"To be aware" means to be conscious and mindful.
BEING CONSCIOUS of one’s own social standing in society and of the fact that discriminatory and transgressive behaviour and sexualised violence do not stop at our festival doors. This is why we want to take responsibility at the m4music Festival and find ways to notice and respond to discriminatory and transgressive behaviour.
BEING MINDFUL of the personal, psychological and physical limits of our fellow human beings so that they are respected and accepted. Because everyone defines his or her limits differently and only yes means yes – everything else means no.
Awareness deals with the issues that arise in connection with the disregard of limits. Discrimination based on national, ethnic and social origin, gender, gender identity, sexuality, age, appearance and body, religion or disability as well as sexualised violence are an issue because they are not individual incidents but components of social power structures.
This awareness and the resulting mindfulness when dealing with fellow human beings (especially those who may be victims of discrimination and/or sexualised violence) aim to prevent transgressions, discrimination and sexualised violence as far as possible and to make the m4music Festival a safer place for all.
At the m4music Festival, we are all responsible for making sure that everyone feels as comfortable as possible. This requires collective commitment.
The aim of awareness is to work toward a less discriminatory space, in which people are more respectful towards and mindful of each other and understand and consider their social behaviour against the backdrop of social power structures.
In case limits are not respected, awareness also includes the careful handling of victims of transgressions, discrimination and sexualised violence. Awareness helps those affected not to individualise their own personal experiences, but to create solidarity, togetherness and social change. In awareness work, we focus on the person affected.
We take you seriously, we don't question your perception and we support you. The following support services are available for people affected at the m4music Festival:
At the m4music Festival, an Awareness Team will be on site, patrolling the entire festival grounds. You will recognise the team by their green caps. The team is there for you if your limits have been violated and/or you have been the victim of discrimination or sexualised violence, but also if you have noticed something. The team is also there for you if you are interested in awareness work, want to inform yourself and enter into a dialogue: You can approach the Awareness Team at all times.
Our festival grounds are large. The Awareness Point is the central point of contact to help you find the Awareness Team quickly in case of a transgression, discrimination or experience of sexualised violence. You can find the Awareness Point in the Schiffbau foyer near the Information Point right next to the cloakroom. This is where you can get in touch. The Awareness Team will be with you as quickly as possible.
A place away from the festival crowds after a transgression incident can help you to calm down and think about the next steps without pressure and stress. Get in touch directly with the Awareness Team or at the Awareness Point. They will take you to the Safer Space. You can of course be accompanied by a person close to you.
Sometimes it can take time to become aware of situations of transgression, discrimination or sexualised violence. Sometimes it is too overwhelming to talk about it at the moment of transgression. For such cases, we have an email address, where you can reach us after an incident: awareness@m4music.ch
The Awareness mailbox is also regularly emptied during the Festival. If you prefer to contact us in writing, you can do so by email.
Messages – which we treat confidentially of course – help us to consider our measures, improve our actions and uncover blind spots. This is why we are happy about every message and thank you for your trust already.
We cannot offer professional help. But there are counselling centres you can turn to.
– Opferberatung Zürich (victim counselling) www.obzh.ch
– Frauenberatung sexuelle Gewalt (women's counselling) www.frauenberatung.ch
– Telefon gegen Gewalt (telephone against violence) telefon-gegen-gewalt.ch
– LGBTIQ-Helpline www.lgbtiq-helpline.ch
– Zürcher Anlaufstelle Rassismus (anti racism contact point) zueras.ch
– Pro Juventute www.147.ch
– Victim Support Switzerland opferhilfe-schweiz.ch
The topic of sustainability in the social, economic and ecological field is much discussed within the m4music team. We follow the developments and measures implemented in the industry, we exchange views and deal with them.
Since the end of 2022, we have been conceptualising the first suitable measures in the area of awareness, which we implemented at the m4music Festival 2023. We see this as an impulse. Working on awareness is a continuing process. We have a lot to learn, we need to uncover blind spots and react to them. We will continue working on it! Do you have any feedback or suggestion? We're open to feedback: awareness@m4music.ch.