Safe Space Statement

Updated 02/12/2020

Sky Candy’s mission is to share our love of aerial and circus arts with Austin, TX. We exist to foster a safe and supportive community for learning, performance and collaboration.

We believe in upholding every participant’s right to be themselves, while celebrating our diversity and maintaining an environment for safe aerial and circus practice. 

For us, “safe” has two meanings. As a teaching studio, we want to provide a physically safe environment for our students to learn and develop new skills. The sport we’re engaging with comes with many inherent safety risks and we do everything we can to create as low-risk an environment as possible.

To accomplish this goal, we ensure our building and rig points are approved by structural engineers for dynamic human load. We only use highly rated and consistently inspected equipment. We employ trained instructors with a focus on responsible skill progression, and we set clear safety guidelines for all students, staff, and participants to follow. 

Safe also means that we want all Sky Candy participants to feel comfortable in our studio and at our events. We want people from all walks of life to feel comfortable with taking a class, performing in a show, working with us, and otherwise engaging with our community.

We want you to know that if something or someone makes you feel uncomfortable at one of our events, no matter how minor it seems, you can report it to us and we will take action.

Harassment of Sky Candy students, staff, and performers will not be tolerated and anyone violating this policy in a class, at the studio, or at a performance may be removed, or, in some cases, banned from further interaction with the Sky Candy community.

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments or attitudes related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion; deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, nonconsensual photography or recording, sustained disruption of an event, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Sky Candy views neither ignorance nor intoxication as an excuse for harassment.

If anyone engages in harassing behavior towards you, the Sky Candy Studio Directors will take any action they deem appropriate, including, but not limited to warning the offender or banning them from future classes and events.

If you feel you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact our Studio Directors Team at directors@skycandyaustin.com or the Front Desk at frontdesk@skycandyaustin.com.

Sky Candy will be happy to help participants contact local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe when engaging with our community.

While we would like to feel that we offer an environment in which you can voice concerns about incidents as and when they happen, we also welcome you to reach out to us to inform us of past harassment or incidents related to our events which made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

Sky Candy also acknowledges that we are not above our own policies so please know all of the above applies to all members of our collective (owner, studio directors, managers, teachers, staff, and performers) in equal measure.

You can reach the Sky Candy Studio Directors at directors@skycandyaustin.com.  All communication related to this policy will be dealt with in confidence.