TREMOR SEGURO

Partnership between Plutão Camaleão and APF-Açores/(A)MAR-Açores

The partnership between Plutão Camaleão Cultural Association and APF-Açores/(A)MAR-Açores pela Diversidade is based on the commitment to work collaboratively in the defence of human rights, in particular the right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics, as well as the promotion of safe and inclusive nightlife and entertainment environments for all people in the Azorean island context.

Tremor Festival, Plutão Camaleão's anchor project, sees itself as an inclusive space that promotes artists from different hemispheres, identities and artistic areas, taking an active role in promoting gender equality, dismantling practices that perpetuate gender inequalities in the cultural sector and in access to culture, as well as the enjoyment of the experience in a safe way, free from violence. Tremor promotes the deconstruction of the binary and heteronormative system that involves all sectors of society, in their working practices and relationships with artists, staff, audiences and host communities, assuming that the cultural and artistic sector is not immune to these issues and their consequences. The festival pays particular attention to the exclusion and limitation of opportunities for people who don't conform to (cishetero)normativity, and to the impediments and restrictions on freedom of expression in all its forms. 

Tremor recognises that nightlife venues and music festivals play a key role in shaping the urban scene and building identities, as they are spaces for creation, experimentation, and cultural activation of individuals and communities. The Festival therefore has the following objectives, to be implemented in stages:

• Promoting diversity and a commitment to equal representation of all identities, both in the event's artistic line-up and in its staff; in the festival's communication and marketing, avoiding sexist communication and communication and design practices that reflect stereotypes; promoting an equal and non-segregating organisational culture;

• Raising awareness of the importance of everyone involved in organising and attending the festival taking an active role in preventing sexual violence and holding perpetrators of violence accountable, as well as protecting victims;

• Educating and training its staff and other people involved so that they receive and communicate in a more inclusive way and are able to respond to situations of sexual aggression or violence based on gender, sexual orientation or sexual characteristics;

• The creation of safe spaces for the people who make up the festival ecosystem, regardless of their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, origin, and other characteristics that can result in oppression or that reflect structural oppression and violence;

• The implementation of a support and reporting system for people who attend and work at the Festival.

In 2025, Tremor will implement a support and reporting system that will enable the rapid detection and resolution of any unacceptable behaviour. In addition, and in collaboration with APF-Açores/(A)MAR-Açores pela Diversidade—a feminist association specialising in the area of diversity and sexual health—Tremor will have a specialised team at the Portas do Mar Pavilion, a central space in the festival's programme, to provide the necessary assistance in the event of an incident based on gender or sexual violence.

TREMOR FESTIVAL SAFETY PLAN

Specialised Support Team: Accompanying the festival is a specialised support team to deal with cases of discrimination, harassment, gender-based violence, and sexual violence. This team includes people trained in crisis intervention and emotional support;

Assistance and reporting points: Implementation of assistance systems at the festival that allow people to get immediate help in the event of harassment or sexual violence. Creation of a safe and anonymous reporting system for incidents throughout the week of the event;

Accompaniment and support for victims: Ensuring that victims of sexual violence receive immediate and adequate support, including medical assistance, accompaniment, emotional support, and activation of legal accompaniment, when necessary;

Safe Zones: Defining specific areas as “safe zones” where people can stay in the event of an emergency, accompanied by security personnel and APF - Açores/(A)MAR  -Açores pela Diversidade. Ensuring adequate lighting in all areas of the festival, especially in more isolated and incident-prone areas;

Staff Training: Training festival staff, including security guards, bartenders, volunteers and collaborators, in how to recognise and deal with situations of discrimination, sexual violence and harassment in accordance with good practice in this area, with a focus on the denormalisation of sexism, the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, and the promotion of respect for diversity;

Assistance and Safe Transport: Provision of accompaniment services so that those who wish to leave the festival can do so safely, especially during the night;

Collaboration with Local Authorities and Specialised Support Organisations: Creating partnerships with local authorities, NGOs and support organisations for victims of sexual violence so that, in emergency circumstances, there is an effective guarantee of an efficient and coordinated networked response;

Continuous Evaluation and Improvement: Carrying out post-event assessments in order to identify areas for improvement in the Security Plan and implement any necessary corrective measures in the coming years.

The Code of Conduct for Preventing and Combating Harassment of Plutão Camaleão Cultural Association can be accessed here.