Safer Scenes

Working to end sexual violence at festivals&shows. Teaching anti-racist bystander intervention to make concerts safer.
We will train your team! US/CAN/Worldwide

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

If you've always thought that your festival needs a better approach to sexual violence prevention but didn't know where to start, let's talk now.
This is a great time to lay the foundation for a successful, safe return when we're ready for audiences again!
https://t.co/iA8JQrY3jq

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

Just delivered a session for Concordia Women's Studies students, talking about intimate partner violence & how to support survivors.
I loved talking to this group. Very radical and anti-oppression minded.
Reminder, my Canadian friends: I can still be hired in my home country too!

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

https://t.co/N6EHI2vOx5

I just wrapped a very busy #DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth in the US for October; now it's November, and DV month in Canada. So please, do something in your community to support survivors! And if you need education, hire me!
I love Zooming in to Canada.

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

This girl is a hero.
It's early, details emerging, but a lot of human suffering and death could have been avoided if event organizers empowered camera operators or any staff to abandon 1 job for dire safety issues.
But that takes special policies. Mass events don't run that way.

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

This is a failure on so many levels.
It's still very early, and I was not there, but from what I've seen and read this morning it seems that either no one was empowered to stop things, or the few people who were chose not to.
It's a failure by the organizers to plan for safety.

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

Festival organizers, I'm begging you: empower your staff that's on the scene, in the crowd to make judgement calls around safety, regardless of job. Make a safe shut down/pause plan & teach every person how to enact it. For rape, death, trampling, or masses of people passing out.

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

This did not have to happen. The number of dead did not have to be this high.
But staff who were being accosted&pleaded with obviously had not been hired and trained with an understanding that their role is safety first as eyes & ears, and how to quickly escalate a plea for help.

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

This is hard to read, but I'm begging festival organizers to read it.
People were begging camera operators, lighting people, random event staff to do something. But often these people are temps from all different teams, with zero links to security. This has to stop.

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

It is possible to do very large scale festivals, and all concerts and events, in a different way.
It takes planning, and training EVERY SINGLE PERSON WORKING, regardless of role, on how to reach security if they see or hear something dangerous. And telling them it's ok to do so!

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

Surviving crowd tramples traumatizes people. Similar to mass shootings: horrific sights, sounds, and panic. But also processing having been part of a mass that killed people, whom you saw die in front of you.

Houston needs mental health care for the traumatized.
Now & ongoing.

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

Among all the thoughts, prayers, tributes, and memorials, the best way to honour these lost lives is completely revamping safety and crowd control plans for concerts of this large a scale.
Also, it may be time to stop even having this size show in most or all venues.

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

Just waking up, reading about the deaths at the concert in Houston last night. Terrifying footage at the security gates and the crowd at the stage.
A tragedy of course for the victims and their loved ones, and will also be very traumatic for people who were there and survived.

[Laurie Kilmartin @anylaurie16]

What’s a bigger obstacle in standup, being a predator or being a woman?

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

Sooo excited for this session tonight!
Who else is into this topic?

If you work in sex ed or consent ed or violence prevention ed: what do you do to make sure your work is racially relevant? Let's get some ideas together tonight from @NadineThornhill!!

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

@JesseDangrsly @Cupcakes_n_Rap thank you for also teaching artists that they don't need to charge extra for bigger sizes!! i always remember you doing that! (xo, KL)

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

"Anti-trafficking" just efforts empower men to abuse women.
If you are confused about that, read this thread.

I'm a sexual violence prevention educator and I promise you that keeping cops far away from sex workers is MUCH SAFER and better violence prevention than these raids!

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

I know that fashion brands don't want our money because it ruins their brand's allure for thin people if fat people wear it, but certainly indie artists must just want the money?? But yet, they refuse to produce for us.
Source your merch well and make T-shirts over XL, please!!

[Cherry Chip Mix @Cupcakes_n_Rap]

stop dunking on mormon teens & do something to advocate for comprehensive sex ed @ your local school board!
make a donation to @Scarleteen!
connect youth you know with @PPFA educators!
laughing @ kids getting pregnant/STIs because their teachers LIE to them about health is uncool

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

So you want to be a sex-educator?
⭐️
Dr. Thornhill is a fabulous INTERNATIONAL educator, addressing things like puberty, health, parenting, and reproductive knowledge in a modern, realistic, relevant way!
All her work is based in anti-oppression values and she's a great resource!

[Safer Scenes @SaferScenes2017]

@SimonNullset @safegigs4women @GrooveSafe Thank you! <3