CARE Committee

CARE is SideBurn’s Consent, Accountability, Resilience & Equity Team. It comprises the Consent Chair and the Equity Representative and seeks to ensure that SideBurn and all Flame Ontario Arts Collective events maintain CARE’s core values.

CARE commits to upholding the core values guiding our support and decision-making approach. It aims to provide a meaningful process for participants to raise concerns relating to SideBurn, other Flame Ontario Arts Collective events, its volunteers, and attendees and to further the goals of consent and equity at our events. These core values also form the foundation of our work and guide us in creating a more just, inclusive, and supportive environment for everyone involved.

For more information or if you want to help, you can reach us at care@sideburn.ca.

Statement on Radical Inclusion

In light of recent events echoing around the world, the Flame Ontario Arts Collective Board, which is the entity behind SideBurn wishes to state that we stand behind our values of radical inclusion of all members of the community, including those who are sexual and/or gender diverse, those who are BIPOC, those with disabilities, newcomers to this country and all those who wish to participate. We stand firmly behind the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. SideBurn thrives due to our diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Radical inclusion does not mean radical acceptance. We do not accept consent violations, intolerance, hatred or harassment of any participant. We do our utmost to make SideBurn a safe and welcoming space. We encourage community members to call out inappropriate behaviour, and when you can’t do so, to engage with us.

Since November 2024, we have been working hard to assemble our CARE (Consent, Accountability, Resilience & Equity) team to tweak our framework to address incidents fairly, equitably, and promptly.

For more information about CARE, email us at care@sideburn.ca. You can also explore our trauma resources section for additional support.

Responsibilities

Equity Responsibilities: Low-cost ticketing program, assistance ticketing program, participant accessibility needs, strategic thinking regarding accessibility and equity at Flame Ontario Arts Collective Events.
Consent Responsibilities: Conduct and consent violations at Flame Ontario Arts Collective events, consent education, promoting and advising on health and well-being, and strategic thinking regarding conduct and consent at Flame Ontario Arts Collective events.
Joint Responsibilities: Education around the 10 principles of Burning Man, creating and maintaining tools for participants and volunteers around accountability and resilience, both for everyday scenarios and surrounding never-events. Help guide participants to embrace the core principles in civically responsible ways that mitigate harm. Encourage productive examination of how SideBurn has reckoned with harm in the past.

Core Values

Radical Accountability

When we take responsibility for our circumstances, we erase the need to blame others. Yes, bad things happen to us that are not within our control. However, we do have the ability to take responsibility for how we deal with this reality. Some areas within our control can include establishing boundaries, self-reflecting or seeking help to work through those unpleasant feelings/harm. In other words, radical responsibility is taking 100% ownership of your life and circumstances. It’s not about blame but recognizing the choices available to you and taking the ones that empower you. It is a process that transforms the conditions that lead to harm and restores the ability of those impacted to live and heal.

Trauma-Informed

A trauma-informed approach is a way of interacting with individuals that acknowledges the impact(s) of trauma and aims to avoid retraumatization. It involves adopting a confidential, person-centred approach, believing the individual’s disclosures, and honouring the intersectional considerations that shape their responses to trauma, including values, traditions, cultures, gender and other factors. A trauma-informed approach aims to reduce feelings of powerlessness by acknowledging the compounding effects of trauma. It prioritizes psychological safety and connection to support systems. This approach also offers comfort, validation and acknowledgement of the trauma, as well as the pain and challenges associated with it.

Informed Consent

Informed consent Is a core value that upholds the principle of autonomy and respect for individual choice. It means that every participant has the right to make informed, voluntary decisions about their involvement. We believe in providing clear, honest, and accessible information about activities, risks, and responsibilities, ensuring that everyone has the capacity to understand and freely choose their participation. Informed consent is not just about a one-time agreement—it is an ongoing process of communication where individuals are empowered to withdraw or modify their participation at any time without fear of penalty. By embracing this value, we foster a community built on trust, transparency, and mutual respect.

Empathy

We want to be centred on dignity, kindness, and connection, seeking to connect to the emotions that underpin an experience. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view rather than just one’s own.

Humility

Our mission is challenging, and the process will be iterative. We acknowledge that we can make mistakes and will be open to feedback. We should seek to reduce harm and move forward in a better way. Our goal is not to be right, but we will continue to strive to get it right.

Diversity

To properly do our job, we need to hear different kinds of voices and allow a platform for individuals to select case leads that best reflect their needs. We strive for SideBurn and any other Flame Ontario Arts Collective events to enable equal opportunity for all who wish to participate in whichever capacity they can do so. We follow the Burning Man principle of Radical Inclusion.

Equity

SideBurn recognizes that each person has different circumstances and capacities. We strive to give all who wish to participate in SideBurn and associated Flame Ontario Arts Collective events equal opportunity by providing the support needed to engage in a meaningful capacity.

Timeliness

The issues involved in CARE are sensitive and require immediacy. We will do our best to work quickly within our capacity as volunteers and keep all interested parties apprised of our progress.

Resilience

Resilience is the commitment to perseverance, adaptability, and growth in adversity. It encourages embracing challenges as opportunities to learn, maintaining determination through setbacks, and emerging stronger. Resilience fosters a culture of continuous improvement and strength, where challenges are seen as part of progress.