Australian music community launches anti-assault campaign

The Australian music community has launched a new awareness campaign, addressing sexual harassment, bad behaviour and lack of personal accountability at venues, festivals and music events.

Launch this morning, the Your Choice initiative looks to share accountability and responsibility by all who attend events, as well as introduce the concept of “house rules” – a zero-tolerance policy around expected and accepted behaviour.

The campaign is looking to venues and events for maximum exposure, and is requesting the use of its logo at events, on social media and other websites as a contstant reminder.

It also asks the industry and the wider music community to change their Facebook profile page to the Your Choice logo as a show of solidarity for the whole day on July 18 (which can be downloaded at the Your Choice website).

Almost 180 artists, venues, festivals, promoters, music media, labels, publicists and associations have so far showed their support for the campaign, while discussions with the Victorian Government will see it come on board in coming weeks.

The national initiative comes followingthe momentum gained by similarprograms, including Camp Cope’s It Takes One, Music Victoria’s Best Practice Guidelines for Venues and the Victorian Government’s Sexual Assault Task Force.

Helen Marcou of the sexual task force and co-owner of Melbourne’s Bakehouse Studios emphasised that Your Choice is not only about shared responsibility to address the issues by sharing information and calling out bad behaviour when seen, but also about being preventive rather than reactive after the fact.

“We want to start by focusing attention and growing awareness on what is acceptable and expected behaviour,” she said.

“As a society, we all have a responsibility to encourage people to think harder about the impact their choices have on the wider community and we need to be vocal about this, calling it out when we see it.”

Marcou was joined by Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco of Splendour In The Grass and Falls festivals; Jaddan Comerford of UNIFIED Music Group and co-Director of the UNIFY: A Heavy Music Gathering festival; Sally Mather the Music & Marketing Coordinator of the Corner Hotel and The Northcote Social Club; and artist manager and festival promoter Rhett McLaren of The Hills Are Alive Group.

The websitewill also act as a place where the music industry and music consumers can exchange safety and best practice ideas, expand awareness and share their experiences.

Sally Mather said that safety and anti-harassment initiatives introduced at the Corner and The Northcote Social Club had already made a difference.

“We’ve definitely seen a change in patron behaviour,” shestated.

“Training our staff and security to recognise a situation before it escalates means patrons are more likely to complain of bad behaviour.”

Paul Piticco addedthat while an increasing number of music spaces are employing safe zones and contact phone numbers, audiences also had to realise that organisers rely on patrons to be their “eyes and ears as to when bad behaviour happens”.

“This is not a problem confined to the music industry, it’s a mass gathering issue. But the music industry has taken the first step to start the conversation and hopefully shift behavioural culture to a positive one.”

July 18 is the day of action assigned for the Your Choice campaign, and you are encouraged to update yoursocial profile picture to the Your Choice logo as a show of support.