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More than a hundred music festivals in the UK have committed to the Safer Spaces at Festivals campaign, pledging to tackle sexual harassment, violence and assault at events.
Key London festivals have signed the charter, including Hospitality Weekend in the Woods, Wireless, We Are FSTVL, Community Festival, Kew the Music, Meltdown, Pub in the Park, Mighty Hoopla and London Remixed. Broadwick Entertainment, the group that runs events in Printworks, is also committing to the campaign.
The charter was set up in 2017 by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), who said that ‘all allegations of sexual harassment, assault and violence will be taken seriously, acted upon promptly and investigated’.
The campaign has been relaunched this year in partnership with Rape Crisis England and Wales, Good Night Out, Safe Gigs for Women, Girls Against, and UN Women, who will help to provide guidance on policies.
Safer Spaces at Festivals promises to raise awareness about sexual violence at events, commit to a survivor-led approach when tackling sexual violence, and spread key messages about consent and bystander intervention.
According to a 2018 YouGov poll, one in five festival-goers has been sexually harassed or assaulted at a UK festival. Now, after two years without a full summer festival season, it’s reassuring to hear that steps are being taken to move things in the right direction.
Find out more about Safer Space at Festivals here.
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