The STRETCH FESTIVAL team is committed to providing a welcoming and safer environment for all participants, practitioners, artists, volunteers, and teachers.
We aim to actively contribute to a world in which everyone feels accepted, valued, and in charge of their own visibility and action. 

Diversity:

We welcome bodies of all sizes, skin colors, cultural backgrounds, gender identities within the queer masculine spectrum, class backgrounds, dis/abilities, and ages. While we welcome all, may the margins and the more complex body stories be centered and held in comfort.

 

We reject all forms of racism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia, breaches of consent, body shaming, ableism, classism. We all have to work actively on ourselves to be conscious of the biases we carry with us. If we are aware of these biases, we can work together to get rid of them. We have to be self-aware and willing to do even better. 

 

The Stretch Festival embraces participants from around the globe with different levels of experiences to learn from each other. By doing so we are aiming to become a space and event that is informed by a greater plurality of experiences.

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Accessibility:

Improved accessibility has been an important concern for us in curating this year’s festival. We are aiming for a broad range of workshops both in the space and online. Our hybrid version of the Stretch Festival with a program of online events is offered for attendees who cannot pay for travel and lodging.

We offer a range of ticket categories at different prices to offer choices for participants to choose a ticket they can afford. We are very excited about this next step towards further accessibility and growing together as a widening community!
 

Respect

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Respect is what we build our community upon. With respect, we mean that our work is based on core values such as consent, people’s boundaries, rights, feelings, and wishes. It’s also important to respect and take regard for people's experiences and expressions. We have to respect each other and show mutual acceptance for each other's differences. 

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Being aware of your own privileges in the form of gender, sexuality, language, body size, financial situation, mental health, ability, education, skin color, and citizenship is an important part of showing other people respect.

We have to accept that we are different and have different pre-conditions and lived experiences to take into consideration.

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Safe Space

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Village. Berlin and the Stretch Festival 2021 is and should remain a safe space for everyone participating in our workshops and events. You can be part of this safe space and help make it even better. Here are some tips on how you can be part of creating an even safer space for all our participants and teachers: 

Consent

We agree to verbally or non verbally establish consent in our interactions and touch.

We honor our own and others' boundaries.

Although the instructions that a facilitator offers in a workshop are recommended, you are not expected to "perform" or "comply" with it. If you experience resistance or difficulties with an exercise talk to your partner and/or the facilitator about how to alter the instructions in a way so as to take care of yourself, honoring your own boundaries and the boundaries of your partner(s).

Self Care

We agree to take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

This festival involves 3 full days, using our bodies to their fullest capabilities.
We will strive to take care of ourselves. There are cuddle spaces where we are all invited to relax, and of course, cuddle and relax.

Curiosity

We agree to be curious about our experience instead of rushing to judgment.

While some of the workshops will be light-hearted and fun, other workshops may be challenging - physically, psychologically/mentally, emotionally. At this festival, you get lots of opportunities to be partnered with many different people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, and body types.
Try to stay curious about your experience instead of rushing into self-judgment or criticism.

Confidentiality:
Take home learnings, but don’t identify anyone other than yourself, now or later. If
you want to follow up with anyone regarding something they said during a session, ask first and respect their wishes.

Right to Pass:
You can say “I pass” if you don’t wish to speak.


 

*** If you are feeling uncomfortable in any situation at the festival. Please make our team aware of this. We want everyone to feel like they belong at our festival and share this fantastic experience! ***

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