DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

UpStage in Second Life — 11:11:11 UpStage Festival screening in Second Life

UpStage is committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our project, from writing code to creating and participating in performances. We welcome everyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages, and expect the same of everyone within the UpStage community.

Accessibility has been central to the project from the very beginning: we set out to create a platform that could be accessed by anyone with a basic internet connection, basic computer, and basic computer literacy, anywhere in the world. We achieved this, and now we’re working to make it accessible via mobile devices as well, reaching out to communities and geographical locations where mobile phones are more affordable than computers as well as to young people who are growing up with mobile devices. UpStage is accessible to those with limited mobility, whether limited by physical disability, finances, borders, politics or other limits. If you have an internet connection, you have access.

The UpStage community is international and while our primary language of communication is English, we recognise that this is not everyone’s first language. We strive to use language and communication methods that are inclusive for those who have English as a second language, as well as avoiding technical jargon and exclusive language that could alienate people.

Our Code of Conduct

Our Pledge

In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, we as artists, contributors and maintainers pledge to make participation in our project and our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

Our Standards

Examples of behavior that contributes to creating a positive environment include:

using welcoming and inclusive language
being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
gracefully accepting constructive criticism
focusing on what is best for the community
showing empathy towards other community members.

Examples of unacceptable behavior by participants include:

the use of sexualised language or imagery and unwelcome sexual attention or advances
trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
public or private harassment
publishing others’ private information, such as a physical or electronic address, without explicit permission
other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting.

Our Responsibilities

Project leaders (of artistic projects and of the development and maintenance of the software) are responsible for clarifying the standards of acceptable behavior and are expected to take appropriate and fair corrective action in response to any instances of unacceptable behavior.

Project leaders have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, or to ban temporarily or permanently any contributor or participant for other behaviors that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies within all project spaces, including all of the Stages on UpStage.Live, and it also applies when an individual is representing UpStage or its community in public spaces. Examples of representing UpStage or its community include using an official project e-mail address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event. Representation of UpStage may be further defined and clarified by project leaders.

Enforcement

Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported by contacting the project team at: conduct [at] upstage.org.nz. All complaints will be reviewed and investigated and will result in a response that is deemed necessary and appropriate to the circumstances. The project team is obligated to maintain confidentiality with regard to the reporter of an incident. Further details of specific enforcement policies may be posted separately.

UpStage artists, developers and project leaders who do not follow or enforce the Code of Conduct in good faith may face temporary or permanent repercussions as determined by other members of the project’s leadership.