Code of Conduct
Brooklyn Maqam was formed to celebrate our shared love of the diverse musical traditions of the Arab world, and the many related traditions. It is our goal to provide an opportunity for people of all backgrounds and identities to feel welcome to listen, learn, perform and practice maqam music in a safe and supportive environment.
It is our firm commitment that everyone has the right to enjoy our programs and activities free of harassment, threats, mistreatment, or discrimination. In order to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment at all our events, meetings, and online spaces, we have established the following code of conduct. These policies apply to all participants in Brooklyn Maqam-organized events or forums including but not limited to guests, volunteers, performers, and vendors.
1) Participants agree to refrain from all forms of harassment, including but not limited to the following:
• Inappropriate or unwanted physical contact
• Unwelcome sexual attention, innuendo, or jokes
• Physical intimidation or blocking
• Violence or assault of any kind
• Bullying, intimidation, stalking, or threats in person or online
• The use of epithets, slurs, or negative stereotyping
2) While certain kinds of audience participation are part of the musical tradition, others will distract the performers and interfere with listeners’ enjoyment. Guests agree to refrain from disruptive activity during musical performances, including but not limited to:
• Interrupting performances in any way
• Excessive noise or conversation
• Uninvited participation in the performance
• Heckling or otherwise causing a distraction
3) Jam sessions are meant to be a welcoming and encouraging experience for musicians of all levels. Please remain courteous and kind to those who may have less experience. For newcomers, please show your respect and appreciation for the participation of more experienced musicians. Refrain from:
• Unsolicited criticism or insults
• Shaming or mocking language of any kind
• Demands, arguments and other uncooperative behavior
4) In addition to the above. we expect participants to be courteous and respectful at all times, and will consider the following to constitute violations:
• Comments or actions that minimize a person’s lived experience, identity, or safety
• Deliberate outing, misgendering, refusal to respect someone’s gender identity, or use of pre-transition names
Violations of this code of conduct that are motivated by or directed at a participant’s race, ethnicity, or national origin, gender identity or expression, sex or sexual orientation, age, disability, neurotypicality, medical condition, pregnancy, religion, citizenship status, body size, physical appearance, or language proficiency will be considered especially serious offenses.
Finally, a safe space requires the efforts of the entire community. If you witness bullying, harassment, or any other violation of the code of conduct: please speak up (if you feel safe doing so), seek the support of other participants, or ask for help from venue staff or law enforcement if appropriate. Even after an incident is over, a target of harassment may not know who witnessed an interaction; your voice and support can make a difference.
We reserve the right to engage venue staff, security, or law enforcement as necessary to address violations and, where applicable, deny access to any of our activities for anyone who violates this code of conduct.
Our first priority is always to extend sympathy and support to any victim of harassment of any kind, and we ask everyone in the community to remember and honor this commitment. We are dedicated to maintaining an open dialogue regarding our code of conduct and any ways in which we can ensure the safety of all participants in our events. If you’d like to get in touch, you can reach us at brooklynmaqam@gmail.com.
If you’d like to report an incident, please use our incident report form.
If you were sexually assaulted it is highly recommended that you reach out to a qualified crisis counselor as soon as possible.
Some resources are:
The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence: 1-800-942-6906
Safe Horizon: (212) 227-3000 | https://www.safehorizon.org
New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault:
- https://www.nyscasa.org/responding/
- https://www.nyscasa.org/get-help/find-your-local-rape-crisis-program/