Dignity At Work Policy

1. Purpose

Everyone engaged by NOCTURN Creative Ltd — employed or freelance — is entitled to work free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation. This policy sets out what that means in practice, what we expect of everyone working with us, and what happens when something goes wrong.

It should be read alongside our Equal Opportunities, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and our Fair Work First Statement. It draws on Equity's guidance on safe working environments, which we regard as the relevant sector standard for the kind of work we make. ‍

2. Scope‍ ‍

This policy applies to the Director, employees, freelance artists, technicians, producers and creative collaborators, and to participants, partners and suppliers in their dealings with NOCTURN's team. It applies in rehearsal and performance spaces, at residencies and on location, in online and remote working, and in any social setting connected to the work. ‍

3. What we mean by bullying and harassment

Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 — age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation — which has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It also includes unwanted conduct of a sexual nature.

Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or an abuse of power, that undermines, humiliates or injures the person on the receiving end.

Victimisation is treating someone badly because they have raised a concern, supported someone else's concern, or are believed to be about to.

Conduct can amount to harassment whether or not it was intended to. What matters is the effect on the person experiencing it, judged reasonably. A single incident can be enough.

4. Specific commitments for the work we make ‍

NOCTURN makes participatory and embodied work, often with people sharing personal experience, and often involving physical closeness or the capture of personal material. We therefore commit to the following: ‍

• Intimacy and physical contact. Where work involves physical closeness, intimate or embodied material, an Intimacy Director is engaged. Consent to physical contact is established in advance, is specific, and can be withdrawn at any point without consequence for the person withdrawing it.

• Capture of voice, likeness, body and motion data. Consent and clear terms around the use of captured material are agreed at contracting, not assumed. Collaborators are told what is being captured, how it will be used, for how long, and what happens to it afterwards. Equity's work on performers' rights in this area informs our terms.

• Emotionally exposing material. Where the work engages personal or difficult experience, we agree in advance what a person is and is not willing to share, and we build in the means to stop. Specialist safeguarding partners are engaged where participants may have experienced minority stress, marginalisation or vulnerability.

• Power and informality. Small artist-led companies work through close personal relationships, which is a strength and also a risk: informality can make it harder to say no or to raise a problem. We are explicit about roles, decision-making and boundaries at the outset precisely because the working culture is close.

• Working hours and rest. Schedules include adequate breaks and rest between calls. We do not treat willingness to work long hours as a measure of commitment.

5. What we expect of everyone‍ ‍

• Treat colleagues, participants and partners with respect.

• Consider the effect of your behaviour on others, not only your intention.

• Do not retaliate against anyone who raises a concern.

• Speak up where you see something wrong, including where it does not affect you directly. ‍

6. Raising a concern

Anyone who experiences or witnesses behaviour that breaches this policy may raise it through any of the routes set out below. There is no requirement to raise it internally first, and no requirement to use a formal process before an informal conversation.

Internal routes

• Directly with the Artistic Director, John Darvell

• Through the workforce representative appointed for the project, where the person would rather raise it through a peer

External routes — open to everyone, and available at any time

• ACAS, for employment or freelance engagement disputes (acas.org.uk) — no union membership required

• Equity, the Musicians' Union, BECTU or Artists' Union England, for members

• The Equality and Human Rights Commission, for concerns relating to discrimination (equalityhumanrights.com)

• The project's safeguarding partner, where one is in place

• The host venue's safeguarding lead, for concerns arising at a partner venue

• Creative Scotland's complaints process, for concerns relating to Creative Scotland funded work

Concerns about the Artistic Director

NOCTURN is a sole-director company. There is no one internally senior to the Artistic Director, and we do not pretend otherwise. Where a concern is about the Artistic Director, it should be taken to one of the external routes above. NOCTURN commits to engage in good faith with any external process, including providing relevant documentation, attending meetings and accepting findings. ‍

7. How we respond

• Concerns raised directly with NOCTURN are acknowledged within five working days.

• The person raising the concern is asked what outcome they are seeking, and their wishes are taken seriously in deciding how to proceed.

• Matters are handled confidentially so far as is possible, and information is shared only with those who need it.

• Where a concern is upheld, we take proportionate action — which may include changes to working arrangements, ending an engagement, or reporting to a relevant authority.

• No one who raises a concern in good faith will have their current or future engagement with NOCTURN affected by having done so. This applies whether or not the concern is upheld.‍ ‍

8. Review‍ ‍

This policy is reviewed annually, alongside our Equal Opportunities, Diversity & Inclusion Policy, drawing on project feedback, sector guidance, and changes in legislation and case law.

Signed on behalf of NOCTURN Creative Limited:

‍ ‍

John Darvell

Artistic Director and Founder NOCTURN Creative Limited

‍ ‍

Date: July 2026