Witchards Society believes our community should be truly open for everyone.
This Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for participant behaviour as well as the consequences for unacceptable behaviour.
We invite all partners, members of our crew, volunteers, and participants to help us realise a safe and positive experience for everyone.
This code of conduct applies to all of our spaces; whether at one of our events, on one of our social media pages, our Discord server or somewhere else entirely.
Values
Be inclusive
We welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, social and economic class, educational level, colour, immigration status, sex, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.
Be considerate and respectful
We all depend on each other to create great experiences in an enjoyable way together. Your decisions will affect crew, volunteers, and participants, and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions. We won’t all agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for disrespectful behaviour. We will all experience frustration from time to time, but we cannot allow that frustration to become personal attacks. An environment where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive or creative one.
Choose your words carefully
Always conduct yourself professionally. Be kind to others. Harassment and exclusionary behaviour aren’t acceptable.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Threats of violence.
- Discriminatory jokes and language.
- Personal insults.
- Words and deeds that contain passive or active marginalisations of any kind, including (but not limited to) racism, sexism, ableism, transmisia, bodyshaming, ageism etc.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.
In general, if someone asks you to stop something, then stop. When we disagree, try to understand why. Differences of opinion and disagreements are mostly unavoidable. What is important is that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively.
Value diversity and difference
Different people have different perspectives on issues, and that can be valuable for solving problems or generating new ideas. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that we all make mistakes, and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on resolving issues and learning from mistakes.
Our community is large and spans many countries. Be cognisant of culture differences and be generous with your assumptions. We’re all here to create amazing moments. Together.
Unique Universe
We are an independent game universe that is not associated with anything related to the fictional world of Harry Potter. Witchards Society does not endorse, support, or align ourselves with any political stances, fictional content, or produce from J.K. Rowling, and actively distance ourselves from all produced and affiliated works. Furthermore, Warner Bros owns the rights and trademark for that property and therefore its use incurs large royalty payments or threat of legal action.
We expect our players and crew to share this distance by not bringing or wearing any prop or costume that lives in that universe, official or fan-made.
In case of concerning behavior
If a participant contacts the company with concerns regarding the attendance of another participant, the Emotional Wellbeing Coordinator will offer to meet with the concerning participant at the beginning of the event and inform them of the situation. This will only happen if the contacter explicitly consents to it.
If a participant compromises or violates the values mentioned above, the Lead Producer and/or Emotional Wellbeing Coordinator will meet the individual and talk with them. If they deem it necessary, they may sanction the participant with timeouts, removal from play, or removal from the premises. If a participant is sent home due to a violation, it is their own responsibility to make arrangements for transportation.
Sanctions
We reserve the right to ban any person found to be in violation of our code of conduct. If we find it necessary to take this action during an event, the person will be required to leave the event immediately and no refunds will be offered.
Crew and volunteer intimate relations
Intimate relations between two parties where one is responsible for the other is not allowed during events. Organisers are responsible for the crew, volunteers, and participants. The crew are responsible for volunteers and participants. Volunteers are responsible for participants. This is to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and legal responsibilities of all involved parties. What happens outside events is none of the company’s concern.
If there is an established relationship in place before the beginning of the event (for example between a volunteer and a participant), we will not prohibit them from having intimate relations. However, it will be expected of them to generally keep public intimacy to a minimum and out of sight of other participants, to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
Communication
While we do our best to create a safe environment for everyone and want everyone to feel welcome, inevitably there will be situations where someone feels uncomfortable. If and when these situations arise, we ask that you contact us so we can talk about it. We are unable to solve issues that we don’t know about, and we are always happy to listen.
Each crew member has a specific area of responsibility and expertise, and as much as possible you should reach out the specific crew member with questions and concerns. If the relevant crew member is unavailable, or if you prefer to talk to someone else, please feel free to do so.
Please keep in mind that our events are busy, and can be stressful environments. Outside of emergencies, crew members may ask you if you are able to talk at a later time.