Discussion groups: How do you respond? (Brussels sessions)

Written on November 8, 2021.

Have you ever witnessed someone speaking with intolerance and prejudice in the workplace?

Have you been asked to work in a way that you don’t like or feel productive?

How do you respond?

‘How do you respond?’ is a discussion group examining workplace situations which arise in the performing arts and negatively impact people. By unpacking these topics we can identify broader industry problems and discuss what we can do about them on a personal and community level.

In planning these sessions, it wasn’t our aim to give a workshop or to teach a methodology, but the more we talked about these scenarios the more we realised that we do have certain methods which work for us. We want to share some of these ideas, and learn from yours, in the hope that this exchange can support our practices in some way and aid in advocating better working conditions.
– OFEN Co-Arts Platform

Info you need to know

Who:
The sessions are for open to everybody working in the performing arts sector and guided by OFEN Co-Arts Platform
Free participation, number of participants is limited, and
registration is compulsory (links below)

When: (Updated 1 March 2022)
Friday 11th of March 2022 // 10:00 to 12:00
Discussion group theme: Have you ever witnessed someone speaking with intolerance and prejudice in the workplace?
Saturday 19th of March 2022 // 10:00 to 12:00
Discussion group theme: Have you been asked to work in a way that you don’t like or feel productive?

Where:
Online via Zoom. register online to receive the link

Registration and more info:
Friday 11th of March 2022 // 10:00 to 12:00

Saturday 19th of March 2022 // 10:00 to 12:00
(clicking on link and then look for the button called ‘inschrijven’ at bottom of page)

Discussion group: Dealing with disappointment

Written on October 25, 2021.

Disappointment is part of everyday life, whether it is hearing constant “no’s”, not getting the funding to make work, or not having your expectations being met, but how can we reframe disappointment in a way that protects our wellbeing and allows us to keep going.
Join us this Thursday at 18h CET for a discussion around this topic, the first of four upcoming sessions.
We organise these meeting as we see a need for discussions around unspoken subjects in the arts, we do not record these zooms in order to respect the privacy of those taking part.
We do acknowledge we are contributing unpaid labour, but we are happy to, also that we are not experts and come to these topics from the perspective of dancers who are interested in social justice.

Everyone welcome! (Safe space for trans/non-binary people, please message us if you have specific access requirements)
Free, primarily in English

ZOOM link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81269093390
Meeting ID: 812 6909 3390

Image: Cat flap in a glass door, a bulldog has its head through the cat flap, it appears to be wanting to go outside. One large tooth juts over the top lip giving it a disappointed look. Black text on the image say OFEN Co-Arts Platform discussion group. Pink text underneath it says; 1. How to deal with disappointment. Underneath is a zoom ID: 81269093390 and the date: Thursday 28th October 18:00 to 19:30 CET. Please say if you have access requirements.

Social Change, Well-being and Sustainability to Accelerate Change in the Arts

Written on September 11, 2021.

Social Change, Well-being and Sustainability to Accelerate Change in the Arts

We are looking at the topics SOCIAL CHANGE, WELL-BEING & SUSTAINABILITY from the perspectives of ART MAKERS, ART PRESENTERS & ART CONSUMERS, to consider how we can all do our part to accelerate change in the arts. Screening 10-12 Sep 2021 at Tanzrauschen Festival Screen Dance Academy, Pop Me Up (Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 28, Wuppertal, Germany) and on ARTE.

Interview: OFEN Co-Arts Platform and Viktor Van der Veken (Genderkamer)

Written on July 8, 2021.

The main task of the Genderkamer is to receive and deal with complaints about discrimination based on gender, sex, gender identity or gender expression and to assist applicants. The Genderkamer is a branch of the Flemish Ombudsman which acts as a human rights protector to combat and prevent any form of discrimination, exclusion, limitation, exploitation or prejudice based on gender, sex, gender identity and gender expression. ⁠ ⁠

As a psychologist, Viktor Van der Veken has gained a lot of experience in practice, both at case and policy level. He has worked on various forms of transgressive behavior including intimidation and bullying. The seriousness of this problem has prompted him to commit himself to decisively tackling cross-border behavior within the culture and media sector. Viktor wants to lower barriers, offer necessary recognition and professional support or a correct referral. He also puts his shoulders to the important task of contributing to changes at policy level.⁠

Link to the Genderkamer: https://www.vlaanderen.be/organisaties/vlaamse-ombudsdienst