Professional Behaviour

Although it exists in the world of improvised theatre and comedy, the BIG Improv School is effectively an adult education institution, and as such, its staff members have an implicit duty of care to all students. All staff are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism and respect for students, audiences, other staff members, corporate clients, venue staff and volunteers.

Both codes of conduct must be upheld at all times, including, but not limited to: before, during and after workshops, after-class socialising, improv shows, student performances, weekend intensives and other events, written communication via email, text, phone calls and online classes, corporate and schools training and performances and the accommodation and/or travel to any such events.

Teaching is a privilege, not a right, regardless of status within the improv community. As such, all staff must recognise their power and authority and take steps to not abuse this position. All staff have a duty of care in the classroom, and in the running of the school, to create a safe and equitable environment where students feel supported and encouraged to speak up about their personal boundaries, knowing that they will be respected by staff and other students alike. Staff are expected to treat all students equitably regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, economic status, job type, appearance or any other personal detail of a student's life.

Responsibility & Accountability

Staff must be committed to their ongoing professional development by attending in-house training, sharing best practises, and being open to constructive criticism and feedback. Ongoing staff and workshop leaders will submit to regular auditing of their classes by a fellow staff member, and work towards implementing any agreed upon feedback, suggestions and changes. 

At the end of each course, students are asked to review the quality of the course and instruction, anonymously if they prefer. This feedback is collated, shared with, and discussed in detail among the school directors and teachers. All feedback is taken seriously, and appropriate, actionable steps are taken in regard to curriculum, class atmosphere, teacher conduct, student conduct etc. If any student would like to follow up on how their feedback was received and processed, they may contact the school.

It is the responsibility of all staff to be watchful for, and attentive to: problematic behaviour, student discomfort, possible discrimination, harassment, or unwanted behaviour during or outside of class. No staff member is required to deal with difficult situations alone, and teachers are encouraged to seek advice from the school directors or student liaison whenever necessary. Depending on the scale and frequency of the behaviour a staff member may also chose to:

• Stop a scene to maintain the physical and emotional safety of students and audience members.

• Talk with a student or students, in private, putting the class on a break, or break from the scheduled curriculum to discuss problematic scene content with the class with care.

• Follow up on such actions and provide ongoing support for students, reporting any persistent or grave problems to the school directors.

• Direct a student to another member of staff, school director or the student liaison (a community member appointed on a yearly basis who acts as an additional resource for the BIG community) to discuss any issues that may arise.

• If harassment or bullying, whether verbal, physical or sexual in nature is suspected, the issue should be brought to the school directors immediately, for proper investigation and appropriate disciplinary action, including exclusion from the school.

Interactions with Students

Teacher/Student relationships, such as dating, sexual, flirting, inappropriate messaging or otherwise, are not permitted for the duration of a course, or while a student is attending drop-in or one-off workshops, including social events outside of class. Starting a relationship of any kind in this situation requires an advance to be made, which represents an abuse of power on behalf of staff, and may result in a breach of trust and unequal treatment or unwanted attention. If a staff member and student are in a relationship prior to a course or workshop, they may work together provided their relationship is made known to the school directors, and both are comfortable working together. In this case, their relationship should in no way interfere with the class.

The open and friendly nature of improv is inherent in the BIG Improv School community, and we recognise that socialising, improvising, learning and performing together often go hand-in-hand with friendship and the formation of close bonds. While, over time, staff and students may become friends and rehearse, perform, and socialise together, new personal relationships will not be instigated by staff for the duration of a course, or while a student is attending drop-in or one-off workshops, including social events outside of class. Contact information such as email and phone numbers are to be used solely in the context of class communication, and friendships on social media platforms will not be instigated by the teacher. Pre-existing friendships will be exempt from this policy, as in the case of pre-existing romantic relationships.

While improv’s artistic nature can result in personal growth and has the potential to bring up personal feelings and issues, the BIG Improv School staff are not mental health professionals and the stage and improv classroom are not to be used as a substitute for therapy. A staff member may support any student for whom an issue arises in class by coaching them through a difficult scene, speaking with them one-on-one after class, or checking in with them about an issue. These discussions should always be framed in the context of the improv art form and not take the form of personal coaching or advice. Should the issue span beyond the classroom, or affect the class or student in a way that is beyond the teacher's responsibilities, the staff member should let the student know that they are not a mental health professional and that improv classes, while a good source for pin-pointing personal issues, are not the place to work through them.

Harassment

Harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, is strictly prohibited. The BIG Improv School will not tolerate harassment by anyone, including directors, teachers, staff, students, community members, visitors, volunteers and third parties. Harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s participation in the BIG Improv School’s programs, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment. Examples of prohibited harassment include, but are not limited to epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes directed at an individual based on their personal characteristics, which do not serve any class related function and/or fall outside the bounds of what is acceptable in the classroom, as set forth in the BIG Code of Conduct.

Sexual harassment encompasses a range of conduct from sexual assault (which is also a criminal act and will be treated as such) to conduct such as unwanted touching or persistent unwelcome attention, comments, sexual advances, propositions and/or requests for sexual favours. For example, sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or sexually directed remarks or behaviour constitute sexual harassment when (i) submission to or rejection of such conduct is made, explicitly, or implicitly, a basis for an academic decision or professional advancement, or a term or condition of either;  (ii) such conduct is directed against an individual despite its rejection or, (iii) such conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s participation or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment. 

Complaint Procedure

The BIG Improv School has an open door policy and encourages any student or community member with a grievance, question, complaint or feedback to contact us in any way suitable to them. Any staff member, student or community member who has felt unsafe or unwelcome while at a BIG Improv School class or event can discuss the issue with any member of staff, including the student liaison, in person or by phone, send an email to the school or individual staff member, or fill out the Feedback Form, anonymously if they prefer. Any staff member,  student or community member who experiences or witnesses bullying, unfair treatment or harassment of any kind, whether from a fellow student or a staff member, is encouraged to report it via any of the above listed channels.

Investigation Procedure

Incidents reported through the feedback form or directly to a BIG Improv School staff member will be investigated by at least two members of staff not involved in the incident and appropriate, proportional, and remedial consequences will be applied, including but not limited to: full or partial refund of tuition, disciplinary, educational, and/or other corrective action, up to and including termination, removal of a teacher or student from a class, suspension or removal of a staff member or student from the school and its activities, or criminal prosecution.

All concerns and complaints will be treated with confidentiality to the extent practicable without compromising the investigation and/or resolution of the matter, and will be investigated thoroughly and promptly. The individual who makes the report or is the target of the alleged harassment will be assured that all forms of harassment are expressly prohibited, that the BIG Improv School will conduct a confidential investigation, and that the school will take appropriate corrective action if harassment is found to have occurred. 

The timing, scope, and extent of the investigation will be determined by the school on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all details of the circumstances. The BIG Improv School expects all community members who are contacted in connection with an investigation to cooperate fully. Pending the outcome of an investigation, reasonably necessary and prudent interim measures, such as the separation of the complainant and the alleged offender, suspension from school activities for the alleged offender, or temporary leave for the complainant, will be taken at the school’s discretion, taking into consideration the complainant's wishes, the seriousness of the accusations, the background of the situation, and any other relevant information.

No retaliation

There will be no retaliation against any staff member, student or community member who, in good faith, raises a concern, reports an incident and/or participates in an investigation under this policy. No staff member or student may reprimand, retaliate or discriminate against an individual for raising a concern, making a complaint and/or participating in an investigation. Any individual who believes that they have been the victim of, or threatened with, retaliation in any manner should immediately inform one of the the BIG School of Improv directors or the student liaison, or fill out the Feedback Form, anonymously if they prefer.

Feedback

Our Code of Conduct and Staff Code of Conduct & Harassment Policy are the result of a collaborative process including research and outside consultation. The BIG Improv School considers the Code of Conduct to be a living document and is open to receiving feedback and advice regarding important inclusions and changes. Please contact us if you would like to give feedback on either the Code of Conduct or Staff Code of Conduct & Harassment Policy.