Diversity this year at D&d has increased particularly as a result of BAME people attending in larger numbers than before. The New Diorama bought 150 tickets to offer them free of charge to BAMER community members. 120 were taken and 70 participants turned up to attend) thanks to Graeae 50 free tickets were made available to invite disabled participants to join. 9 attended.

We talked about the issue of safeguarding, what is a safe space, whose responsability is it to provide it at an event. And how can participants feel safe while benefitting from the spontaneous spirit of D&D that calls in sessions by people with at times no previous experience of faclitation and encourages conversations to emerge freely.

Ideas: re safe space.
-Participants could be given a card at the onset of the 3 days and be made aware of expectations re behaviour guidelines to keep the space safe.
-Could nominated persons be made available during D&D in case someone experience racism or other types of systemic oppression.
Important for those individuals to get particular training beforehand to not add to the problem for the person who will have come to speak to them in confidence.Making sure the person isn't victim-blamed.

Main discussion: Ethical issue: to which extent should the organisation D&D be responsible for making the space safe?
- strong voice for the organisation being responsible for prevention rather than damage control.
-How much needs to be offfered to address safety BEFORE the event (on website/ via links to allow particiapants to eduacte themselves/ take individual responsibility for their own priviledge etc) How to create a Heightening consciousness before he event?
-How about announcement in the big circle at the onset of the 3 days, something like " these are the skills that are going to help people during the conversations/sessions taking place in a diverse space. Rules of engagement and participation
-Also having A4 sheets on walls (also think about making this info accessible)with 5 to 7 points with a list of core principles that are obviously noticeable for participants.
-Have the host encourage, invite and require participants to consider them at the onset of the 3 days
-Having more BAMER yellow shirts in the space!

How do we achieve a balance between the need for? facilitation skills required during the sessions to keep the conversation open and the need to be abiding by a broader set of principles

Consider principles that include curiosity, kindness and being open in order to promote equality during the conversations and take into account the diversity in the group.

Consider involving cultural elders in advising about core principles?

Need for a satellite D&D (3 hours long) to address the above and unable D&D to come up with a set of core principles that adress overt and covert oppression successfully before and during the event.