Code of Conduct.

The short version

Treat everyone with respect. Assume good faith. When someone tells you they're uncomfortable, believe them and adjust. If you wouldn't say it to your manager, don't say it here.

Expected behavior

• — Be kind. We mean it. It costs nothing.
• — Ask before taking photos of people. Respect "no."
• — Attribute ideas to their source. Credit travels further than you expect.
• — Make space for newcomers. They're why this festival exists.
• — If you need help, ask a volunteer (they have the badges).

Unacceptable behavior

• — Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination of any kind.
• — Unwelcome physical contact. Touch is a consent conversation.
• — Photography, audio, or video of people without their consent.
• — Sustained disruption of sessions, workshops, or other attendees.
• — Using AI tools during sessions in ways that distract others.
• — Sharing off-the-record content from workshops or Ethics Jam breakouts.

Reporting

If something feels wrong, tell us. Volunteers wear visible badges and will route your concern to a trained responder. You can also email safety@bcai.ca anytime during or after the festival. Reports are confidential and taken seriously.

Enforcement

Depending on the incident, we may have a direct conversation, ask someone to leave a session, remove them from the festival without refund, or report to authorities. We act on the side of the person reporting harm.

Applies to

All festival venues, evening events, online spaces associated with the festival (Slack, Discord, WhatsApp), and official social media interactions. It also applies to organizers, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, and attendees equally.

Expressive dress

Expressive dress is welcome at opening night and evening programming. The same community standards apply to outfits, costumes, and props as to everything else.

• — No costumes that mock, caricature, or demean a cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, or disability identity. When in doubt, do not wear it.
• — No props that could reasonably be mistaken for a weapon, even if clearly fake.
• — Costume makeup and prosthetics must not impersonate or stereotype another group. Full-body character costumes are fine; blackface, redface, and similar are not, ever.
• — Volunteers have authority to ask you to remove or change a costume element if it is causing discomfort. A direct, respectful conversation is how we handle this -- not escalation.

A one-page costume guideline will be published two weeks before the event. The short version: festive, creative, and kind. That is the standard.