Inclusive membership

Everdark’s mission is, as an DIY artist collective and incubation space, to build an an inclusive, resilient music scene and seek to promote a secure place for healing, learning, and growing through art, music, and dance.

To this end, Everdark will be fully transparent for its members, in an “opt-in” methodology for responsibilities, seeking a flat org hierarchy. Meetings will be open for anyone to join and participate, with a consensus decision-making model. Following events we will have financial transparency (currently operating under a shares system to put away money for equipment, mutual aid, and future venue rental fees) to ensure artists, performers, and anyone who helped make the event happen can discuss how to equitably distribute funds.

To this end, Everdark believes that, regardless of external conflicts which exist, everyone can be capable of sharing in this space until they prove otherwise. We will behave honestly and with integrity and treat everyone with respect and courtesy. Hostile language or slurs against race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, age, or socioeconomic status will not be tolerated. Everyone is expected to conduct themselves with a sense of responsibility to the space and to each other.

To this end, Everdark will have a process by which people may join and participate in helping to create new events under the Everdark collective name. There will be a vetting process which contains the following levels of membership:

• General public

• Attendees: anyone who has come to an event

• Staff: anyone from the general public can volunteer to be staff. The title of “staff” is given to anyone who has helped operate at least 1 event (joining the event group chat, signing up for tasks, and helping out in person)

• Performers: anyone who has staffed at least 1 event can be a performer.

• Convener: If someone wishes to organize and throw an event with the Everdark name, they need to have either operated in a staff or performer role for at least 2 events.

Harm-reduced and non-carceral space

Everdark centers the dignity and security of guests, performers, and staff, and believes in the effectiveness of harm-reduction practices. We will promote the behaviors we would like to see in the world via a practice of non-aggression and non-violence with each other and the communities we serve. Conflict is natural and inevitable. Our goal is to deal with such situations by supporting each other in our journey to live free from oppression in intent and effect.

To this end, we will practice courteous substance use (smoking, drinking, etc), in moderation and without impairment. We will not use substances noticeably during performances. Anyone who is visibly impaired will be asked to leave and helped to navigate a safe way home. No one under the age of 21 is permitted to drink.

To this end, where possible, Everdark will have a designated safety monitor who, for the duration of their shift, will be sober and have a variety of harm reduction supplies available. This safety monitor will operate as bouncer and can ask guests, staff, or performers to leave should they believe a situation to be jeopardizing the safety of others.

Emergency policy

In the event of an emergency:

• We will have safety monitors in orange vests visible at all times at all shows, please find them and tell them about the issue.

• Everdark staff will work together to decide when emergency services need to be called. 

• Please DO NOT call emergency services unless directly asked by an organizer or medic in order to protect the privacy of the attendees.

• While organizers would prefer that no police presence be had at any events, should a safety monitor and/or organizing team be unable to adequately address a serious safety concern, the safety monitor is advised to contact police or emergency services in absolute emergencies where other attempts to address the situation have failed.

Everdark will have an IFAK or medical kit present at all shows, as well as water available at the ticket table/front entrance. Everdark will seek to make accessibility needs for a performance space known, including: stairs/ramps needed to enter and participate in the space, seating available, onsite bathrooms, etc. Everdark will promote masking at events and will ask that in indoor events, masks be made available to guests.

To this end, reckless and/or overly aggressive language or behavior will not be tolerated. We ask that weapons be left at home or locked up in your vehicle. Any staff or performer who physically harms, threatens, or intimidates someone during an event or outside of an event may be asked to leave, or may be barred from participating in future Everdark events.

To this end, should a victim or their representative come forward with alleged harm from a member or other guest, we will approach the situation with empathetic curiosity. Our goal will be to learn how the victim hopes for a resolution, and in what capacity we can assist towards an equitable solution. This effort will be to center the victim’s needs and seeks explicit guidance from the victim on appropriate actions to take to ensure their safety. Transparency in this part is paramount to ensure our efforts are on healing and safety in our community.

Transparent and collective process

Everdark values open access, flat hierarchy, and community accountability. We will strive to ensure that all voices that participate in our community, as organizers performers and audience, have space to be heard. We will maintain transparency in our decision making, provide opportunities for any person to join our meetings, and expect that all people who organize with us will be taken seriously and given equal power in our organizing decisions.

To this end, we will hold regular meetings where decisions are made on a consensus basis. These meetings will make use of rotating roles, stack keeping, note taking, and fist-to-five consensus checks to ensure that all voices are heard. Within the security needs of a guest or member hosting the meeting, we will offer public participation in our organizing meetings at request and all people present will be considered collective members for the purpose of all decisions made. Meetings may be held in person and/or online, and people may be turned away from in-person meetings should too many attendees show up at the host’s disgression.

To this end, we will document decisions made in meetings and make them accessible to all collective members on our shared wiki.

To this end, we will allow any person to join Everdark and participate in our vetting process.

Everdark meetings will make use of the following tools:

• Fist-to-Five consensus voting: we hold up fingers symbolizing our consensus

  • Fist/zero fingers= I do not consent to this decision and will leave if we continue.

  • One finger= I do not consent to this but won’t leave the org.

  • Two fingers= I am feeling uncomfortable with the decision and want to talk about it more before we finalize the decision.

  • Three fingers= I am okay with whatever the majority of the group decides.

  • Four fingers= Yes.

  • Five fingers= Hell yes.

• Stack:

  • Meeting attendees will hold up their hand to request a turn to speak, and the stack keeper will keep an ordered list of people’s turns to speak. People will be handed the floor by the stack keeper when the last person is done speaking. If you need to be heard immediately, you can signal to the stack keeper for a direct response (pinky in the air?).

• Proposals:

  • Any meeting attendee can at any time bring a proposal to the group. After bringing a

    proposal there will be an opportunity for discussion or modification before we take a

    fist-to-five consensus check.

Everdark meetings will have the following roles:

• Facilitator:

  • Keeps conversation moving, brings topics and a meeting agenda, brings topics to a close when conversation slows or becomes unproductive, works to ensure all voices have been heard. The Facilitator will make an attempt to avoid swaying decisions, and will attempt to operate in an impartial way.

• Stack Keeper:

  • Keeps stack and tells people when it is their turn to speak.

• Note Taker:

  • Records all passed proposals, and posts them to the Everdark wiki.

• Time Keeper:

  • Sets a timer for each topic, and tells people when we’re up against time. When time runs out, we will either agree to take more time, attempt to pass a proposal, or agree to move on without resolution.

• Host:

  • Will provide a space for the meeting, and make sure people are fed and have water (by whatever means are accessible, potlucks are lovely)

Conflict and safety

Everdark acknowledges that conflict is necessary and inevitable, and we will provide tools for guests and members to address their needs and conflicts within the organization. We will have processes for creating safety in our spaces when conflicts are irreconcilable, and we will expect accountability and growth from people who have done harm. We do not shame people for their behavior, but behavior that impinges on the dignity and security of others will not be tolerated.

To this end, we will hear grievance on good faith and conduct diligence before taking steps that include but are not limited to censure, leave of absence, permanent ban. We do not do any of this lightly and sincerely hope that the conduct of all parties protects each other from the unpleasantness of having the collective's hand forced into recreating carceral systems of power. We are a community of survivors and visionaries and trust each other to keep the vibe.

To this end, when a guest tells us that they have been harmed by a member of Everdark or other guest while at our show, we will discuss in a collective meeting how to address the situation. Acknowledging that no set of tools will ever be complete for addressing such a situation, we provide for the following and will hold space for the creation of new tools as we need them:

• Censure: The organizers may decide for a term of censure for the express reason of creating safety and allowing space for a censured member to rebuild trust within the org. A censured member of the organizing team will be expected not to perform for a term as decided by the collective, will not be allowed to hold any positions of power around organizing events (such as a safety monitor, tabling, cash handling), can not inhabit any of the rotating roles in meetings, and will be encouraged to participate in the labor of throwing shows during their term of censure (including flyering, set-up/tear-down). At the conclusion of the term of censure, there will be a meeting to decide whether we feel trust has been rebuilt and whether we consent to ending or extending the term of censure.
  
  

• Temporary Leave of Absence: The group may decide to ask a guest or member to take a break from participating in Everdark events for a period of time as decided by the group. Leaves can be for a period of time, for a number of events, or until a criteria is met. At the conclusion of the agreed upon leave time, there will be a meeting to decide whether we feel trust has been rebuilt and whether we consent to a guest or member returning to our community either in a term of censure or otherwise.

  
  

• Permanent Ban: The group can decide to ban a guest or member forever. If there ever comes a point where the collective feels a want to unban said person, we will hold a meeting to discuss expectations and needs around that and decide whether that action is warranted.

To this end, we will work to build an environment where people feel safe voicing their needs, communicating when they are feeling hurt, and addressing conflict when they feel it. We will expect that all parties privy to a conflict will make a good faith effort to care for each other and find resolution. If conflict cannot be addressed inter-personally, a guest or member may ask another member to provide mediation. If a conflict rises to the level of a hostile verbal or physical altercation, we may ask those involved to leave the event, and will address concerns at the next meeting.

Welcoming all artists

Everdark will be a space that supports artists in creative exploration. We will dismantle barriers to performance and allow members to explore genres and modes of musical performance that are new to them, unpolished, difficult or experimental. We will create a space where creative risks are supported and encouraged and where the format of our shows provides people the resources they need for the performance they seek to create.

To this end, we will always ask before providing critique of somebody’s performance.

To this end, we will not create barriers to performance based on skill level, genre, style, or the performers identity.

To this end, we will work to organize the set order in a way that provides people with the energy that would best support them in the performance they want to give.

To this end, we will throw shows that build a context for the types of music that people want to perform.

To this end, any person who comes to us will be allowed to play a show after they have done labor for a show.

To this end, we will do labor to throw the shows that we are not performing in to ensure that people have space and support for their work.

To sign up to participate in Everdark, DM our instagram account and tell us you read this! (if you don’t have instagram, reach out to @cerezaonline.32 on Signal)