We are cognizant that our art form is one that relies highly on feminized labour and that burlesque shares a historic lineage with other forms of erotic expression and sex work, including exotic dance and stripping. There is overlap between those who perform burlesque striptease and those who work in clubs and we reject the false narrative that one form is superior to another.

● We are committed to diversity, inclusion and equity.

● We will do everything in our ability to ensure the access needs of performers, staff, and audience members are met. When we cannot meet a community member’s access needs, we will offer suitable accommodations.

● We are committed to creating safer spaces, be they in person or online.

● We are committed to upholding a code of conduct that our team, performers and audience can rely on.

● We are committed to continued learning in the realms of anti-oppression and anti-racism. We commit to being accountable for our actions, offering apologies, and creating action plans in-line with the affected parties’ wishes.

● We acknowledge our history and thank those who paved the way for this festival to exist. To this end, we will be creating a TBF Legacy page on our new website, which offers an overview of those who came before and their contributions.

This policy is intended to:

● Provide a framework for how the TBF Committee (board of directors/committee) will respond to disclosures about sexual violence, harassment and gender-based violence.

● Reduce the risk of gender-based violence, sexual assault and sexual harassment at our events.

● Foster a culture of consent at TBF. 

● Define and encourage disclosures through our anonymous disclosure and reporting options. 

● Provides an outline for a formal reporting process that aligns with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

● Outline board member's roles and responsibilities in prevention and response.

● Outline accountability and safer spaces practices. 

This policy is a living document that will be updated annually based on organizational capacity, needs and resources as TBF grows and sustains. 

We are committed to the continued growth and evolution of our organization. If you have feedback to provide about any of our policies, please click on the link below.