WISPER VALUES
- Everyone needs to feel safe and welcome at WISPER.
- WISPER is building an environment where everyone is seen and treated as equal and where everyone can participate equally. This means that we take into account the potential barriers and discrimination that certain employees or social groups may experience based on their identity.
- WISPER appreciates the authenticity and uniqueness of each individual. We believe it is fundamental that everyone feels at home with us and can be themselves. We create and facilitate contexts in which people see each other in their individuality.
- WISPER employees and teachers are willing to listen and be open to questions and feedback. We choose a human approach. We look for
connection and engage in dialogue from the concept of plurality (i.e. the multitude of different voices and opinions). In this way, we value differences as well as emphasize the added value and educational richness of different perspectives. We keep conversations constructive and respectful.
- WISPER is there for anyone who wants to go on an artistic course. We make our activities as accessible as possible to people with financial needs, mental or physical challenges or need for adjusted language. The learning process of the group and the content of the activity will determine what is possible. This may vary from activity to activity.
- We believe in artistic freedom: at WISPER, no one establishes what art means or should be. An open discussion about this topic is part of our courses.
- At WISPER, learning in group is key: the group inspires and supports the creative growth of each individual. This ensures that you discover different perspectives on art and learn from each other's approach. At the same time, we are aware that working in group is not equally obvious for everyone.
- WISPER creates space for opportunities so that participants, employees and teachers continue to learn and evolve.
- WISPER promotes ownership. Participants take responsibility for their artistic process and learn inquiry-based, based on personal involvement. Employees also take ownership: they work autonomously, based on their talents and beliefs. Ownership leads to profundity, authenticity and growth.
- WISPER uses intersection thinking as a radar to raise one's awareness and to detect exclusion mechanisms and create opportunities in all areas of the organization. We actively contribute to a (gender)diverse, multicultural representation of our heterogeneous society in terms of vision, reception, activities, recruitment, communication and in the choice of partnerships.
- WISPER is always in motion. We are involved in developments in society and in the art world. Being involved means constantly listening, being open, moving, daring and adjusting.
- WISPER participates in a more sustainable society. We make specific choices in terms of course locations, meals, transport, paper use, printing, etc. All this to reduce the ecological footprint of our operation.
EXPECTATIONS EMPLOYEES/ TEACHER/ PARTICIPANTS/ VOLUNTEERS
- Everyone involved with WISPER contributes to a place as warm and safe as possible, where people are responsible for their own attitude and behaviour.
- Employees and teachers have a respectful and committed attitude.
- Teachers develop a learning path in which participants and group are optimally supported through active and group dynamic work forms.
- Participants have an active and committed attitude to the courses they are following and thereby respect their fellow participants and lecturers.
- Everyone involved in WISPER is vigilant about language that can hurt or exclude others. We take an open attitude in learning about the importance of language and how people want to be addressed. (For example: We use the correct, chosen pronoun words and don’t use any racist or colonial terms.)
- During each WISPER activity we take into account each other's physical or emotional boundaries. Everyone defines and monitors their own borders but is also attentive to signals from others that may indicate that a limit is being reached.
- Some WISPER courses, involve physical contact between participants. Teacher and participants check in with everyone and whether they feel comfortable with physical contact so that this contact remains a choice for everyone involved.
- In a course context, participants and teachers communicate transparently about existing personal relationships (colleagues, friendships, family relations, partners...) if it is noticeable or relevant to the rest of the group.
- In order to ensure the integrity of the teacher, the safety of each participant and a good group dynamic, teachers undertake not to engage in an intimate and/or romantic relationship with participants nor during nor aside from courses.
- Teachers determine how and when they can be reachable for communication with participants aside from courses. The role of a teacher is artistic-educational and not therapeutic. Participants respect the way in which a teacher chooses to be available or accessible aside from course hours.
- Within WISPER, there is no room for transgressive behaviour in any form (e.g. sexism, intimidation, discrimination, racism, abuse of power, hate speech, harassment, etc.)
POLICY ON TRANSGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
- Transgressive behaviour is any behaviour that violates personal or generally applicable values and norms, transcends boundaries and (in)knowingly inflicts or threatens to cause harm to others, the environment or themselves.
- Using derogatory terms, asking inappropriate questions or deliberately misgendering someone also falls under transgressive behaviour
- If someone indicates that a boundary has been exceeded, it has been exceeded. This will be taken seriously.
Working in group creates connection, but can sometimes also clash. If you feel uncomfortable or notice behaviour that is not okay, we encourage you to speak up. Dialogue often makes it possible to better understand each other and learn from each others viewpoint.
Do you feel harassed or discriminated against? Do you notice behaviour that goes against our code of conduct and therefore harms individuals?
Then know that there are several possibilities to report this.
What can you do?
- Address the person directly and ask them to stop their behaviour.
- Contact
- ... the teacher that gives the course in question.
- ... the artistic staff member that plans this course and is responsible for it. This can be done by mail, by phone or live (after making an appointment).
- ... one of these staff members: Noah, Tara, Alexandra or Joke
- ... a staff member you trust.
- Leave an anonymous message through this form (note: This makes it more difficult to investigate the complaint careful- and extensively).
- As a bystander, you can also take a proactive role: if you notice that someone has been hurt, you can report this, address the person who sets the transgressive behaviour or support the person that got affected by it (afterwards).
- For WISPER employees: contact the internal or external trusted person.
- You can also contact the Flemisch Reporting Centre for Transgressive Behaviour, 1712, Institute for the Equality of Women and Men or Unia.
What does WISPER do?
- Every report is taken seriously, thoroughly investigated and followed up by one of these persons: Noah Frooninckx Beulens, Tara Maria Claeys, Joke Cant, Alexandra Meijer.
- One of these staff members tunes in with all the parties involved and, if requested, ensures the anonymity of the reporter. If the artistic staff member of this discipline has to be involved, this will be communicated with the reporter.
- We treat information confidentially. Crimes will be reported to the police.
- If, after tuning in with all the parties, someone is found to be engaging in behaviour that goes against our code of conduct, WISPER will take one or more of the following steps:
- engage in an open conversation to understand the motivation of the behaviour,
- arrange a mediating dialogue,
- provide information so that it will not happen again in the future,
- exclude the person from certain or all activities,
- End the collaboration and not re-enter into a new one
Important note: this list is not exhaustive.
Each step starts from our motivation to be a place where anyone with artistic hunger or curiosity feels at home and can be themselves.
All WISPER employees, teachers, trainees and volunteers are expected to read and agree to our Code of Conduct.
