Code of Conduct.

This Code applies to everyone participating in or attending The Paranormal Festival, including:

• • attendees;
  • ticket holders;
  • vendors;
  • exhibitors;
  • speakers;
  • performers;
  • paranormal investigators;
  • creators;
  • media;
  • sponsors;
  • partners;
  • volunteers;
  • contractors;
  • venue personnel; and
  • Festival staff.

No person is exempt from these standards because of their status, profile, audience, relationship with the Festival or role at the Event.

This Code applies throughout official Festival spaces and activities.

This may include:

• • exhibition areas;
  • talks;
  • stages;
  • workshops;
  • demonstrations;
  • queues;
  • food and drink areas;
  • bars;
  • meet-and-greets;
  • official after-events;
  • ticketed experiences;
  • online Festival spaces;
  • official Festival communications; and
  • other activities organised or controlled by The Paranormal Festival.

Behaviour outside an official Festival space may also be considered where it creates a credible safety concern for people attending or participating in the Festival.

The paranormal is a subject on which people hold very different views.

Some attendees may strongly believe in paranormal phenomena.

Others may be sceptical.

Some may approach the subject scientifically.

Others may approach it spiritually, historically, culturally or simply as entertainment.

All are welcome.

You may:

• • disagree;
  • question claims;
  • challenge evidence;
  • debate theories;
  • express scepticism;
  • explain alternative interpretations; and
  • respectfully defend your own views.

You must not turn disagreement into targeted abuse, intimidation, humiliation or harassment.

Challenge the idea, not the person.

Nobody attending the Festival is required to believe or disbelieve any paranormal claim.

We ask everyone to:

• • treat others with respect;
  • respect personal boundaries;
  • follow reasonable instructions from Festival and venue staff;
  • respect accessibility requirements;
  • allow people to participate without intimidation;
  • behave responsibly around stages, stalls and equipment;
  • respect queues and designated areas;
  • respect the property of others;
  • communicate disagreements appropriately;
  • follow venue and safety rules; and
  • report serious concerns to Festival staff.

Harassment is not acceptable.

This may include, depending on the circumstances:

• • sustained unwanted attention;
  • intimidation;
  • threats;
  • bullying;
  • deliberately humiliating another person;
  • stalking or following someone after being asked to stop;
  • unwanted sexual attention;
  • inappropriate sexual comments or gestures;
  • unwanted physical contact;
  • deliberately invading someone's personal space;
  • targeted abusive communications; or
  • repeatedly contacting someone after they have clearly asked you to stop.

A person does not need to tolerate harassment simply because another person describes their behaviour as a joke.

Discriminatory harassment or abuse will not be tolerated.

Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of characteristics protected by applicable law.

This includes disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age, pregnancy or maternity, and marriage or civil partnership where applicable.

This does not prevent lawful, respectful discussion or debate about beliefs, ideas, culture, history, science or paranormal subjects.

We have zero tolerance for credible threats of violence or deliberate violent behaviour.

You must not:

• • assault another person;
  • threaten violence;
  • deliberately damage property;
  • deliberately create a dangerous situation;
  • possess unlawful weapons;
  • interfere with safety equipment;
  • obstruct emergency exits;
  • deliberately interfere with emergency procedures; or
  • encourage others to engage in violence.

Serious incidents may be referred to venue security, emergency services or the police where appropriate.

Respect other people's personal boundaries.

Do not:

• • touch someone without appropriate consent;
  • repeatedly approach someone who has clearly asked to be left alone;
  • pressure someone into participating in an activity;
  • pressure someone into a photograph or recording;
  • pressure someone to disclose personal experiences;
  • pressure someone into a spiritual, psychic or paranormal experience; or
  • behave sexually towards someone where the attention is unwanted.

Consent can be withdrawn.

If somebody asks you to stop, stop.

People may attend the Festival because they have experienced something they cannot explain.

For some individuals, these experiences may be deeply personal.

You are welcome to discuss, question and debate paranormal claims, but deliberately mocking, humiliating or targeting an individual because they have shared a personal experience is not acceptable.

Equally, nobody should pressure another person into accepting a paranormal or spiritual explanation for something they have experienced.

Respect works both ways.

Where psychic, mediumship, spiritual or similar services are offered at the Festival, participants must behave responsibly and comply with applicable law and Festival requirements.

Practitioners must not:

• • deliberately exploit vulnerable individuals;
  • use intimidation or threatening claims;
  • pressure attendees into purchases;
  • guarantee outcomes that cannot reasonably be guaranteed;
  • present themselves as providing regulated professional advice where they are not appropriately qualified to do so; or
  • encourage someone to disregard appropriate medical, psychological, legal or financial professional advice.

Attendees remain free to accept, reject or question any interpretation or claim presented to them.

The presence of a practitioner at the Festival does not constitute verification or endorsement of their claims by The Paranormal Festival.

Vendors and exhibitors must operate professionally and respectfully.

They must:

• • comply with applicable consumer and trading laws;
  • accurately represent their products and services;
  • follow Festival and venue safety requirements;
  • remain within their allocated trading area;
  • maintain accessible routes;
  • treat customers and other exhibitors respectfully;
  • comply with applicable product-safety requirements; and
  • follow any separate Vendor or Exhibitor Terms.

Aggressive selling, deliberate deception, harassment or pressure-selling is not acceptable.

The Paranormal Festival reserves the right to investigate concerns relating to vendors and take proportionate action where appropriate.

Speakers and performers are welcome to express their own views and present their own research, experiences, theories or entertainment.

Participation in the Festival does not mean that The Paranormal Festival endorses or verifies those views.

Speakers and performers must comply with this Code and applicable law.

The Festival may intervene where content or behaviour creates a serious safety issue, constitutes unlawful conduct or amounts to targeted harassment or abuse.

Photography and filming may take place at the Festival.

However, attendees must respect reasonable requests for privacy.

Do not deliberately photograph or record an individual who has clearly asked you not to do so where there is no overriding lawful basis.

Photography or recording may be restricted in certain:

• • talks;
  • performances;
  • workshops;
  • private sessions;
  • demonstrations; or
  • designated areas.

Professional or commercial recording may require prior permission.

Festival photography and filming is also governed by our applicable Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Where under-18s are permitted to attend an Event, everyone must behave appropriately around them.

Any suspected safeguarding concern should be reported immediately to Festival staff or venue personnel.

Where there is an immediate danger, contact the emergency services.

Age restrictions may apply to particular Festival activities or areas.

Do not deliberately obstruct or misuse:

• • accessible entrances;
  • wheelchair routes;
  • accessible toilets;
  • accessible seating;
  • lifts;
  • ramps;
  • assistance-dog facilities;
  • accessible parking; or
  • other accessibility provisions.

Do not challenge, interrogate or harass another attendee about whether they "look disabled" or whether they require an adjustment.

Not every disability or access requirement is visible.

For further information, please see our Accessibility Statement.

Do not distract, feed, touch or interfere with an assistance dog without permission from its handler.

Give assistance dogs sufficient space to work.

Where alcohol is available, attendees are expected to drink responsibly.

Being under the influence of alcohol does not excuse inappropriate behaviour.

Festival or venue staff may refuse service or take reasonable action where someone is:

• • significantly intoxicated;
  • aggressive;
  • disruptive;
  • behaving dangerously; or
  • creating a safety concern.

The possession, supply or use of illegal drugs is prohibited.

Suspected unlawful activity may be reported to venue security or the relevant authorities where appropriate.

Do not intentionally damage, steal, tamper with or interfere with:

• • Festival equipment;
  • vendor stock;
  • paranormal equipment;
  • displays;
  • artwork;
  • venue property;
  • technical equipment;
  • signage;
  • barriers;
  • accessibility equipment; or
  • another attendee's belongings.

Anyone causing deliberate damage may be removed and may be held responsible where permitted by law.

Paranormal investigation equipment must be used responsibly.

Equipment must not:

• • create an unreasonable safety risk;
  • obstruct accessible or emergency routes;
  • interfere with venue safety systems;
  • deliberately disrupt another exhibitor;
  • interfere with technical equipment without permission; or
  • be represented in a manner that breaches applicable law.

Demonstrations must follow reasonable Festival and venue instructions.

Questions, disagreement and respectful challenge are welcome where the format allows.

Deliberately preventing a speaker, performer or audience from participating is not.

This includes sustained shouting, intimidation, deliberate interference with equipment or repeatedly disrupting an activity after being instructed to stop.

Festival staff may ask disruptive individuals to leave the relevant session or Event.

Please follow reasonable queue systems and staff instructions.

Do not deliberately:

• • push;
  • block accessible routes;
  • obstruct entrances or exits;
  • reserve excessive space;
  • intimidate others in queues; or
  • prevent people with agreed accessibility adjustments from using them.

Some attendees may receive reasonable adjustments that are not immediately obvious to others.

If you experience or witness behaviour that may breach this Code, please report it to a member of Festival staff, venue staff or security.

You can also contact: info@theparanormalfestival.com

When reporting an incident, provide as much useful information as you reasonably can, such as:

• • what happened;
  • where it happened;
  • when it happened;
  • who was involved;
  • whether there were witnesses; and
  • whether there is an immediate safety concern.

You are not expected to put yourself at risk in order to gather evidence.

If someone is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services.

We aim to take reports seriously and respond proportionately.

Depending on the circumstances, we may:

• • speak with the person making the report;
  • speak with witnesses;
  • review available information;
  • speak with the person whose behaviour has been reported;
  • involve venue management or security;
  • take immediate action where safety requires it; or
  • refer serious matters to the appropriate authorities.

We will seek to respect privacy where reasonably possible, but we cannot guarantee complete confidentiality where information needs to be shared to investigate a concern, protect someone or comply with the law.

Making a report does not automatically mean that a breach has occurred.

Where appropriate, we will consider the available information before reaching a decision.

We encourage genuine concerns to be reported.

A report made honestly will not breach this Code merely because it cannot ultimately be substantiated.

However, knowingly making a deliberately false or malicious allegation against another person may itself constitute misconduct.

This provision is not intended to discourage good-faith reporting.

Depending on the seriousness and circumstances of the behaviour, action may include:

• • an informal reminder;
  • a formal warning;
  • requiring particular behaviour to stop;
  • removal from a particular activity;
  • removal from the Festival;
  • cancellation of participation;
  • termination of a vendor, exhibitor, speaker or performer arrangement where contractually permitted;
  • refusal of future participation;
  • involvement of venue security; or
  • referral to police or other relevant authorities where appropriate.

We will aim to act reasonably and proportionately having regard to the circumstances.

Serious behaviour presenting an immediate safety risk may result in immediate removal without a prior warning.

Where a ticket holder is removed because of their own serious misconduct or material breach of Festival rules, a refund will not normally be provided, subject to applicable law.

The Paranormal Festival and/or the venue may refuse admission or require someone to leave where there are reasonable grounds to believe this is necessary to:

• • protect safety;
  • prevent unlawful behaviour;
  • stop serious harassment or abuse;
  • prevent significant disruption;
  • enforce venue requirements; or
  • address a material breach of Festival rules.

Decisions will be made reasonably and in accordance with applicable law.

A disagreement is not automatically harassment.

Criticism is not automatically abuse.

Scepticism is not prohibited.

Belief in paranormal phenomena is not prohibited.

Respectfully questioning evidence is not prohibited.

Respectfully discussing spiritual or paranormal beliefs is not prohibited.

The purpose of this Code is not to prevent debate or difficult conversations.

It exists to distinguish robust, respectful discussion from behaviour that becomes threatening, discriminatory, harassing, abusive or unsafe.

The Paranormal Festival will aim to:

• • communicate this Code clearly;
  • provide reasonable ways to report concerns;
  • take credible safety concerns seriously;
  • respond proportionately;
  • avoid discrimination when applying Festival rules;
  • consider accessibility when responding to incidents; and
  • continually review how we can improve the Festival environment.

We cannot guarantee that inappropriate behaviour will never occur, but we can establish clear standards and take reasonable action when concerns are brought to our attention.

We may update this Code of Conduct as the Festival develops, including to reflect:

• • venue requirements;
  • Event formats;
  • safety considerations;
  • feedback;
  • operational experience; or
  • changes in applicable law or guidance.

The latest version will be available through: www.theparanormalfestival.com

The date at the top of this Code indicates when it was most recently updated.

Questions or concerns relating to this Code of Conduct can be sent to:

The Paranormal Festival

Email: info@theparanormalfestival.com
Website: www.theparanormalfestival.com

For concerns during an Event, please approach a member of Festival staff, venue staff or security.

For an immediate emergency, contact the emergency services.