1.Introduction
 

The British Graduate Shakespeare Conference is dedicated to providing a  safe   and   supportive   conference   experience   that   is   free   of   discrimination,    harassment, and both psychological and physical harm for all persons involved (both  directly and indirectly) regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual  orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do  not  tolerate  harassment  of  conference  participants  in  any  form.  This  includes   physical, psychological, and online harassment and bullying immediately preceding,  during, and immediately after the event (including information shared from other  conferences).  Conference  participants  violating  these  rules  may  be  sanctioned  or   expelled from the conference (without a refund) at the discretion of the conference Chair(s) and members of Shakespeare Institute staff. 

 

This policy works in extension to the University of Birmingham’s “Harassment and Bullying Policy”, found: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/collaboration/equality/documents/policies/policy-harassment-and-bullying.pdf

 

1.1 Conference Pledge

As a conference, the British Graduate Shakespeare Conference promises to:  

• Provide  a  safe  and  inclusive  space  (both  physically  and  virtually)  where  all   attendees  and  committee  members  are  treated  with  dignity,  courtesy  and  respect 

• Create an environment and culture where equality and inclusion are integral to how we work

• Provide a safe, effective, and accessible procedure for complaints 

• Treat all complaints in a professional, sensitive, fair, timely, and confidential manner and to take immediate and appropriate action

• Ensure any acts of victimisation or retaliation are investigated and dealt with promptly

• Take   immediate   and   appropriate   action   following   confirmation   and  substantiation that a malicious complaint had been lodged.
   

2. For Conference Attendees  

 

2.1 Definitions

 

For clarity and consistency, the British Graduate Shakespeare Conference uses the following  definitions  and  examples  in  its  assessment  of  harassment,  sexual   harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
 

2.1.1. Harassment

Harassment  is  defined  as  any  form  of  behaviour  that  is  unwelcomed,  unsolicited,  unreciprocated.  This  is  usually  (but  not  always)  repeated  and  may  occur  before,  after, or during the conference, as well as online. It involves any behaviour that may cause  offence,  humiliation,  or  intimidation,  whether  intended  or  not.  It  is  the  impact of the behaviour on the person who is receiving it, together with the nature  of the behaviour, which determines whether it is harassment.

Harassment includes, but  is not limited to:

• Any type of behaviour that a recipient does not want

• Verbal  comments  that  reinforce  social  structures  of  domination  (related  to gender,  gender  identity  and  expression,  sexual  orientation,  disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, and  religion) 

• Sexual  images in public spaces

• Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following

• Harassing photography or recording

• Sustained disruption of talks or other events 

• Inappropriate physical contact

• Unwelcome sexual attention

• Unjustified and/or unnecessary comments about a person’s work or capacity for work  

• Phone calls, text messages (including iMessage, WhatsApp, etc.), voicemails, messages using Zoom chat function (especially if private), or  emails which are demeaning, threatening, abusive, humiliating, or offensive  

• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour

 

2.1.2. Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is defined as  any verbal, non-verbal, written or physical conduct  which  is  sexual  in  nature that is unwelcomed,  unsolicited,  unreciprocated  and  offends,  humiliates or intimidates the person it is aimed at. It is not about the intent of  the  person  making  the  comment,  gesture  or  other  behavioural  element,  but   rather  about  the  impact  on  the  recipient.  Sexual  harassment  constitutes  the  spectrum from gestural abuse to sexual assault and will be dealt with according to local law. 

Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Gestures

• The  display  of  offensive  material,  sexist  comments,  comments  of  a  sexual  nature

• Posting or sharing pornography, sexual pictures or cartoons, sexually explicit graffiti, or other sexual images (including online)

• Implicit  or  explicit  demands  for  sexual  activity,  subtle  pressure  for  sexual  favours 

• Outing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity

• Unwanted kissing, staring, physical contact, touching

• Stalking

• Insinuations about a person’s private life

• Repeated  and  unwanted  personal  contact,  including  by  text,  telephone, email, Zoom (including the in-conference chat), or any other form of digital or social media 

• Inappropriate or offensive comments on dress or physical appearance 

• Making repeated comments about someone’s physical appearance 

• Gender, gender identity and sexual orientation related insults

• Workplace pranks which are lewd in nature or reciting lewd jokes, or sharing sexual anecdotes

• Asking sexual questions, such as questions about someone's sexual history or their sexual orientation
   

2.1.3. Bullying 

Bullying  is  defined  as  repeated  and  unreasonable  behaviour  directed  toward  a   person, or a group of people, that creates a risk to health, safety and well-being. Repeated behaviour refers to both the persistence of a single behaviour as well as a range of behaviours experienced over time. 

 

Bullying includes behaviour (or a pattern of  behaviour)  that  intimidates,  offends,  degrades  or  humiliates  another  person,  including  by  electronic  devices  including  email,  blogs,  notice  boards,  social  networking sites and websites. Bullying may be intentional or inadvertent; it is not about the intent of the person enacting the bullying behaviour, but rather about the impact on the recipient and the perception of the event by those who experience  it.  

Examples of behaviours that may constitute bullying include, but are not limited to:

• Intimidation 

• Victimisation 

• Verbal abuse or threats  

• Excluding or isolating people from conference activities and events 

• Changing arrangements (such as scheduling and attendance) to inconvenience a particular committee member or panellist

• Excessive  scrutiny  of  work  shown  through  a  disproportionate  amount  of  unnecessarily critical and unwanted questions on a person’s research topic

• Spreading malicious rumours

• Cyber  bullying  (through  personal  accounts  or  via  the  conference’s  social  media posts)

• Physical, intellectual or emotional abuse

 

 

2.1.4. Discrimination

Discrimination is defined as treating a person, or a group of people less favourably 

than another person or group and can be on the grounds or situations listed below.

 

• Gender or Gender identity

• Sexual orientation

• Marital status, or pregnancy

• Family/carer responsibilities

• Language

• Race, nationality, ethnicity

• Skin colour

• Class, caste, social origin

• Level  or  type  of  education  (with  the  exception  of  the  conference  being  designed for graduate students)

• Religious beliefs (or lack of)

• Health status (dependent on role requirements)

• Disability or impairment

• Age

• Political or particular belief (or lack of)

• Retaliating  against  a  conference  attendee  or  committee  member  who  has filed a complaint

 

2.2 Presentations

Presentations  delivered  by  delegates  and  plenaries  may  also  include  harassment,  bullying, and or discrimination. Additionally, these may occur during the question-and-answer  sections  at  the  end  of  traditional  panels  at  the  conference.  The   following  information  should  be  used  as  guidance  to  identify and  avoid  potential   issues in your own presentations and enable you to identify and report issues during  your own and others’ presentations. 

 

2.2.1. Content and Subject Matter

 

The presentations delivered at the British Graduate Shakespeare Conference cover a  wide  range  of  subjects  and  contexts.  Papers  read  at  the  conference  must  bear  some link to Shakespeare or the early modern period and are delivered by graduates to a graduate audience (18+); as such the content of the papers may be considered mature  and  viewer  discretion  is  advised.  The  conference  Chair(s)  and  committee  have vetted each abstract for suitability of content and conference attendees are encouraged to read the abstracts for each paper they intend to watch to ensure the  content is suitable for them, once these are publicised. In the event that a paper’s  subject matter is unsuitable for an attendee, they are welcome to skip that paper and  can  report  concerns  about  the  content  to  the  conference  Chair(s)  if  deemed   necessary. If the paper an attendee finds unsuitable is in their own panel, they are invited to leave the panel during the paper and return for questions or communicate their  concerns to  the  conference  Chair(s)  who  will  do  their  best  to  reschedule.  Nevertheless,  abstracts  are  not  very  explicit  in  terms  of  overall  content  and  attendees are welcome to leave any papers which they feel may be unsuitable. 

 

Due to the nature of the conference, the diverse subject matter, and the age-range  of potential attendees the following information is advised for any papers which may  include potentially sensitive content. Papers that discuss or use images related to sex, pornography, discriminatory language, or similar is welcome if: 

• any content that may be deemed particularly severe has been pre- approved  by the committee and they have specifically granted permission for delivery  in writing (usually email)

• it is necessary to the topic of discussion and no alternative exists  

• it is presented in a respectful manner

• there  are  no gratuitous  sexual  images  used  as  attention-getting  devices  or   unnecessary examples

• attendees are warned in advance in the program and respectfully given ample  warning and opportunity to leave beforehand

 

2.2.2. Verbal Delivery

Verbal delivery during a conference may not be policed as effectively and the conference organisers are not responsible for human-error or unknown content.  Any presentations that are pre-recorded will be viewed by at least one committee 

member before streaming to check for suitability in line with guidance expressed in this document. When presenting, speakers should ensure:

• all language is non-discriminatory and necessary for their paper

• any potentially discriminatory or offensive language that is needed for the  paper must be 100% necessary and have been checked with the conference  organisers before hand

• there is no gratuitous swearing or potentially offensive language 

• none of their language could be construed as derogatory, misogynistic, or  defamatory (except where quoting from an Early Modern text)

• Committee members staffing a presentation have the right to pause or stop a paper if the content or delivery is deemed not in line with our guidelines. More  information for committee members on fair practices relating to stopping a paper  can be found in the BritGrad Handbook or in the “For Committee Members” section  of this policy (not shared publicly). 

 

2.2.3. Images and Videos

Any presenters sharing images and videos shared as part of a paper should ensure the content of their videos and images conforms to items mentioned in 2.2.1 and any verbal language in their videos conforms to items mentioned in 2.2.2. Delegates 

are  reminded  that  committee  members  are  obliged  to  stop  presentations  where these considerations are not met. 

 

2.2.4. Social Media

As the virtual world expands, so does the virtual presence of the British Graduate  Shakespeare  Conference.  We  are  delighted  to  be  offering  the  opportunity  to   communicate the ideas of our delegates with wider audience and to include people  who would not otherwise have the chance to join the exciting debates. This includes  the conference’s presence on social media  and will involve some elements of the  conference  (including  events  and  certain  papers)  being  photographed. However,   harassment,  sexual  harassment,  bullying,  and  discrimination  can  also  happen  on   these platforms. When interacting with conference posts on social media please:

• do not use any discriminatory or potentially offensive language targeted at  an individual or group

• do not use any images, gifs, or video clips that may be deemed discriminatory or potentially offensive  

• ensure communication is polite and professional

 

Please remember that information shared within the conference has been deemed appropriate  for  that  specific  audience  and  publishing  elements  of  conference  proceedings via social media will share these with a much wider audience that they  were not intended for and who may find the content distressing or inappropriate.
 

3. Enforcement

The  British  Graduate  Shakespeare  conference  has  a  zero -tolerance  policy  for  any  harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination, as defined in section
 

 If  anyone  is  found  reflecting  any  of  these  behaviours  at  any  point  during   conference planning or during the conference itself, committee members will act accordingly. Conference attendees should be aware of the following information: 

 

• If  a  participant  is  asked  to  stop  any  harassing,  bullying,  or  discriminatory behaviour  they  are expected to comply immediately, regardless of whether  they  believe  they  are  participating  in  such  behaviour  or  not.  This  includes  anyone in attendance at the conference, including committee members. 

• If a paper is deemed to have unsuitable content or the delivery is deemed to  be potentially offensive, conference attendees may walk out of a panel and should be allowed to do so without comment.

• If  a  committee  member  finds  a  paper  to  have  unsuitable  content  or  the   delivery is deemed to be potentially offensive, the speaker may be asked to  stop  presenting  and  may  not  be  invited  to  participate  in  the  post-panel question-and-answer session.

• If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, conference  organisers retain the right to take any actions to ensure the conference reflects a welcoming environment  for  all  participants.  This  includes  warning  the  offender  or   expulsion from the conference (with no refund).    This action may be carried  out  by  committee  members  or  building  staff  (including  office  staff,  library  staff, and lecturers at the Shakespeare Institute).  

• If any action occurs with the clear aim of disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants, the executors will be removed from  the building or event location without reimbursement and will not be able to  attend the rest of the conference. 
   

We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and event -related  social activities, including both in -person and online events.  

 

The  British Graduate  Shakespeare Conference  acknowledges the difference  between professional/academic and social/personal harassment, sexual  harassment, bullying, and discrimination. However, the British Graduate  Shakespeare Conference prides itself on having a mixture of professional and social  aspects and participants should be aware that indiscretions of any type will affect  all aspects of conference participation (e.g. if you professionally harass someone  during their paper, this will affect your participation in conference social events too).

 

4. Reporting

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as 

soon as possible. You are encouraged to report any incidents to any member of the 

committee, but all incidents will be reported to the Chair(s). All committee members 

can  be  identified  by   their  badges. 

 

4.1 You  can  make  a  report  either  personally  or  anonymously, depending on what you feel most comfortable with 

 

Please remember, that if you or any other conference member are in  immediate danger, please call the police.  

 

4.2 Personal Report

You  can  make  a  personal  report  by contacting one  of  the  chairs,  identified  by   committee badges. When taking a personal report, the Chair(s) will ensure you are  safe  and  cannot  be  overheard.  They  may  involve  other  committee  members  and building staff to ensure your report is managed properly. Once safe, we'll ask you to tell  us  about  what  happened.  This  can  be  upsetting,  but  we'll  handle  it  as   respectfully as possible, and you can bring some one to support you. You won't be  asked to confront anyone, and we won't tell anyone who you are.

 

Our  team  will  be  happy  to  help  you  contact  hotel/venue  security,  local  law   enforcement, local support services, provide escorts, or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

 

Chair.britgrad@outlook.com

Registrar.conference@gmail.com

Shakespeare Institute Reception: 0121 414 9500

UK Emergency Services: 999 (for emergencies only)

UK Non-Emergency police: 101

UK Non-Emergency medical Advice: 111 

Mental Health Hotline: 116 123 

(Samaritans, 24/7 (free))

Victim Support Hotline: 08 08 16 89 111 (Victim Support, 24/7 (free))

Harassing behaviours  are  non-discriminatory  and  may  be  acted  by  or  acted  upon  

conference  attendees,  building  staff,  or  members  of  the  public  of  any  gender,   sexuality, race, or religion. 

 

All allegations of harassment or bullying will be treated as serious and investigated  fully in line with conference policy and local law (should this be deemed necessary).