Curiosity policies
Conduct of Facilitators & Support Staff
Accessibility
Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality
Cancellations and Refunds
Reportable Incidents
Relationship Complications
Self-Care / Mental Health Refund (applies to party only)
Confidentiality
Accessibility
Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality
Cancellations and Refunds
Reportable Incidents
Relationship Complications
Self-Care / Mental Health Refund (applies to party only)
Confidentiality
conduct of facilitators & support staff
In general, Curiosity facilitators (or emotional support people) won't interact or play with participants. This is partly because they're there to hold space and partly because play between workshop facilitators and participants can be a misuse of power and trust.
Therefore, facilitators / space holders will politely decline requests for play that is of a personal nature. Sometimes, it's possible to receive coaching or a demonstration from facilitators on how to do an activity, or a certain type of play. On these occasions, touch may be relevant, however this is only for instructional purposes.
Therefore, facilitators / space holders will politely decline requests for play that is of a personal nature. Sometimes, it's possible to receive coaching or a demonstration from facilitators on how to do an activity, or a certain type of play. On these occasions, touch may be relevant, however this is only for instructional purposes.
accessibility
Curiosity is committed to a fairly high level of diversity and accessibility. Considerable lengths have been taken to adapt the material, format and presentation to suit a range of people. If you are aware of anything that might make Curiosity inaccessible to you, please contact us, and we will see if we can find a way to make it inclusive. People without sight or hearing have successfully attended Curiosity.
It is with sadness that we point out that the venue we use for the workshop is not wheelchair accessible at the time of writing (a flight of stairs to enter, and inadequate toilet facilities). The venue we use for the party has level access, but inadequate toilet facilities.
Because consent and communication is crucially important to what Curiosity does, and because the workshop content is delivered in English, you must have at least a moderate level of spoken English (or an interpreter). A small amount of writing is involved, but can be easily worked around.
It is with sadness that we point out that the venue we use for the workshop is not wheelchair accessible at the time of writing (a flight of stairs to enter, and inadequate toilet facilities). The venue we use for the party has level access, but inadequate toilet facilities.
Because consent and communication is crucially important to what Curiosity does, and because the workshop content is delivered in English, you must have at least a moderate level of spoken English (or an interpreter). A small amount of writing is involved, but can be easily worked around.
diversity, gender, and sexuality
Curiosity is deeply committed to being a space that welcomes a wide diversity of gender- and sexual-identities. Essentially, it is "sex positive", and if you don't feel welcome on account of your gender identity or sexual orientation, then a very central piece of Curiosity's mission is not being met.
In saying "yes" to everyone, Curiosity says a very clear and active "no" to individuals that are disrespectful or unaccepting of other people. The only thing Curiosity does say "no" to is anything illegal, excessively unsafe, or non-consensual. You are welcome to be whoever you are at Curiosity, so long as you are comfortable being around others that may be very different to you. (This, of course, is one of the things that makes Curiosity such a great place to explore...)
This is not an exhaustive list, but if you are not comfortable being in a space that includes these types of people, then Curiosity is not for you: Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans-gender / transsexuals, queer folks, sex-workers, asexual people, and heterosexual cisgender women and men.
A scholarship system in place for people that feel that their gender or sexual identity has marginalised them and impacted on their financial situation. Contact us to apply. (We regret that we're unable to extend this system to other very legitimate areas of marginalisation, such as accessibility, health, indigeneity, etc.).
In saying "yes" to everyone, Curiosity says a very clear and active "no" to individuals that are disrespectful or unaccepting of other people. The only thing Curiosity does say "no" to is anything illegal, excessively unsafe, or non-consensual. You are welcome to be whoever you are at Curiosity, so long as you are comfortable being around others that may be very different to you. (This, of course, is one of the things that makes Curiosity such a great place to explore...)
This is not an exhaustive list, but if you are not comfortable being in a space that includes these types of people, then Curiosity is not for you: Gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans-gender / transsexuals, queer folks, sex-workers, asexual people, and heterosexual cisgender women and men.
A scholarship system in place for people that feel that their gender or sexual identity has marginalised them and impacted on their financial situation. Contact us to apply. (We regret that we're unable to extend this system to other very legitimate areas of marginalisation, such as accessibility, health, indigeneity, etc.).
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
Cancellations and refunds as per Curious Creatures policies see here
REPORTABLE INCIDENTS
The nature of the Curiosity play-space is that it is very well held, and it's clearly a culture where consent and communication is prioritised above everything else.
However, very occasionally, incidents happen that need to be reported.
If something happens to you, or you see something that you think might need to be reported, you should speak with a facilitator or support person as soon as possible. They will ask you about what happened, who was involved, and work with you to establish how severe the incident was. The incident will be confidentially recorded.
Although it has never happened, in the event of a severe incident, police intervention may be warranted, and of course the individual concerned won't be invited back to Curiosity.
A person who's name comes up for multiple smaller incidents will be given a letter advising them that there's a problem, and that they may only return to the play-space if they attend the workshop again. Further incidents will mean the individual isn't invited back.
Curiosity takes reportable incidents very seriously. The safety and happiness of the Curious Community depends on an actively enforced policy in this regard.
For better or worse, Curiosity is only able to involve itself in incidents that happen at Curiosity. Because of the very strong emphasis on consent and communication, we are proud to report that in five years of events, there have been a total of nine reportable incidents, all of which would be regarded as minor by most people.
However, very occasionally, incidents happen that need to be reported.
If something happens to you, or you see something that you think might need to be reported, you should speak with a facilitator or support person as soon as possible. They will ask you about what happened, who was involved, and work with you to establish how severe the incident was. The incident will be confidentially recorded.
Although it has never happened, in the event of a severe incident, police intervention may be warranted, and of course the individual concerned won't be invited back to Curiosity.
A person who's name comes up for multiple smaller incidents will be given a letter advising them that there's a problem, and that they may only return to the play-space if they attend the workshop again. Further incidents will mean the individual isn't invited back.
Curiosity takes reportable incidents very seriously. The safety and happiness of the Curious Community depends on an actively enforced policy in this regard.
For better or worse, Curiosity is only able to involve itself in incidents that happen at Curiosity. Because of the very strong emphasis on consent and communication, we are proud to report that in five years of events, there have been a total of nine reportable incidents, all of which would be regarded as minor by most people.
RELATIONSHIP COMPLICATIONS
Sometimes it is not possible for two people to be at Curiosity together, due to relationship or other complications between them. As it is impossible for Curiosity to cast judgement on individual situations, no matter how compelling the circumstances, where two (or more) people arrive and are unable to comfortably share the space, they will be given five minutes to resolve who will be allowed to stay. If this is not achieved, all parties will be required to leave with refunds issued as per policy.
If one party has a legally binding Order against another, Curiosity understands that it's reasonable for us to require that the person named in the Order should leave (with refunds as per policy). The same applies if charges have been laid, or a court ruling has been made. Additionally, Curiosity denies right of entry to anyone on the sex-offenders list.
Beyond the above exceptions, Curiosity is not ethically in a position to judge who is right and who is wrong, nor do we have the time to do justice to such a process, and nor are we legally able to do so; to do otherwise could make Curiosity the target of legal action. While Curiosity is responsible for incidents that happen at Curiosity (which, infrequent as they are, we always act upon), it is not legal for us to deny entry based on things outside of the event itself.
If you're in a complicated relationship situation with someone, please do what you can to resolve the question of "who's going to attend?" before the event. A number of people - such as workmates, or exes - have a "month on, month off" policy, or some other mechanism that is a suitable compromise. You are also welcome to contact us to ask if a person's name is on the booking list before you book in, and although that's not water-tight, it's easy for us to do and doesn't breach confidentialities (since it's information you'd find out if you booked in and turned up). Either way, try and remember that all things pass, and most situations become workable given time.
A number of recommended counselors are listed on the Curious Creatures 'resources' page.
If one party has a legally binding Order against another, Curiosity understands that it's reasonable for us to require that the person named in the Order should leave (with refunds as per policy). The same applies if charges have been laid, or a court ruling has been made. Additionally, Curiosity denies right of entry to anyone on the sex-offenders list.
Beyond the above exceptions, Curiosity is not ethically in a position to judge who is right and who is wrong, nor do we have the time to do justice to such a process, and nor are we legally able to do so; to do otherwise could make Curiosity the target of legal action. While Curiosity is responsible for incidents that happen at Curiosity (which, infrequent as they are, we always act upon), it is not legal for us to deny entry based on things outside of the event itself.
If you're in a complicated relationship situation with someone, please do what you can to resolve the question of "who's going to attend?" before the event. A number of people - such as workmates, or exes - have a "month on, month off" policy, or some other mechanism that is a suitable compromise. You are also welcome to contact us to ask if a person's name is on the booking list before you book in, and although that's not water-tight, it's easy for us to do and doesn't breach confidentialities (since it's information you'd find out if you booked in and turned up). Either way, try and remember that all things pass, and most situations become workable given time.
A number of recommended counselors are listed on the Curious Creatures 'resources' page.
self-care / mental health refund (applies to party only)
Curiosity is an adventurous event that allows for the exploration of sexuality, sexual expressions, gender, and relationships. It is a space (and a community) that is generally quite understanding of mental health issues and the complexities of being human - but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the right event for all people at all times. If you're not in a reasonably stable internal state, Curiosity might trigger you, or set you back in your self-development.
Curiosity has support people that are like emotional first-aid staff - if you unexpectedly get an emotional scratch, they can help you put an emotional band-aid on it. But they cannot help with more substantial issues - for that, you will need your own supports in place. This is particularly the case given that the support crew are only available during the event itself.
The Curious Creatures resources page lists a number of counselors that are familiar with issues such as sexual expression, gender identities, various relationship models, etc.
We suggest you check in with yourself prior to the event. Ask yourself:
Am I feeling reasonably stable in relation to my moods and state of mind?
Am I able to look after myself?
Am I likely to be triggered by, or confronted by, expressions of sexuality?
Have I slept adequately?
Do I have a history of being in strongly altered mood-states, from where it's hard to communicate?
Am I on any medications, or recently changed quantities of medications, that might affect my ability to have a positive experience at Curiosity?
If you get uncertain or doubtful answers to any of the above questions, then pause to consider whether going to Curiosity is going to be right for you. Bear in mind that this is unlikely to be your last opportunity, and that there are other ways to engage with the Curiosity community.
We will gladly give full refunds if you let us know prior to the event (by email) that you won't be attending in the interests of your emotional or mental health. Please note that this policy only relates to mental health - not physical health, or any other circumstances that mean you can't attend as planned (see our standard refund policy instead).
We've done a lot of things to make Curiosity as safe as we can, but there is no such thing as a safe space, especially in relation to sexuality, relationships and community. No promise is made that Curiosity is safe or appropriate, so you need to be able to take responsibility for your experience, including deciding if it's likely to be a positive thing for you if you attend.
Curiosity has support people that are like emotional first-aid staff - if you unexpectedly get an emotional scratch, they can help you put an emotional band-aid on it. But they cannot help with more substantial issues - for that, you will need your own supports in place. This is particularly the case given that the support crew are only available during the event itself.
The Curious Creatures resources page lists a number of counselors that are familiar with issues such as sexual expression, gender identities, various relationship models, etc.
We suggest you check in with yourself prior to the event. Ask yourself:
Am I feeling reasonably stable in relation to my moods and state of mind?
Am I able to look after myself?
Am I likely to be triggered by, or confronted by, expressions of sexuality?
Have I slept adequately?
Do I have a history of being in strongly altered mood-states, from where it's hard to communicate?
Am I on any medications, or recently changed quantities of medications, that might affect my ability to have a positive experience at Curiosity?
If you get uncertain or doubtful answers to any of the above questions, then pause to consider whether going to Curiosity is going to be right for you. Bear in mind that this is unlikely to be your last opportunity, and that there are other ways to engage with the Curiosity community.
We will gladly give full refunds if you let us know prior to the event (by email) that you won't be attending in the interests of your emotional or mental health. Please note that this policy only relates to mental health - not physical health, or any other circumstances that mean you can't attend as planned (see our standard refund policy instead).
We've done a lot of things to make Curiosity as safe as we can, but there is no such thing as a safe space, especially in relation to sexuality, relationships and community. No promise is made that Curiosity is safe or appropriate, so you need to be able to take responsibility for your experience, including deciding if it's likely to be a positive thing for you if you attend.
confidentiality
Confidentiality is extremely important to the Curiosity community. We live in a very liberated time and place, however, involvement in Curiosity is enough to get people fired from jobs, rejected from communities, and publicly or privately shamed. So every person at Curiosity agrees to a strong commitment to confidentiality.
In practice this means that while you can talk about things that happened at Curiosity, you cannot use any personally identifying information (such as a person's name, obvious physical features, their role in an organisation or community, etc.).
If you attend Curiosity, and then see someone from the community in public, you have to be very careful about saying hello to them. They may be with company they are not free to be open with, or they may simply just want their Curiosity experience to stay at Curiosity. If you're in doubt, don't say hello. 'Outing' people is regarded as a reportable incident.
There are no photos at Curiosity ever, under any circumstances. If you need to use a phone as part of a scene (say, as a timer), one of the support staff will put tape over your lenses.
In practice this means that while you can talk about things that happened at Curiosity, you cannot use any personally identifying information (such as a person's name, obvious physical features, their role in an organisation or community, etc.).
If you attend Curiosity, and then see someone from the community in public, you have to be very careful about saying hello to them. They may be with company they are not free to be open with, or they may simply just want their Curiosity experience to stay at Curiosity. If you're in doubt, don't say hello. 'Outing' people is regarded as a reportable incident.
There are no photos at Curiosity ever, under any circumstances. If you need to use a phone as part of a scene (say, as a timer), one of the support staff will put tape over your lenses.
staff playing at parties / ethics and responsibilities
Hosts and Emotional Support staff never play at parties when they're working, because they can't do their job and meet their responsibilities if they're engaged in play.
No staff member (Hosts, workshop Facilitators, Emotional Supports, admin) will use their position to 'pick up' participants, at Curiosity or other events, because this creates an unsafe situation for everyone.
As of March, 2021, we are testing the possibility that Hosts may play at a party when they're not rostered to work, but only with existing, established partners. Emotional Support staff may play at parties when they're not rostered to work.
No staff member (Hosts, workshop Facilitators, Emotional Supports, admin) will use their position to 'pick up' participants, at Curiosity or other events, because this creates an unsafe situation for everyone.
As of March, 2021, we are testing the possibility that Hosts may play at a party when they're not rostered to work, but only with existing, established partners. Emotional Support staff may play at parties when they're not rostered to work.
