Safer Community Agreement
We uphold a culture of appreciation:
The work and efforts of those at Massy Arts are valued and appreciated. We do not tolerate harassment in any form including beratement or demeaning remarks towards staff, artists or guests. We will take on the community care of cancelling exhibits, events and workshops of the person engaging in this behaviour or remove them from the space. Please read our full Anti-Harassment Policy for our in-depth process towards conflict resolution.
Massy Arts believes that mistakes can be opportunities for learning and offer an environment where staff, artists and guests can recognize and apologize for their mistakes. We offer and expect feedback with kindness, specificity and with clear suggestions on how to do things differently when offering criticism.
We move at the pace of respect:
We recognize that urgency is a white supremacist tool that affects empathetic and thoughtful decision-making. In a world of deadlines, Massy Arts trusts that staff and artists complete tasks at the best of their capacity within clear and reasonable timeframes. We offer an environment where communicating extensions or changes to timelines can be made without reprimand. We call on artists and staff to take on the accountability of recognizing when a deadline has been missed and understand that it may affect the status of their programming with Massy Arts.
Accessibility at Massy Arts is collaboratively built in ongoing ways through deep relationships with artists who hold these intersections. We invite artists, staff and guests to make access requests so that we may accommodate. Please read our full Accessibility policy for an in-depth our ability to accommodate. If you are part of a funded organization or are a settler who is able to offer consultation to our Indigenous, woman owned and operated space, please consider doing so.
We commit to being in complex community:
Our commitment to supporting the practice of Indigenous and over-excluded artists cannot be separated from our capacity to be empathetic to the effects of trauma, displacement and loss. Massy Arts offers an environment where there is room for complexities and nurtures empathetic relationships with artists, staff and guests so long as it does not compromise safety.
We call upon settlers to take on the responsibility of naming and recognizing their proximity to privilege in working with Massy Arts.
We recognize residents in the downtown eastside as our neighbours and commit to being in community care with one another. Please read our Harm Reduction section for an in-depth look at our considerations.
We believe in many ways:
We trust in our ability as a community hub to collaborate, co-create and find resolution in ways that bring in our lived experiences and help us move towards the same goal of producing extensive programming in its multiple forms: art shows, workshops, open talks, debates, book launches, performances, concerts, fairs, and many others.
Massy Arts is still required to engage in some colonial practices between artists, staff and guests such as contracts. We value oral, visual and other abstract ways that may support artists in understanding and agreeing to the signing of these documents but recognize that it is the responsibility of the artist, staff or guest to express support is needed and take the appropriate steps to collaborate respectfully with other artists, staff members or guests to have their needs met.