Rijksakademie Social Safety Policy

The Rijksakademie is a diverse community of residents, advisors and team members, not only in citizenship and national origin, but also in cultural and social background, gender, ethnicity, age, (dis)ability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political preferences and personal values and norms. These people from different backgrounds come to the Rijksakademie to meet and share views, learn from each other, and work alongside one another.

The Rijksakademie seeks to foster open-mindedness, understanding, compassion and inclusiveness among individuals and groups. We see diversity as a vital and stimulating source of creativity and innovation for the Rijksakademie, and society in general. We strive to build a community marked by fairness and mutual respect and are committed to creating cooperation and equality and ensuring open dialogue and mutual understanding. We value differences as well as commonalities and promote respect in personal interactions. We want to provide a safe, pleasant, and encouraging professional climate.

The Rijksakademie’s social safety integrity policy is aimed at preventing misconduct.

The code of conduct is permanently accessible via the Rijksakademie website and is part of the agreement entered into by the institution with the artists in residence, employees and advisors.

Not everything can be captured in rules and codes. Part of acting with integrity is taking responsibility for one’s own actions, being willing to account for behaviour, daring to call others to account, and accountability. And if no rules are in place or if they are vague, everyone should use their common sense in their assessments and actions, based on generally accepted social and ethical norms and values."

The Rijksakademie intends to maintain a positive and safe working environment in which everyone can develop their talents. Integrity, fellowship, equality, respect, compassion, openness, and attention to other persons are of paramount importance, irrespective of their origin, religious beliefs, sexual preference, (dis)ability, role or position. It is the Rijksakademie’s task, as well as everybody’s connected to the Rijksakademie, to actively promote social safety within the institution and to contribute in a positive way. Good fellowship, respect, and attention to one another are part of the regular interaction in the building.

The Rijksakademie accepts, nor tolerates, unwanted conduct. That is to say any form of aggression, violence, discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying or abuse of power, which affects the execution of professional activities at the Rijksakademie by persons affiliated to the Rijksakademie, including:

• aggression and violence: verbal, psychological or physical harassment, threats or assaults;
• discrimination: any type of insult or distinction based on race, extraction, religion, gender, belief, disability and/or sexual orientation;
• sexual harassment: any form of verbal, non-verbal or physical behaviour of a sexual nature of which the purpose or effect is the violation of a person’s dignity, in particular when creating a hostile, degrading or aggressive atmosphere;
• bullying: repeated intimidating behaviour such as pestering, mocking, gossiping, and ostracising. 

One of the objectives of the Code of Conduct is to ensure that everyone is aware of situations where integrity is or could be at stake.

The Code of Conduct also serves as a behavioural directive and therefore is not noncommittal. Failure to observe can lead to appropriate measures and sanctions.

This Code of Conduct is not an isolated set of rules and—in addition to current legal standards—ties in with the content of the various other procedures in the social safety integrity policy.

The Rijksakademie uses the following definitions:

• serious misconduct: serious forms of misconduct, specifically criminal offences and other wrongdoings (see definition 'wrongdoings');
• general misconduct: any form of misconduct that does not qualify as serious misconduct;
• institution: the Rijksakademie;
• director: the director of the institution;
• directorial team: the Rijksakademie’s directorial team;
• persons affiliated to the institution: all artists in residence, employees (team members/staff), advisors and other persons who are professionally active for or pursuing activities for the institution;
• confidential report: confidential report of an instance of misconduct to the confidential advisor;
• confidential advisor: an external, independent professional, appointed in accordance with this social safety integrity policy, whom persons affiliated to the institution may confidentially consult;
• formal report: formal report of general misconduct, filed with Martijntje Hallmann;
• formal complaint: a formal complaint about serious misconduct, filed with the complaints committee;
• complaints committee: an external committee, appointed in accordance with this social safety integrity policy, which assesses formal complaints and advises the director on the appropriate action (if any);
• criminal offence: an action punishable under Dutch law, including:
• sexual assault (in Dutch: ‘aanranding’, article 246 Dutch Criminal Code): the definition of sexual assault as a crime, is by an act of violence or any other act or by a threat of violence or threat of any other act, compelling another person to engage in or to tolerate lewd acts. Although a criminal offence, sexual assault involves less serious sexual acts in comparison to the criminal offence of rape (in Dutch: ‘verkrachting’, article 242 Dutch Criminal Code), which involves sexual penetration of the body. For instance, sexual assault as a criminal offence may involve touching a person’s genitals, breasts and/or buttocks without consent.
• some forms of discrimination (in Dutch: ‘discriminatie’, article 90quater jo. 137c-137g Dutch Criminal Code): the Dutch Criminal Code provides for a form of discrimination that is so serious that it constitutes a criminal offence. For this, the perpetrator has to have the intention that the discrimination leads to exclusion and/or the limitation of certain rights. A remark that may be perceived as discriminatory (or racist) is, although a form of misconduct, not enough for it be a crime.
• threat of a serious offence (in Dutch: ‘bedreiging met een misdrijf’, article 285 Dutch Criminal Code): if an offender threatens in a way that conveys the message that they will endanger the general safety of that victim’s person or property, such threat amounts to an offense on the basis of article 285 Dutch Criminal Code.
• destruction (in Dutch: ‘vernieling’, article 350 Dutch Criminal Code): intentionally and unlawfully destroying damaging, rendering unusable or disposing of any property belonging in whole or in part to another.
• wrongdoing: an action categorised as wrongdoing in the House for Whistleblowers Act (in Dutch: ‘Wet Huis voor Klokkenluiders’). This covers any act or omission where the public interest is at stake and which affects the institution and affiliated persons directly, because it involves an offence, a danger to people’s health, a danger to people’s safety, a danger to the proper functioning of the institution because of undue actions or omissions, damages or undermines the relationship of trust with the institution or in any way directly or indirectly damages the institution’s reputation.
• reasonable suspicion: a reasonable suspicion of unwanted conduct is based on reasonable grounds, that is to say it is the result of facts and circumstances experienced/observed by the person themselves;
• workplace: aspects which 1) are linked to the professional activities of persons affiliated to the institution and 2) are executed under the institution’s responsibility.

To ensure that together we maintain a pleasant, clean and safe environment for the whole community of people who work in our building, the following house rules have been formulated, which apply to all (guest-) residents, team members, (guest-) advisors, tenants and other guests.

We cherish our building, the premises and the people working in it, and as such, at all times, for the benefit of the whole community, we need for these to be treated with care and respect. The house rules include both rules and collective responsibilities.

The house rules are drawn up in relation to both matters of physical and social safety, as well as the need to comply with Dutch regulations.

These rules are also drawn from many years of experience of maintaining an environment where everyone feels comfortable and safe, drawn from experience and dialogue within the community, and lessons learned from situations when this has been compromised.

Please let us know if there are any issues in relation to them, we are always open to conversation.

The building and the grounds are used by many people, and we all need to take good care of them, we all appreciate that the environment is kept clean and tidy, and input from everyone in relation to cleaning up after oneself is necessary for this.

—Opening hours—

The Rijksakademie is open 24/7. In case of safety issues (internal or external) we retain the right to adapt the opening hours of the building if necessary.

—Fire safety—

In the event of an emergency the instructions of the members of the BHV (emergency) team must be strictly followed. For fire safety reasons, the corridors and staircases may never be used for storage, and must be empty at all times. Emergency exits and escape routes must be kept clear at all times.
In the past there have been fires at the Rijksakademie due to unsafe usage of flammables in studios. As a result, we do not allow lighting candles or any other form of open fire in the studios. Furthermore, no flammable items may be present on the premises. In the case of an art project, bringing flammable items must first be discussed with the Head of Operations.

­­—Energy consumption—

Rising energy prices have confronted the Rijksakademie with our energy use. Together we can make a difference: remember to turn off the lights in the studio when you go out, turn off the heating at the end of the day and close (entry) doors behind you.
Without prior consent from the Head of Operations it is not allowed to use appliances with high energy consumption in your studio or on the Rijksakademie premises.

—Waste—

In order to meet our sustainability ambitions all waste (including chemical waste) must be deposited in the appropriately marked containers.

—Adaptions to the building—

Rijksakademie is housed in a monument, thus requires special care and upkeep.
Drilling, gluing, etc., on/in parts of buildings such as doors, columns and walls need to be done in consultation with the General Services Department.
Technical problems always need to be reported to the General Services Department. It is not allowed to carry out repairs or modifications to building installations yourself, or have them carried out by others. This includes - but is not limited to - lighting and heating in the studios.

—IT facilities—

The Rijksakademie offers a fast and secure network (both wired and wireless).
Actions that undermine the integrity and continuity of the IT facilities, such as using a router without consultation with the IT manager, are not permitted.

—Bicycles—

Bicycles must be placed in the bicycle racks, unless there is a reason why this is not possible.

—Noise—

The Rijksakademie is situated in a residential area, and both within and outside of the building, there is sensitivity about noise in the evenings, particularly in relation to our neighbours. If we receive repeated complaints about noise in the evenings, this could affect our ability to keep the building open 24/7. Because of this, we ask to refrain from making loud noise between 10 PM and 8 AM.

—Smoking—

For fire safety, and in keeping with national regulations, smoking is forbidden in all parts of the building, including the studios and project spaces.

—Drugs—

In keeping with Dutch law, the use of hard drugs is illegal and therefore possession or use of hard drugs are not permitted in and around the Rijksakademie building and premises.
Excessive consumption of alcohol or soft drugs, has in the past put members of the community at risk, thus we do not want to see this, particularly to the point that it presents a danger to any person(s).

—Pets—

Pets are in principle not allowed. In special cases permission may be given, however, if granted, the animal must not be a nuisance or negatively affect others.

—Privacy—

There are various levels of sensitivity within the community around matters of privacy, so when making video or sound recordings that may potentially breach the privacy of others, please consult with the Residency team.

—Posters and banners—

In the past posters, banners and other announcements have sometimes caused offence and discomfort to members of the community, in and outside of the Rijksakademie.
To avoid this, these are only to put up on the metal signs provided in the building, and to consider others before putting anything up.
If these posters and banners are experienced by others as offensive, insulting or objectionable, they will need to be removed, either by the person that put them up, or, if there is an urgency, this may be handled by a member of the Rijksakademie team.

—Preventing theft—

There have on occasions been incidents of theft in the Rijksakademie, so when leaving a room, please make sure to close and lock the windows and doors to prevent theft. Collect parcels from the reception area upon delivery and store them in your studio.

—Electronic equipment—

Use of electronic equipment in the studios is only allowed when safety measures are met, this includes proper wiring and taking energy consumption into account.

—Guests—

Residents and team members are responsible for their guests. All external guests need to be registered using the online system.

—Parties—

Parties have at times in the past caused issues in relation to safety (social and physical), as well as issues with our neighbours, with unwanted guests, and with the police. It is important that they are well planned and organised in consultation with the residency team and Head of Operations.
BBQs need to be organised in consultation with the Cantina team and with permission from the Head of Operations, who will advise on safety. After a BBQ or party, everything must be cleaned up and returned to its original state.

Violation of the house rules will be discussed in the Directorial Team which could lead to possible sanctions including a warning, suspension or termination of the residency.