Code of Conduct & Safety

Brisbane Balboa Weekend is dedicated to providing a safe event experience for everyone involved, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, or religion. Everyone at our event (including attendees, volunteers, band members, DJs, staff and organisers) has an absolute right to feel safe and respected.

• Respect other people; their bodies, their level in dancing, their backgrounds, their clothes, their personal space. All of it. Racist, homophobic, sexist or transphobic language, sexualised, rude or violent language, or language designed to make another person feel uncomfortable or inferior will not be tolerated. Do not touch someone inappropriately or without their consent.
• You can say NO to someone at ANY time for ANY reason. Saying yes to dancers is a good way to help people feel included, but you are not obliged to say yes, and if you do say yes, you can stop the dance at any time if you feel uncomfortable. Of course, this means that no one is obliged to dance with you either, so please be as polite as is practical when you decline, and aim to make every dance you have enjoyable for both you and your partner.
• Pay attention to your partner and the dance floor. We are all sharing space, and it’s easy to get caught up in what you are doing. If there is a collision, both parties apologise. If someone has stopped dancing, stop dancing to make sure they are ok.
• Pay attention to your body. Know your limits and do not exceed them.
• Don’t do aerials, lifts, or drops on the social dance floor, leave these for jams and competitions. Also, always make sure you have consent from your partner EVERY time before you pull any of these tricks.
• Drinking alcohol is fine (unless you are a minor). Ensure that you do not get intoxicated to the point that you are unaware of any breaches of this code of conduct.
• Our venues this year are all licensed. Please respect this and do not bring your own drinks to these venues.
• We request that you refrain from wearing strongly scented deodorants or perfumes, as these can trigger allergic reactions or migraines in some people. If possible, please use low-scented or hypoallergenic deodorants. Please apply deodorant before you come to the venue, and if you need to reapply, please do so outside.
• Harassment & bullying in any form, including sexual harassment, will not be tolerated. If you are unsure of what constitutes harassment, please visit the Australian Human Rights Commission. Their page on harassment is here. The Queensland Human Rights Commission page on sexual harassment is here.

Breaches of this code may result in a range of actions. You may be warned, referred to our Code of Conduct, asked to leave, excluded from our events or police may be notified as necessary.

Need help?

You can contact any of the Brisbane Balboa Weekend Team by email, phone or in person. Find the team here https://brisbanebalboaweekend.com/contact-us/
If you are injured, feel uncomfortable or unsafe, or are experiencing or witnessing inappropriate behaviour, please let us know immediately. We will take urgent action. Your complaint will be handled with absolute seriousness and in the strictest confidence.
If you aren’t sure and you want a second opinion, please ASK for advice. If someone lets you know that they are uncomfortable about another attendee’s behaviour, please encourage them to come and talk to us, or seek their permission to come and talk to us yourself. Even if they think it is not a big deal, we want to know about it so we can be prepared to take action and prevent situations from escalating.
Don’t hesitate: we have your back.