Safer space policy is to assist everyone’s safe and equal participation in the Helsinki Comics Festival. Every organisation and individual participating at the festival agrees to follow the safer space policy and to build an atmosphere in which others are respected and encouraged.
The Finnish Comics Society does not accept any kind of discrimination such as homophobia or transphobia, racism, sexism, ableism, body discrimination, age discrimination or discrimination based on location, language or nationality, or other characteristics of a person. In a safer space, you can be yourself without fear of discrimination, harassment, or physical or verbal harassment.
Respect yourself and others
Let’s respect others’ personal space and everyone’s right for physical and psychological self-determination. We politely ask about others’ boundaries.
Make no assumptions
No assumptions should be made based on appearance or actions. We all have preassumptions that we aim to be aware of and dismantle. Respect the other’s experience and self-definition.
Please photograph considerately
When taking pictures or videos, please make sure that it is okay by everyone visible in the photograph or recording. Do not publish pictures or videos of others that can be interpreted as offensive. Read more about festival filming practices below.
Do not harass, discriminate or offend others
Please take into account your own behavior and use of the space. Do not harass anyone verbally, no touching or staring. Harassing or discriminatory behaviour of any kind is not accepted.
Create a safe atmosphere
Let’s give everyone space to participate in the discussion, speak, be heard and bring out their own perspectives. Important differences will be discussed in a constructive and peaceful manner and sensitive issues will be discussed sensitively and respectfully.
Apologise and correct your actions
Do accept that sometimes someone may be offended, even when we don’t mean it. If this happens, do apologise and change your behaviour immediately. Do also allow others to grow and learn.
Do interfere
When possible, do step up if you witness any kind of harassment. Do ask the harasser to stop and show support to the victim. At Helsinki Comics Festival, there are designated persons with pink attention vests who you can contact to let them know about what happened.
Give feedback
The Finnish Comics Society kindly asks you to give feedback, so we can develop measures to implement safer premises and events.
What do I do if I encounter harassment or inappropriate behaviour?
Report the situation that happened to you or that you witnessed to the Harassment Liaison Person at Helsinki Comics Festival. You can also give feedback on our policy.
Harassment Contact for Helsinki Comics Festival: saferspacehelsinkicomics@gmail.com
Instructions for photographing at the Helsinki Comics Festival and publishing photos
The Finnish Comics Society asks photographers to follow the principles of a Safer Space, and to pay special attention to the comfort of the people being photographed.
Photos are taken at Helsinki Comics Festival for the following purposes: for an online album describing the festival atmosphere, for information on social media during the festival, and for the later needs of Sarjainfo magazine and the Finnish Comics Society. At Helsinki Comics Festival, only the artists and interviewers, performers, and general mood shots and atmosphere are photographed.
- Helsinki Comics Festival is a public event. In principle, you can photograph freely in a public event, but we ask that you pay special attention to courtesy. Asking permission to photograph and publish is polite and desirable if the subject of the photograph is a single person or a small group.
- A parent’s permission is requested for photographing a minor child. The taken picture can be shown to parents and may be published only with their consent.
- Unflattering, offensive or damaging photography and publication of such images of an individual is prohibited, and no one may be photographed against their will. We ask that you take into account if the person being filmed is uncomfortable in front of the camera and delete the photo, if you have already taken one.
- The photographed person can request that their photo be removed from the online album containing festival photos. If the picture is published in Sarjainfo magazine, the people appearing in the picture are named if there are fewer than five of them or if a person is particularly featured in the picture.
- When used for marketing purposes, permission is required from the person appearing in the picture, and in the case of a minor, the guardian’s consent is also required. The photographed person has the right to compensation when their image is used in advertising.
- The photographer’s name is mentioned when using a photograph. The images are licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0).