Meet the Team
Amelia Boyle - Director
19 and has been attending gigs for as long as she can remember and recognizes the need for positivity, support and recognition of harassment at live events.
Studying commercial music at the University of the West of Scotland.
Loves playing music as long as it’s hidden behind the rest of the band!
Yana Petticrew - Advisor
20 years old and a student at Glasgow Uni studying English Lit and Music.
Youth advisor at Girls Rock Glasgow and organiser of Skint Kids Disco.
Regularly attends local gigs and would like to see and accommodate more diversity and safety in the music scene.
Lewis Mckay - Web Design
22 years old and studies Computing Science at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Loves attending live events whether it be heavy rock or heavy techno.
Wants to put his tech brains to use to help make gig environments better for everyone.
There are artists currently approaching similar issues that GigSafe is- Lewis Capaldi aims for his shows in 2020 to have safe spaces for anyone who is suffering from anxiety, thus making his performances more accessible.
Laura Snapes, The Guardian (2019).
What is GigSafe?
“The biggest difficulty in the job is the social anxiety the buddies experience when they are in the busy spaces. The vulnerable partner can become nervous and agitated around loud drunk people or in large venues like the SSE Hydro but the upside is that if we have a bad time at least we are having a bad time together!”
Sam, Gig Buddies Glasgow (2019)
1 in 4 people with a learning disability said they had been harassed by the public at a live event, and 1 in 3 felt as if they could not approach the staff of the venue. Mencap survey (2016).
“Ladies if you have ever wanted to crowd surf at a gig, but you’ve been too scared for fear of some f**k*ng moron touching you inappropriately, this is your chance to crowd surf in a safe environment where every male member of this audience will show you the respect you deserve as their equal”
Frank Carter, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes speech at their gig in Budapest (2019)
Ticketmaster has started a new protocol which benefits people with disabilities. Now they do not have to worry about the long process of ordering gig tickets and making sure they are suitable for themselves-the programme has been redesigned to automatically pick an area which suits the disability in the venue after the person has filled in their profile. Mark Savage, BBC News (2019).
Online Issues
Zoom Bombing
Programmes like Zoom have been used more frequently throughout the coronavirus pandemic and has been very beneficial for education, work and staying in contact with friends.
It has been brought to our attention that ‘Zoom Bombing’ is happening during meetings. This is online harassment caused by hackers, where inappropriate files are shared with Zoom users. This is not ok. Online harassment is still harassment, we know our platform is used for gigs however we have a duty care to our following.
There have been reports from Zoom meetings of sexual harassment, racism and unwanted attention (aka harassment). We would like to remind you, if this has happened to you, just because it happens through a screen does not mean it is less important to be heard.
If you would like to message us about anything that has happened to you over lockdown, we are all ears, we have linked in relevant helplines for you to use also. Here are tips we recommend that you follow if you are the host of any upcoming Zoom meetings, to ensure that you and your meeting members are safe.
If you wish to contact us, do so through the linked services on our ‘Interact with GigSafe’ section.
Tips for a safer Zoom Meeting:
- Steer clear from sharing your Zoom Meeting ID link online for the public to see.
- Make sure to use the Zoom meeting room to see whom is entering your call.
- Enable a password for users to enter safely.
- Disable the private chatroom.
- Disable custom backgrounds in meeting.
- Disable screen sharing.
- Do not hesitate to mute or remove any users who are disrupting the meeting.
- Lock your meeting once it starts.
Relevant Helplines for online Harassment:
- Support Line: https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/stalking-and-harassment/
- Victim Support: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/crime-info/types-crime/stalking-and-harassment
- Cyber Smile: https://www.cybersmile.org/contact-us
- Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
- Safe Helpline: https://www.safehelpline.org/online
Zoom Fatigue
Zoom Fatigue is tiredness and drained energy caused by zoom calls, and there has been a drastic increase of this due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is a perfectly normal thing to have, virtual calls can wear you down, and here’s why:
On a zoom call you pay more attention looking at who is speaking more than you would face to face. In person you have the opportunity of body language and you are not looked at as being rude if your gaze is not locked on theirs 24/7, however there is that feeling of rudeness when you are not looking at the zoom speaker.
You tend to concentrate a lot more on the speaker as you cannot ask the person next to you quietly about what they said if you missed. If your computer glitches and you miss what someone has said, you either miss it or interrupt the whole meeting flow.
It is hard to read people’s emotions on zoom when you speak as you can’t tell if they are listening or if they have missed something you have said, thus adding to the drained energy at the end from constantly worrying about this.
Lastly, it is so easy to be distracted on a call, we have mobile phones, disruptive family members, and drawn to looking at other users living rooms in the back of their call.
Tips to Reduce Zoom Fatigue:
- Remove any devices that could distract you in your call.
- Ask meeting members to sit in a room with clear backgrounds (if possible).
- Have breaks between meetings without the use of technology.
- Do not try to multi-task work in with the meeting.
- Make Zoom meetings an ‘opt-in’ meeting, to avoid force.
- If possible, use other ways of contacting like phone calls to reduce zoom calls.
- Reduce back to back zoom meetings, take care of yourself.
Zoom Anxiety
Zoom can be overwhelming especially in large meetings, here are a few tips on what you can do to reduce Zoom Anxiety.
- Don’t be afraid to decline the invitation to the call.
- Set yourself and others boundaries, let them know that large meetings are not what you would like if you prefer one to one.
- Turn off your camera which reduces the feeling of being stared at.
- Check your wifi is working properly, to reduce any stress in the call if the connection breaks.
- If you are the host, do not pressure people to join the meeting, as people can have a serious anxiety about being there.
- Plan what you will say if you decide to leave, this reduces any feelings of rudeness, even though it should be normalised to just leave a call the anxiety can still linger.
Upcoming Events
Due to COVID-19 all gigs we are scheduled to attend have been postponed, we hope to see you again soon.
Stay Safe!
If you would like us at your event(s) email us at:- gigsafeglasgow@gmail.com
Love Music Hate Racism is an anti-racism organisation and they bring to attention that music is what brings everyone together and stops division of race; they put on local events to continue the positive energy in different genres of music.
Previous Events
“I left the stage and walked straight for them, my mind an emotional blur. Security followed me. The man seemed dumbfounded when I showed up as if nothing was wrong” Brendan Ekstrom, Circa Survive
(Samuel Osborne, The Independent 2017).
Contacts and Helplines
Below find there are some contacts for charities or organisations already trying to help people with some of the problems. We have provided phone numbers and e-mail addresses for them
-
Gig Buddies
Gig Buddies Glasgow is an organisation that partners you up with a buddy with similar interests as your own to go gigging with.
• gigbuddies.org.uk -
The Equality and Human Rights Commission
If you have suffered from harassment/discrimination and need advice
• 0808 800 0082
• scotland@equalityhumanrights.com
-
Support Line
For if If you have been sexually assaulted or feel like you are being stalked, and need further assistance
• 0170 876 5200
• info@supportline.org.uk -
National Stalking Helpline
The National Stalking Helpline also provides support for stalking enquiries
• 0808 802 0300
• info@suzylamplugh.org