These guidelines are written primarily for everyone working in or collaborating with Kaaitheater such as employees, performers, people involved in an artistic production, partners, volunteers, temporary workers, suppliers,...
They are also intended for anyone who in some way engages with Kaaitheater’s programme and spaces as a visitor, participant or passer-by.
They apply to people who are physically in the Kaaitheater buildings or in any of the spaces Kaaitheater (temporarily) uses in the city. They also apply to any digital spaces the Kaaitheater sets up, such as social media or video chat. They also apply to Kaaitheater’s projects in public spaces.

Kaaitheater is a stage for dance, theatre, performance and conversation in and around Brussels. Kaaitheater moves through many spaces and contexts, from Flemish and Brussels to the international, from small to large venues, on squares and in streets, where urban and global themes are tangible.

We would prefer to live in a society where guidelines like these are not needed, but to quote The Queer Code of Conduct:
 

“If you don’t set up your own rules, you implicitly endorse those prevalent in society – including the unwritten ones – many of which we recognize as unfair to many people.”

An institution is always a product of time and space, in other words of a particular history and its context. As an institution, Kaaitheater has an important task to provide a bedrock for current social issues, which call for reflection, reaction and translation into practice.
 

Driven by the question How To Be Many? Kaaitheater is establishing new guidelines around participation and mediation, to introduce new generations of audiences to the multifaceted, contemporary performing arts. They allow a broad spectrum of visitors, artists, stories and perspectives, traversing the many neighbourhoods and locations in and around Brussels.
 

Because the spaces we engage in are highly diverse – from administration to holding auditions, rehearsals, performances, direct contact with audiences, ... to late nights, parties and so much more – we have to recognise that boundaries between work and private life are diffuse. We have a duty to ensure that this is not exploited. Inappropriate behaviour will never be tolerated, regardless of the relationships between people.
 

Within this often complex constellation of spaces, participants and subjects, we adopt a learning attitude. We want to understand how we should position ourselves and act within this landscape, and in particular to become more aware of our blind spots and implicit assumptions. In doing so, we realise that we sometimes get it wrong. As an organisation, we want continuously to learn and we are open to feedback and suggestions.

1. INAPPROPRIATE PHYSICAL INTIMACY
2. TRANSGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR AROUND IDENTITY AND THE
PRIVATE/PUBLIC BOUNDARY
3. INAPPROPRIATE STATEMENTS
4. AGGRESSION

Kaaitheater does not tolerate any inappropriate or transgressive behaviour, violence or abuse of power. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, as in treating someone in a different, less respectful way because of their age, colour, origin, disability, gender, sexuality, socio-economic situation, etc. (see full list below).
 

When someone lets you know that you are exhibiting oppressive or inappropriate behaviour, take the comment seriously and correct your behaviour accordingly. It is important in this context to understand that transgressive behaviour is determined by the person experiencing it. The intention of the person who appears intimidating is not relevant. What matters is how it is perceived.
 

Oppressive, inappropriate and transgressive behaviour can manifest
itself in different ways. There are some examples below, but this list is not
comprehensive:

INAPPROPRIATE PHYSICAL INTIMACY

• Inappropriate physical behaviour:

When someone pulls away or asks you to stop, you must stop at once.
Hugging or touching someone may imply an intimacy not shared by the other person. For example, touching someone’s hair, hugging or stroking someone’s back without permission or after having been told to stop.

• Claiming unwanted intimacy or assuming that you are allowed this level of intimacy with the other person.

• Unwanted sexual attention.

• Continuing one-to-one contact after being asked to stop doing so.
 

TRANSGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR AROUND IDENTITY AND THE PRIVATE/PUBLIC BOUNDARY

• Knowingly disclosing a private aspect of someone’s identity, without consent (it may exceptionally be possible to disclose something about someone’s identity when it is necessary for protecting people from abuse).

• Photographing someone or making video and/or audio recordings without permission.

• Recording online activities for the purpose of harassing someone.

• Intentionally using the wrong pronouns (especially when the person has made their pronouns known).

• Assuming that you know how someone identifies sexually.

• Any kind of derogatory language, such as comments on someone’s physical appearance or character traits.


Transgressive statements

• Microaggression: small and subtle discriminatory behaviour.

• Statements that reinforce systemic oppression such as involving someone’s:

≈ nationality/ethnicity
≈ socio-economic status
≈ gender identity and expression
≈ religion
≈ sexual orientation
≈ personal appearance (hairstyle, clothing, tattoos,
piercings,...)
≈ age
≈ presumed ignorance
≈ education level
≈ physical or mental disability
≈ physical or mental health
≈ neurodiversity
≈ parenting
≈ political opinion (as long as it does not violate the other
criteria in this list)
≈ trade unionism
≈ language
≈ …

• Showing that you find something or someone unimportant or not worthy of consideration by, for example, leaving someone without space in a conversation by interrupting them or talking over them.

• Publicly making someone lose face.

• Making unprompted statements about someone’s lifestyle such as about how someone eats, their health, way of upbringing, housing, whether or not they use drugs, state of employment,...

• Deliberately making false claims about someone.

TRANSGRESSIVE AGRESSION

• Trolling: deliberately and constantly interrupting talks, lectures and other gatherings.

• Inciting or threatening violence towards someone.

• Deliberate harassment or stalking.

• Urging someone to commit suicide or maim themselves.