Community Guidelines

Decentered Arts Events and Spaces

Decentered Arts is an artist-led nonprofit whose mission is to build resilient community using art of all mediums. We host events, workshops, gatherings, and resource-sharing initiatives with a commitment to equity, integrity, and care. Find out more at https://decentered.org/ or email us hello@decentered.org 

To create a safe and equitable space for connection and creativity, we observe the following community guidelines:

✅ Expected Behavior

At Decentered gatherings, we ask all participants to:

• Respect people's identities, names, pronouns, and expressed boundaries.
• Offer feedback with care, especially in creative or vulnerable spaces. Understand and listen when an offer of feedback is declined.
• Respect people’s privacy; what’s shared in a container stays there, unless permission is granted.
• Make space for others to speak and participate.
• Honor the labor of organizers, performers, and volunteers.
• Be aware of power dynamics (e.g. in age, race, experience, gender, position).
• Be mindful of accessibility needs (e.g. physical, sensory, cognitive)
• Step in if you witness harm—support each other with accountability and care.
• Take care of physical spaces and leave them as good or better than you found them.

🚫Unwelcome Behavior

We will not tolerate:

• Hate speech, slurs, or discriminatory behavior.
• Harassment, stalking, or non-consensual continued communication.
• Non-consensual touching, or continued unwanted behaviors.
• Visible intoxication.
• Open drug consumption.
• Persistent disruption of events or conversations.
• Exploitation of labor, time, or emotional energy.
• Presentations of or taking credit for another’s work without attribution.
• Repeated violations of community norms after being asked to stop.

🛡️ Safety-Based Exclusions There are situations where Decentered Arts may take precautionary action even if no guideline was violated inside our space. To protect community well-being, we may restrict or remove someone from our events or spaces if credible information indicates a serious risk of harm.

Examples of credible information include:

• Publicly available court records, news articles, or documented histories of violence, harassment, or predatory behavior.
• Multiple consistent accounts from independent, established community sources.
• Reports from trusted community members that clearly do not involve personal conflict or retaliation.

In these cases, Decentered Arts may enact temporary or permanent exclusion without waiting for an incident to occur in our space. These decisions are made with care, discretion, and a commitment to collective safety. Our priority is always the well-being of the community.

Decentered Studio is a private space so ultimately Studio access is at the discretion of the Decentered team and can be revoked at any time without reason.

🌼 Optional but Encouraged: Social Norms

These social norms aren’t hard rules—they're practices that help our community thrive. We invite you to try them on and see how they feel.

No one knows everything; everyone knows something
We value shared learning over showing off. Stay open to listening and unlearning.

Don't yuck someone else's yum
If someone is vibing with something that’s not for you, let them live! Critique with care.

Offer, don’t impose
Whether it's advice, touch, or a collaboration idea—ask first.

If you're talking a lot, try listening. If you're quiet, try speaking
Step up/step back helps create balance in conversation and leadership.

Assume best intent, allow for impact
We all make mistakes. It's okay to get called in—what matters is how we respond.

Keep it mutual
Share credit generously, support each other's work, and ensure opportunities flow in multiple directions.

🛠 Response Protocol

If you experience or witness harm or unwelcome behaviors, here’s what you can do:

Engage Directly

If you feel comfortable, approach the person directly and respectfully. Focus on informing of the impact their actions had on others, rather than jumping to suggested behaviors.

Seek Help

If you prefer to enlist the help of others for any reason, let an organizer, host, or door volunteer know discreetly. We will check in, prioritize safety, and take appropriate action.

Provide Feedback

Email us at [hello@decentered.org] to share your experience. Reports will be kept confidential unless otherwise requested, or expectation of continued harm is involved.

Our Process

We approach incidents with a commitment to restorative practices when possible. Depending on the situation, outcomes may include:

• A check-in or mediation
• A private or public apology
• Removal from an event
• Temporary or permanent exclusion from the community
• Notification of other community leaders

Our priority is to center the needs and well-being of impacted parties while holding space for growth and accountability.

We are always learning and growing as an organization. This code of conduct is a living document. We welcome feedback or suggestions on how to improve. We want to co-create spaces where we all can thrive through creative expression, to build resilient community.

Photography & Media Consent

By attending a Decentered Arts event, you acknowledge that photography, audio, and/or video recording may take place. You consent to the use of your image, likeness, voice, and/or appearance in photographs or recordings captured at the event for Decentered Arts’ promotional, marketing, archival, and educational purposes. This may include use on our website, social media, newsletters, grant reports, and other communications, without compensation.