- Safer Venues WA website
live thanks to Cook Government's Contemporary Music Fund
- Advocacy group improving safety and inclusivity at WA
music venues
- New website with online
toolkit follows workshops and training with industry
A new website with an industry toolkit, created
thanks to State Government funding, is aiming to make live music venues in
Western Australia safer and more inclusive, especially for women and the
LGBTQI+ community.
Community
organisation Safer Venues WA was started thanks to $60,000 funding from the
Contemporary Music Fund (CMF) as a measure to address safety and harassment
concerns. A 2017 survey found 67 per cent of 550 respondents had previously been
harassed in a WA venue, and of those people, 80 per cent were women.
The CMF
investment led to workshopping with contemporary music venues, audiences and
artists and the development of online resources in a bid to improve inclusivity
and safety at concerts and nightclubs. Venues actively involved include
Freo.Social, Mojo's, Connections, The Bird, The Rechabite, Blueroom Theatre,
Picabar/Percy Flint, Astral Weeks and Indi Bar.
The website,
for all WA venues, provides practical information such as advice on signage and
house policy development, door entry and bathroom safety procedures and
security briefing scripts. There is also a downloadable harassment report form
and after-care cards.
The new Safer
Venues WA website raises awareness by outlining how to make spaces safer, in
particular for young women and LGBTQIA+ patrons. The website also provides
research and education online and offers links to training providers.
The
Safer Venues WA website is at https://www.safervenueswa.org/.
Comments attributed to Culture and the
Arts Minister David Templeman:
"The Cook Government is proud to fund an initiative
to make Western Australia's music venues safer and improve inclusivity at live
performances and nightlife in WA for all patrons.
"Everyone should be able to enjoy local musicians and
bands without being afraid of harassment or intimidation. I commend and applaud
all the venues involved and the industry in general for its support and
willingness to train staff.
"The Contemporary Music Fund is all about diversity,
so it's fitting the CMF has funded the Safer Venues WA initiative promoting
gender, sexuality and cultural inclusion."
Comments attributed to Women's Interests Minister Sue
Ellery:
"Women have every right to feel safe when they attend
live music and entertainment venues.
"I commend community organisation Safer Venues WA for
taking a positive step to address safety and harassment concerns, especially
for women and the LGBTQI+ community.
"We all have a role to play to ensure safe,
respectful and inclusive environments for all Western Australians."
