At IVFDF Nottingham, we believe that any two people who want to dance with each other should be able to do so. We also acknowledge that while many styles of folk dance originated in a gendered form, there are various reasons that an individual might not want to dance the role prescribed by their outward gender presentation.
To make it easier for people to dance their preferred role with their chosen partner, we have therefore instituted a gender free calling policy. We have asked all of our callers and workshop leaders to call without the use of gendered terminology (e.g. gents/ladies).
Our preferred alternative strategies for designating the different roles are:
If you are leading a workshop and need any help or resources for gender free calling, please get in touch with us at ivfdfnottingham@gmail.com and we will do our best to help you.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults who may attend the festival.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 uses the definition of children that is in use under current UK law and defines a child as any individual under the age of 18. A vulnerable adult is defined as an individual over the age of 18 who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of disability, age or illness; and is or may be unable to take care of or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.
Where any venues require IVFDF Nottingham 2020 to adopt their own safeguarding policies as a condition of hire their policy will be read in conjunction with this one.
IVFDF originated as a festival for university students. It is therefore acknowledged that attendees may be aged 16 as this is the age that most UK universities will accept students. In addition, it is acknowledged that some festival attendees may wish to bring their children to the festival.
Attendees under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult who has been delegated the role by the parent or guardian. The responsible adult must have purchased a ticket to attend IVFDF Nottingham 2020 and must be attending the festival for the same duration as the child. Where the child attends a UK university the responsible adult may be an individual over the age of 18 attending the same university. University societies bringing students under 18 to IVFDF Nottingham 2020 are also expected to follow their own university and procedures and guidelines around child safeguarding.
Children attending IVFDF must have a designated responsible adult and provide a phone number on which said responsible adult can be contacted at all times for the duration of the festival. However, the physical presence of the responsible adult is not necessarily required:
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 may use venues which do not allow access to those under 16, or which require those under 16 to be accompanied by a responsible adult. This will be at the discretion of the venue and may be necessary for health and safety or insurance and licensing purposes.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 will endeavour to ensure that all events within the programme which may not be suitable for children are clearly noted as such within the festival programme and publicity materials.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 will take all possible steps to ensure that festival volunteers who do not hold a valid Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate are not in a situation where they are alone with an under 18 festival attendee or a vulnerable adult.
Numbers of festival attendees who are under 18 will be determined ahead of the festival taking place. At the point of ticket sale the purchaser will be asked for the number of under 18 tickets required. Special tickets / wristbands will be issued to festival attendees under 18 to ensure that they can be immediately identified. Nottingham IVFDF 2020 will be unable to take responsibility for any individual under the age of 18 who falsely informs the festival that they are over the age of 18.
Children under 16 will not be permitted to utilise the indoor camping facility at IVFDF Nottingham 2020. Where there is a requirement to pre-book indoor camping accommodation priority will be given to ensuring that children over 16 are booked into the same accommodation as their responsible adults.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 will operate an incident reporting pathway. Incidents involving a festival attendee under the age of 18 or a vulnerable adult must be reported as soon as possible on a best endeavours basis to the Safeguarding Officer. This Safeguarding Officer will be independent of the IVFDF Nottingham 2020 festival committee.
Where necessary the Safeguarding Officer will investigate any incidents and take any necessary steps to protect the individuals involved. The Safeguarding Officer will maintain a full record of all concerns raised and actions taken.
A summary of safeguarding incidents will be reported at the ARM by the Safeguarding Officer. This will be done with due regard for child protection.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 will carry out an appropriate risk assessment in relation to allowing attendees under the age of 18 or vulnerable adults.
Where it is known that there will be attendees under the age of 18 at Nottingham IVFDF 2020, the festival committee will take steps to ensure that festival volunteers are briefed in relation to this policy and the risk assessment.
Following EFDSS's stance on face painting in morris dancing, ( https://www.efdss.org/news/234-august-2016/3938-blacking-up-the-debate-continues ) the committee would like to make clear our own position on face painting and how this relates to IVFDF 2020.
We would like everyone to feel comfortable at our IVFDF regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, age, abilities or disabilities. While there is no definitive answer on whether the origins of face painting in morris were simply for concealing identity using substances to hand, which were often dark coloured, or whether it was a result of the minstrelsy tradition in the 19th century, we acknowledge that dancers with fully blacked up faces are seen as offensive by a number of people, regardless of the actual intentions of the dancers.
For this reason, we have settled upon the following policy: morris dancers are welcome to paint their faces at IVFDF 2020 but they must not use full face designs in normal human skin tones. Patterns that include normal human skin tones, such as stripes, celtic designs or blocks of different colours are welcome ; what is not allowed is any design that can be viewed as intending to imitate a particular skin tone (e.g. blackface, yellowface).
We hope that you will understand our reasoning and look forward to seeing your creative face paint designs. If you have any questions about whether or not a design is acceptable, please contact the committee at ivfdfnottingham@gmail.com
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
IVFDF Nottingham 2020 is committed to equal opportunities and non-discriminatory procedures and practices and will therefore not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, sex, maternity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or political views. Everyone attending the festival is expected to respect and act in accordance with this policy. Infractions will be punished as follows:
This is the GDPR policy for all data collected and processed in regards to IVFDF 2020
‘IVFDF 2020’ encompasses the IVFDF 2020 committee and any volunteers (e.g. workshop leaders, stewards, photographers) working on behalf of the committee
The following data necessary for the smooth running of IVFDF 2020 will be collected from all participants:
This data will be used for the following purposes
On top of that, we will collect the following data from participants under the age of 18
Our main venue needs the following information for allocation of parking spaces to those arriving by car
Photos and videos of IVFDF attendees in action will be taken throughout the event by our official photosquad. Photographs will be accessible through a dropbox link which will be shared on the IVFDF website and social media after the event.
No data collected or processed by IVFDF2020 will be shared with third parties unless explicitly stated otherwise above.
All information will be deleted no more than one year after IVFDF 2020
Data subjects may request access, modification and deletion of their identifiable data at any time during that period
Complaints and requests may be emailed to ivfdfnottingham@gmail.com