Participants Agreements Tantric Joy Festival Amsterdam
Most of the agreements below are meant to provide a container for physical & psychological safety for you and others. We all know that in a festival there is not a way to guarantee for 100% that everybody will feel safe. We can’t control all behaviors and we can’t prevent that traumas are being triggered. What we can do is to establish agreements from our side which support an open and save environment. Some of the agreements below are meant for practicalities.
By being a participant of the Tantric Joy Festival Amsterdam you automatically agree to the agreements below. Facilitators and EMO team members have agreements around confidientality and ethics during workshops. You can read them here. If you have any doubt or comment, please get in contact with us: growinglovingrelations@gmail.com
General agreements
You can be part of the festival or enter the festival area if you are at least 18 years old.
You do not bring animal pets to the festival; dogs, cats, snakes, horses, etc. they are not allowed.
Your ticket is non-refundable. You are allowed to sell your ticket to someone else. In such case, you need to notify us the change by email and provide name and email address of the buyer of your ticket.
The festival is an alcohol and drugs free event. That means no possession of alcohol and drugs at the festival area and not being under influence during the festival. This includes legal drugs or considered being natural (like plants or mushrooms). Smoking tobacco, e-cigarettes, and vaporizers is not allowed in the festival area including the garden. In case we find illegal drugs, we are obligated by law to hand over to the police.
You understand that a festival is not a substitute for therapy, and you will take responsibility for participating in a way that you can manage (physically, psychologically, and emotionally). You agree to take full responsibility for your boundaries, for what you don't want to receive and what you are not willing to give. You are aware that you can change your mind about a given boundary at any moment of the festival.
In case you have any issues with your physical or mental health that may affect your participation at the festival, you will inform the organization beforehand by email.
You are aware that the organization is not responsible for damage or the disappearance of belongings. We advise you not to bring valuable belongings to the festival.
You will not make pictures or record others during workshops/temple nights. Out of that you will only take pictures with explicit consent. The organization may take photos or videos which will be shared at the private participants FB group. If you don’t want to be recorded or photographed you can inform the organization. Taking into account the above, you are aware that the organization can use images and audio recordings of you for the promoting of the festival or events. You have the right to remove a picture after the festival.
You agree to refrain from nudity where it is not meant to be. There will be nudity in specific areas or workshops during the festival. This will be indicated in the program and morning ceremony. Nudity is an option and never a must.
You agree to respect the silence in the garden and during Ecstatic Dance.
You will be mindful in the use of mobile, a computer or other electronics. So only use them when it is extremely necessary. If you need to have your mobile on, you will put it in silent mode and go aside or outside when you need to talk.
The organization, space holders and facilitators are not liable for any material, physical damage or psychological difficulties that may occur during or after the festival.
When registering and subscribing to the festival, you provide personal information to the organization: name and email. You give consent to the organization to use this information as required for the organization of the festival. You will receive mail from Growing Loving Relations (Mark & Anna) about upcoming festivals or other events, and you know that you can unsubscribe to this at any time by clicking on the link at the end of these emails.
The programme of the festival may change at any time due to unpredicted circumstances (for example illness of the facilitators).
Contact Agreements
You agree to be open to participants of all races, gender, sexual orientation or expression, religion, or national origin. We ask you also to be aware to adhere to what pronoun/other participants and leaders would like to be addressed.
You understand that everything said or done during the festival is confidential. You can share your own experiences, but you will not talk about what someone else has done or said.
You agree to respect the guidance and instructions by the teachers and the staff. You are always free to feel if an instruction, invitation or guidance fits you at that moment and if that is not the case, leave the workshop or ceremony without disturbing others. If you leave a workshop or the festival you agree to inform the facilitator or organization.
You will do your best to attend the welcome ceremony and mandatory workshop the first day and the morning meetings.
Sexual intercourse is not allowed during the festival in all festival areas. We will work with exchange of sexual energy during certain workshops. This will be indicated in the programme and in the morning meeting. Exchange of sexual energy is also allowed in other areas during the festival, as long as there is explicit mutual consent and the boundaries of other participants are not being violated.
You agree to respect all boundaries of other participants. You will not touch, embrace or kiss another participant without asking explicit consent. This concerns also during temple nights and Ecstatic Dance. You will respect immediately a ‘no’ and will not insist or try to convince a participant to say ‘yes’ to a proposal. If you are unsure about someone's boundaries, or if it's in some way unclear what you have consented to, you will take responsibility for taking the time to clarify this.
The organization, space holders and emo team are available during or in between workshops. Anything that is shared with any of the space holders will be regarded as strictly personal and confidential. In case of complains towards other participants or teachers, the space holders may involve the organization or facilitators.
.Facilitators, emo team, space holders, organization and staff have also committed to these agreements. They also agreed to the Facilitators & Emotional Support Team members agreements, Tantric Joy Festival Amsterdam. Those agreements are more related to their position. If you wish to get the facilitators and emo team agreements, please send us a request per email: growinglovingrelations@gmail.com
Violation of the agreements above will lead to a permanent exclusion of the festival without any restitution of the ticket price. We trust that this will not be necessary. We trust that we all are aware of the importance of taking responsibility. We trust that we all will take care for our own contributing part in the brave and safe space we want to create together! We would like to share with you the inspirational words of Micky Scottbey Jones after this letter.
Love & Light,
Mark & Anna
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Invitation to a Brave Space by Micky Scottbey Jones
Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know
We will not be perfect
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But
It will be our brave space together
And
We will work on it side by side.
