Code of Conduct – Collectively Blue

This code of conduct provides guidelines for all guests attending events that CB hosts and controls the space for (e.g., House Parties, workshops, North Star Blues).

Code of Conduct for In-Person CB Events

Adapted with Permission from Ujima Blues/BluesGeek

Collectively Blue provides space to dance, relax, and have a good time. In order to make this possible, here are some guidelines for being an awesome community member and doing your part to make this scene even better! We want every single person, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, age, religion, etc. to be able to feel welcomed and comfortable in our spaces

We strive to include components in our events that celebrate Black voices in our community and amplify our belief that Black Lives Matter. Anyone who shares those goals with us is welcome in the space. If you are still learning about the Black Lives Matter movement – and all non-Black attendees are assumed to be still learning about the Black Lives Matter movement – we ask that you use this event as a place to keep your mind open, listen with empathy, and let your dancing and your presence become a stepping stone in supporting this urgent message. Racism will not be tolerated at our events. If you experience racist behaviour please get in touch with safer spaces immediately!

I accept that I am responsible for my enjoyment of the event and will contribute to making a community that is safe, open, honest, and enjoyable for all involved. I recognize that the purpose of social partner dancing is to have fun while connecting with another person. I will make the best effort to be attentive to my dance partner and enjoy each dance with each person regardless of background, race, gender, beliefs, or skill level.
As with everything else in life, I understand that consent is important. I will obtain consent before taking any action, whether grabbing someone to dance or anything more. I understand that the social dance floor is not the appropriate place to make advances on someone before receiving consent. If I think there is chemistry beyond the dance, I will wait for the dance to end before asking about it. I understand that consenting to a dance is not the same as consenting to anything else.
I am allowed to say no to a dance for any reason. Attendees are encouraged to set boundaries with words!
I am encouraged to actively participate in building the dance community. To do so, I will seek out new people to dance with or talk to. I can also foster connections by introducing or reintroducing myself with each new dance.
I understand that every dance with another person is a privilege. I understand that asking someone to dance is a request, not a demand, and that they do not owe me an explanation of their reasons. I will receive any acceptance or rejection with grace.
I will be mindful of myself, my dance partner, and my surroundings when I dance. I will not attempt large moves, lifts, kicks, or other movements that may cause injury and/or discomfort to my dance partner, myself, or those around me. I will do my best not bump or step on other dancers. I will be gracious if I do and still gracious if someone does it to me. I will be mindful of how my alcohol consumption and how that relates to how I carry myself in the social space.
I will not teach on the social dance floor. I will not offer unsolicited advice about someone’s dancing, and any practicing with my dance partner will be done off to the side or in another room to leave the dance floor open for social dancing. If someone asks me for dance advice, I will take that interaction off the social floor to keep the space open for dancing.
I will take care of my hygiene. I will bring towels, hygiene products, and spare changes of clothing to ensure I look, smell, and feel clean. I will check my sweat and body odor on a regular basis and clean myself up as necessary.
It is okay for me to tell my dance partner if something they do causes me pain or discomfort. I will make my best effort to inform them and give them an opportunity to change it. I understand that communication can clear up misunderstandings before they build. I recognize that people are sometimes unaware that their actions are uncomfortable until they are informed.
I will strictly respect the physical and personal boundaries of my fellow attendees on and off the dance floor. If I receive feedback from my dance partner about something that causes them pain or discomfort, I will take it graciously. I will respect all communication of boundaries, such as requests for space or to end engagement of any kind.
I will respect the stated identity of all attendees. I will make every effort to use the names and pronouns given by the other attendees. If I am informed that a term or phrase makes others feel unsafe, I will immediately stop using it. I will not use misogynistic, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, ageist, or otherwise discriminatory language.
I will bring inappropriate actions that I personally experience or observe to the attention of the organizers. We are here to provide a safe, welcoming space for us to engage in an activity we all enjoy. We cannot address problems that we do not know about!
I will be respectful of the teachers, staff members, DJs, and organizers. I will make every effort to get to classes and workshops early. If I am unable to get to class on time, I will obtain permission before joining. I will respect and focus on the material that is being taught and not try to teach or redirect focus during someone else’s class. I will keep all outside conversations to a minimum while there is a lesson going on. I am free to inform the DJs, teachers, and organizers of any positive feedback. I am also free to provide constructive feedback, but I will do so either through surveys or in private after receiving consent.
I will not come to an in-person event if I know I am sick with something contagious and transmissible. We understand that sometimes you may not always know you are sick and contagious (ex. sometimes what feels like a headache is actually the onset of the flu). If you know you are sick, stay home. We will dearly miss you and see you next time!

If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, you have been harmed, or someone present is a danger to themselves or others, please report this to a Collectively Blue Safer Spaces representative (denoted by an illuminated blue wristband or a name tag). We treat these issues with the strictest confidentiality. CB pledges to take reports on good faith and respect the privacy of those who choose to report anonymously. Your courage in coming forward can keep incidents from being repeated.

Underage consumption of alcohol or use of illegal substances during our events is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate expulsion. Additionally, any individual providing alcohol to minors will also be expelled from the event. We strongly encourage minors under 16 to have an accompanying parent or guardian – we are happy to waive admission if you are at the event to observe a minor.

A note about affirmative consent, personal space, and flirtation:

Recognizing that sometimes people choose to pursue romantic or sexual relations within the scene, anyone attempting to flirt or hook up at an event should keep in mind that only “yes” means “yes”. If we receive reports of a person pursuing another after being told ‘no’ it will be treated as sexual harassment. If consent is something that seems vague to you, there’s a pretty simple explanation in this video. Consent can be more complex than that, but that’s a good place to start.

Blues is a physically engaging and physically close dance. This will be taken into account as context for all reports. Given this context, accidental inappropriate touch may happen. This does not make the dance an invitation for unwanted intimacy. Grinding and groping are not part of blues. Consensual ‘making-out’ is not appropriate for the dance floor.

Virtual Collectively Blue Event Code of Conduct

We want to be mindful of how to be a good attendee in the virtual format, so here are some community guidelines for our virtual events! By attending our virtual events, you agree to abide by these guidelines and our Safer Spaces Policy.

Collectively Blue’s Code of Conduct applies to all of our virtual content and platforms, including but not limited to: spoken content, messages written in the chat to all participants, direct messages, name tags, things visible in your video, Facebook posts, and virtual backgrounds. We do not tolerate harassment of any kind, including but not limited to sexual harassment, verbal abuse, assault, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, ageism, ableism, or defamation of character. Any person at a CB hosted event found acting in a way that violates these values will be asked to stop and/or ejected from the event.

Since Zoom is a multi-person platform, you will be muted upon entry to the Zoom Room. Please leave your mic on mute unless called on or unmuted by a CB moderator. Moderators will have the ability to mute individuals if necessary.

Sharing video is welcomed! We miss seeing everyone and would love to see your lovely faces! Feel free to rename yourself (but please keep it identifiable) or add your pronouns to your name! Moderators will have a “Safety Mod” tag by their names and will identify themselves at the beginning of the event.

Using speaker view will feature the video of whoever is speaking, whereas gallery view shows all videos. We prefer speaker view for lectures, but feel free to use whichever feels more enjoyable for you.

Please use the Participants and Chat windows to interact with us and other viewers. The Participants window will allow you to do things like raise your hand for a question, thumbs up, thumbs down, and other non-verbal reactions. The Chat window can be used to send messages to all participants or to specific individuals. Please use the Chat window to ask questions and talk to other participants! If there is a Q+A session with an event, moderators will facilitate questions between attendees and the speaker via the Chat. You are free to ask questions in the Chat at any time, and the moderator will compile a list of questions for the Q+A.

Please also use the Chat/Direct Message to tell a moderator if you see or hear anything that you feel violates our Code of Conduct, or if you receive inappropriate direct messages from other attendees! Moderators have the ability to remove individuals from the event if they violate our code of conduct. Moderators may also follow up after the event with individuals who violate the code of conduct.

See our entire Safer Spaces Policy at https://www.collectivelyblue.com/policies/safer-spaces-policy If you have questions or concerns, please email the CB Safer Spaces Committee at collectivelybluesaferspaces@gmail.com. To file an anonymous report, please access the google form on our Safer Spaces Policy page or here https://forms.gle/X8At3M7R8iapEsLH8.

Our safer spaces committee is made up of white or white-passing women and we acknowledge that this may create a barrier to reporting. For North Star Blues, a BIPOC advocate is available for people of color who need that support. If you are a person of color and want to specifically speak to the BIPOC advocate please just ask our other committee members to direct you to that advocate. If you would prefer to report anonymously you can specify in our anonymous reporting google form that you are a person of color who would like to work with a Black advocate. For our other year-round events, we are seeking out additional resources and support for BIPOC community members and will update our policies and staff pages as we enact changes.