Awareness
Dear all,
We would like to work with you towards more awareness and an even better Pop Kultur festival for everyone. Our awareness concept contains information that applies to everyone present at the festival.
Pop-Kultur is a space for diversity, where people with different experiences, identities, and backgrounds come together. We want to create a respectful space for diversity together with you and everyone present. We are aware that this is an ongoing process that we are shaping together. This is how our awareness team supports us:
- Promoting respectful coexistence: We strive for a space of diversity and do not tolerate any form of discrimination, including ableism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, trans- and homophobia – as well as all forms of violence – including insults, harassment, threats, bullying, hate speech, and agitation.
- Providing support for discriminatory experiences: We offer help to anyone who has had transgressive or discriminatory experiences or feels unsafe.
- Support in difficult situations: We support people who feel uncomfortable or are not doing well for other reasons.
- De-escalation in conflict situations: We provide de-escalation support in conflictual interactions, especially when emotions are running high and there is no time for an in-depth solution.
- Documentation of complaints and feedback: We compile and document complaints and feedback on the topic of awareness and follow up on them.
- Respect personal boundaries: Everyone must respect the boundaries of others. In particular, physical contact may only take place with consent.
- Help in (health) emergencies: If someone near you needs help, please inform the awareness team or other employees who can call us. There is a medical service on site.
The awareness team is available at any time during rehearsals and the festival:

- Contact:
- Via the awareness phone: +49 157 548 371 51
- At the Meeting & Awareness Point (pavilion entrance Knaackstraße)
- Identification: Awareness badges on green lanyards
- Support times: Daily from 10 a.m. until the end of the event
- Alternatively, other employees can be contacted, who will then inform the awareness team.
YOU ARE ALSO NEEDED WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING A RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT AND A DIVERSE SPACE IN WHICH EVERYONE CAN FEEL SAFE:
- If you notice that someone nearby needs help, inform the awareness team or other employees who can call us.
- Ask if the person wants help. “No” is of course an acceptable answer.
- Respect other people’s boundaries: physical contact only with consent.
- Please be aware of your social privileges and positions of power.
- If you observe behavior that crosses boundaries, call the awareness team or speak to other employees to do this for you.
- We also offer help in de-escalating conflictual interactions, especially when emotions are running high and you don’t have the time for an in-depth solution.
- Report feedback or complaints – we listen and take action.
Let’s make Pop-Kultur a place where everyone feels welcome. We are here for you – talk to us if you need us or have questions!
All reports are taken seriously and responded to immediately and confidentially. No decisions on responding to the incident are made without the consent of the person who reported it.
To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to raise concerns without having to enter into direct confrontation, incidents and problems can be reported anonymously. You can find the form here: https://forms.gle/W3Fz3B8fCskhqyp37 .
This year we have developed our concept for awareness and conflict management together with RICE.
We strive to learn from feedback, experiences, and mistakes. You can contact us at any time: awareness@pop-kultur.berlin.
- Racist or sexist jokes
- Getting too close to people and not respecting their space
- Staring, shouting at people
- Touching people without their consent
- Catcalling
- Touching a person’s wheelchair without permission
- Grabbing people’s hair… and many more.
Based on our self-conception and values, our Code of Conduct summarises various rules of behaviour that we are committed to and that we expect all participants at Pop-Kultur to follow. It is constantly being developed on the basis of ongoing learning processes. All reports are taken seriously and responded to immediately and confidentially. No decisions on responding to the incident are made without the consent of the person who reported it.
Solidarity and responsibility – To create a respectful environment for everyone, we need to work individually and collectively to ensure that all visitors, partners, artists, guests, workers, and other participants can feel welcome and safe. In the spirit of solidarity, each of us has a responsibility to help shape this environment.
Recognising individual experiences and identities – We ask everyone to respect people’s different identities and experiences and diverse cultural perspectives. Remember that something that is not a problem for you may be stressful or triggering for others. Please recognise other perspectives, feelings, and experiences. Listen to other people and be sensitive towards their feelings.
Open and appreciative culture of discourse – A core element of our festival is an open and appreciative culture of discourse in which all participants can feel safe. Our programme includes a wide variety of experiences and perspectives on the world and our social coexistence. We see the resulting plurality of voices as a source of enrichment. As a cultural festival, Pop-Kultur aims to provide a space in which we can meet constructively and openly, even if we don’t agree on everything. We ask that different opinions be exchanged in a respectful manner.
Gender is not merely visual – Don’t assume a person’s gender based on their appearance alone. Remember that there are more than two genders. Ask about pronouns (he, she, they, none, etc.).
Language creates reality – We use gender-equitable and diversity-sensitive language. Please avoid generalisations and (discriminatory) stereotypes.
Obtain consent and maintain boundaries – All conversations and actions should be based on explicit consent. A lack of consent or a “maybe” does not count as a “yes”. Respect other people’s boundaries. Everyone has the right to decide when personal boundaries are crossed. Please also respect your own boundaries.
Photos and videos – If you want to take pictures or videos that show other people, always get their permission, especially if you want to share the images on social media.
Find help – If you need support, please contact our Awareness Team. If you see that someone else needs help, ask the person in question or let the Awareness Team know. Our staff can also help you.
Zero tolerance for discrimination and abusive behaviour – We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, violence or abusive behaviour, whether physical or verbal. We do not tolerate hatred, glorification of violence, defamation, intimidation, or threats, nor their trivialisation. In such cases, we reserve the right to exclude the person in question from the event.
Disruption of the event – In the spirit of our open culture of discourse, we ask you to refrain from disruptive behaviour. We reserve the right to reprimand or exclude disruptive behaviour from the event. If you feel subjected to unjust accusations or hostility, please contact us so that we can clarify the matter and settle it together.
We would also like to point out to all participants that there are legal regulations in both Germany and Berlin that prohibit certain symbols and expressions, which also apply to our event. Please contact us or the Awareness Team if you are unsure or need more information.
- Overview of our services for visitors with disabilities
https://www.pop-kultur.berlin/en/accessibility/ - Overview of our awareness principles and code of conduct
https://www.pop-kultur.berlin/en/awareness/ - LARA – support in cases of sexual violence
https://lara-berlin.de/en/home
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 216 88 88 - Frauenkrisentelefon (Women’s crisis hotline) – Support in crisis situations
http://www.frauenkrisentelefon.de/en/home/
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 615 75 96 - The Berlin State Office for Equal Treatment and Against Discrimination (LADS)
https://www.berlin.de/sen/lads/en/
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 901 33 45 6 - Berlin anti-discrimination app “AnDi”
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/andi-antidiskriminierungsapp/id1521427793
Google Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details
With “AnDi”, people in Berlin now have access to a mobile app that provides valuable information on the subject of discrimination and equal treatment in various languages and in an accessible manner. The app can be used to report incidents of discrimination directly and to easily find suitable advice and assistance.