General Expectations

Our ideal festival is a festival that is free from harm of any kind including verbal, physical, sexual, and environmental harm.

We ask that everyone who comes to Newtown Festival is courteous, patient, and respectful of other people, cultures and perspectives, food, property including equipment, and the space and environment. Everyones’ attitudes and energy should be positive and at the very least lends itself to an atmosphere where harm is not welcome. Your presence at this event is reflective of you, your business, as well as our event and the Newtown community. We value everyone helping us create a fun, safe, inclusive and sustainable event for all.

Please drink water, remain sober while working, wear hats and sunblock, use reusable containers and keepcups, place waste in appropriate bins, check in with a buddy regularly so they know where you are and how you’re doing and vice versa, and help others if you are able to.

Contact

For any urgent issues, please text or call 027 NEWTOWN/027 639 8696 or visit 150 Riddiford St (Temporary Newtown Festival HQ at JJ’s Computer Shop) so a specialist team member can coordinate a response. The police are also stationed on site to be able to assist with emergencies.

If it is an emergency, please call 111, and/or inform the festival team who may be able to coordinate a faster response.

First Aid

St Johns Ambulance, Z Station, 35-41 Constable St

St Johns Stall or ambulance, 164 Riddiford St approx.

Most stages will also have a basic first aid kit onsite, backstage or in a green room.

Quiet Spaces

The Meeting Room, St Anne’s Hall, 22 Emmett St

Newtown Library, 15 Constable St

Salvation Army Family Zone, 4 Normanby St

Incidents & Support

Prove the bystander effect wrong! But make sure you are safe before putting yourself at risk. Focus on observing behaviour generally, checking in with friends, whānau and peers, diffusing any situations early, and being mentally and emotionally prepared to step in. Harm can be physical or verbal. Prevent, monitor and intervene in situations using light/positive language that aims to de-escalate situations without the need for confrontation.

Some tips:

• Maintain a presence with respectful communication
• Separate those involved, and use the Chill Zone if needed
• Distract and keep interaction light and non-accusatory
• Delay by asking simple questions
• Call out harmful behaviour directly
  • “That’s not funny”
  • “That’s not okay”
  • “That crossed the line”
• Delegate and work as a team

Support someone by encouraging their control of the situation by:

• Lending an ear to whatever they would like to say
• Believing their experience
• Affirming it is not their fault
• Validating their emotional response
• Checking safety
• Offering some water
• Taking them to find a transport option
• Asking what they need
• Using the Chill Zone (Newtown Community Hall, 71 Daniell St)
• Providing access to further support

If any situations require further assistance, please make contact with the Newtown Festival team immediately.

Reporting

If you experienced or witnessed an incident at Newtown Festival, you have the option to report the incident during or after the event by filling out this form:
Incident Report Form: bit.ly/nf2023incidents

Further Support

Sexual Violence Services