What does sexual violence prevention and safer space work look like in rural and remote music scenes?
Baseline began with a question: “What does sexual violence prevention and safer space work look like in rural and remote music scenes?”
Through site visits, focus groups, surveys, interviews, and countless informal conversations, we set out to better understand how smaller and / or more geographically isolated or under served communities navigate these issues. What we found may surface some assumptions you may carry about small towns. It certainly did for us. While participants spoke openly about barriers including limited funding, scarce services, geographic isolation, and the realities of navigating harm in close-knit communities, we also encountered so much creativity, adaptability, and treasured networks of support while doing this work.
This research highlighted communities already experimenting, adapting, and caring for one another in ways that reflect their local realities. Throughout this report, we explore both the strengths and challenges that emerged from the research, alongside a series of pathways forward informed by participant experiences, existing practices, and opportunities identified through the project.
