantly update or amend when feedback is submitted. We recognise that a blanket policy cannot be truly efficient – especially without talking to minority communities directly and co-writing policies with cultural representatives. We are exploring this avenue actively alongside safe space research; specifically the potential for non-binary and ethnic minority group policy authors.
• We are actively in liaison with Girls Against and likeminded organisations to help direct us on what we can do in a bid to be better as an arts institution. With a focus on cultural agency and community consultations, a push has been made  to include them in the planning of and the event itself. A direct and hands-on approach has been taken, with the intention of regular communication resulting in a stronger presence on the day.
• A budget has been put aside to dedicate solely to safe space campaigns; examples are anti spiking freebies and venue staff training. We are currently working out the most effective and efficient way to utilise this budget! Updates will be available upon request. With a focus on internal changes, Tits Upon Tyne has compiled a venue report on the Cluny, this year’s festival location.
• We have donated the Fringe Festival to the partners, who are using the event as a way to have a wider reach and impact. These will incorporate local grass root venues, with an emphasis on community and culture. This event will be Generator NE and Tits Upon Tyne ran, shining a light on our women in music. All policies will also be in place here.