Code of Conduct
Purpose of the Code of Conduct:
This Code applies to everyone involved in the festival Impro Amsterdam, including organizing staff, volunteers, teachers, facilitators, workshop participants, performers and audience members.
It contains the shared principles, expectations, and standards that guide how we work together. These guidelines help us hold ourselves and each other accountable, and provide a framework for addressing concerns with care and taking appropriate action when needed.
Our Code reflects both our responsibilities as well as our core values, including a firm commitment to inclusivity and anti-discrimination. We want Impro Amsterdam to be a festival where everyone feels welcome and can show up authentically to create improv together.
Why this is important:
Impro Amsterdam embraces diversity, creativity, artistic exploration and safety, and our goal is to build a space where all these elements can coexist. The festival brings together people from diverse backgrounds and with different perspectives, often engaging with emotionally demanding and nuanced topics. The festival takes place across many settings, including offices, rehearsal rooms, technical booths, public spaces, social events, and community contexts. A lot happens at the same time in a few days, which increases the complexity and pressure that can be felt in our environment. Because of this, it is essential that we have clear expectations for how we show up and treat each other, along with systems that support safety, respect and care. The way we all individually and collectively behave on and off stage is crucial to achieving our goal.
As an individual involved in Impro Amsterdam activities (as an organiser, volunteer, teacher, workshop participant, performer or audience member), you are expected to:
Be kind to yourself and to others. Improv can lead us into unexpected situations where it's not always clear how to respond, so we encourage everyone to approach every festival moment with curiosity, compassion, generosity and care.
Be respectful, inclusive and accepting to everyone. This includes your actions as well as your words. Join our activities with an open mind and good intention. Impro Amsterdam celebrates diversity of all kinds and any kind of harassment or demeaning or discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated.
Be mindful of the space you take in shared spaces, both physically and in terms of time, attention and voice. If you are someone that is fully comfortable taking up space, we encourage you to consider if other people want to intervene before you jump in; if you are someone that usually doesn’t take up space, we encourage you to see this festival as a safe(r) environment to try and push yourself to take up some more.
Respect the boundaries of others, both physical and mental.
Keep physical contact appropriate and do not engage in physical contact without the consent of the other party. We recognize that the concept of “appropriate touch” varies from culture to culture; it is ultimately the right of the person being touched to determine what is acceptable for them.
Respect each other’s boundaries in terms of triggering topics and distressing content. Workshop teachers are encouraged to incorporate an exercise of boundaries discussion in their sessions.
Respect your own boundaries. The improv principle “yes, and” doesn’t mean you can’t say no. If you are expected to do something that is physically or mentally uncomfortable, please make any adjustments you need to be comfortable, including leaving the scene if necessary.
If implicit or explicit boundaries are crossed during a workshop, it is the teacher’s responsibility to intervene and re-establish safe(r) and respectful behavior for everyone involved.
Be accountable for your behavior and its consequences. We understand that intention is not the same as impact, and sometimes positive intention can lead to unintended harm. We do not expect perfection, but we do expect accountability and the intention to reflect and learn together, as well as make amends when harm is caused.
Speak up, both for yourself and for others. If you ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe or you witness someone else feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, do not ignore it. We encourage you to speak up in the moment if it is safe for you to. In most cases, if you are uncomfortable, you are not the only person in the group who is. We understand it doesn’t always feel safe to speak up in the moment, and you can always reach out later through our festival Trustees or our festival Production Team.
Immediately comply if you are asked to stop your behavior because it constitutes a breach of this Code.
If you are participating or teaching a workshop:
Workshop participants and teachers are expected to treat workshop volunteers, teachers and participants with respect and kindness.
Workshop participants and teachers are expected to treat the physical space of the workshop with care and respect. This means protecting the space while you’re using it, returning the space to the state you found it, and disposing of any trash by the end of the session.
Workshop participants and teachers are not allowed to bring guests to a workshop.
Workshop participants are not allowed to take pictures or record during a workshop without the explicit consent of the workshop teacher and all the participants. This measure is in place to respect everyone’s right to privacy.
We recognize that an inherent power dynamic exists between teachers and workshop participants. Because of this, teachers are expected to exercise their authority responsibly and are held to a higher standard in their conduct, decision-making, accountability and adherence to this Code.
If you are performing or directing an evening show:
Show performers and directors are expected to treat festival organisers and volunteers, technical support, show hosts, audience and fellow performers with respect and kindness.
Show performers and directors are expected to treat the theater and backstage spaces with care and respect.
Show performers and directors are expected to support other shows happening on the same evening. We are all sharing a theatre space, so always be mindful and minimally disruptive of others’ performances.
We recognize that an inherent power dynamic exists between show directors and performers. Because of this, directors are expected to exercise their authority responsibly and are held to a higher standard in their conduct, decision-making, accountability and adherence to this Code.
The Impro Amsterdam Production Team firmly commits to:
Take accountability for upholding this Code and modelling its practices in our own behavior.
Take all complaints raised regarding the Code seriously, keeping a clear process to resolve issues quickly and effectively. Anyone that shares a concern will be equally listened to and supported without fear of future consequences.
Have zero tolerance for any of the following behaviors:
Use of sexist, racist, antisemitic, islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, ageist, or otherwise discriminatory speech or language
Verbal abuse of any kind, particularly discriminatory personal insults
Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person
Physical abuse of any kind
Non-consensual or inappropriate physical contact
Sexual harassment
Unwelcome sexual attention, including sexualized comments or jokes, inappropriate touching in and out of scenes, and unwelcome sexual advances either in person or online
Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following (both online or in person)
Bullying
Posting or displaying inappropriate material in any festival channel or space
Non-consensual or inappropriate photography or recording in any festival space
Sustained disruption of workshops, shows or other festival events
Advocating for or encouraging any of the above behaviors
Immediately intervene in case of Code breach and correct the situation. The Impro Amsterdam Production Team is prepared to enforce what is contained in this Code. If a participant engages in unacceptable behavior, the Impro Amsterdam Production Team may take any action they deem appropriate.
The Production Team commits to a good faith assessment of any alleged Code breach while acknowledging the limits inherent in determining action in a busy Festival environment, particularly time limitations. This assessment includes getting the perspective of the accused as well as that of the accusers.
The Production Team recognizes the power dynamics inherent in teacher/student and director/performer relationships, and will take these into account when assessing an alleged Code breach.
The Production Team recognizes that those who have been victimized may not be willing or able to directly confront their accuser. We do not guarantee that the accused will have the opportunity to directly address those who have made a complaint.
Responses to Code breach vary situationally and attempt to be proportional to the issue at hand. They include (but are not limited to):
Discussion with the Trustees (link)
Mediation by the Trustees between the accused and the Production Team
Mediation by the Trustees between the accused and the accuser (only with direct consent to mediation by all parties)
Removal from roles within the festival (while being allowed to remain at the festival)
Temporary ban from an event (without a right to refund)
Permanent removal from the festival (without a right to refund)
Escalation to Dutch authorities
Once a response is chosen by the Production Team, the individual is expected to comply with this decision.
If they do not comply, they may be removed from the festival.
If the accused does not agree with the response chosen, they may reach out to a Trustee, who may then facilitate mediation with the Production Team. Mediation between the accused and the Production Team can be very valuable. However, should the mediation process reach a point where the Production Team deems that it is no longer productive, they reserve the right to end such discussions.