Code of Conduct

1. General Participant Guidelines

• Mutual Support: Support your fellow improvisers on and off stage. Improv thrives on collaboration and making your scene partner look good.
• Active Listening: Listen attentively to yourself and your partner. Work with the ideas offered, unless they make someone feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or demeaned.
• Physical Boundaries: Always respect physical boundaries. Never perform actions or moves that are physically dangerous to yourself or others.
• Intimacy & Consent: Establish clear consent before exploring physical contact or intimate scene dynamics.
• Zero Tolerance for Harassment: Help us maintain an environment free from discrimination, intimidation, hate speech, or harassment of any kind.
• Grace & Accountability: If someone lets you know that a boundary has been crossed, listen with openness and respect without becoming defensive.

2. Student Expectations & Community Boundaries

• Punctuality & Continuity: Arriving on time demonstrates respect for your instructor and your ensemble. Excessive absences (e.g., missing more than 3 sessions in a module) may affect participation in showcase performances.
• Classroom Respect: Minimize distractions (e.g., phone usage) and avoid side conversations while others are performing or receiving instruction.
• Community & Dating Etiquette (No Serial Pursuits): While organic friendships and romantic connections happen, treating the school, ensemble, or community as a personal dating pool (e.g., systematically pursuing multiple classmates or teachers) is strictly discouraged. Disruptive romantic pursuits, persistent unwanted advances, or behaviors that create awkwardness, conflict, or unsafe dynamics within a class will be addressed by management.
• Welcoming Feedback: Instructor feedback is a pedagogical tool intended for creative growth, not a personal critique.

3. Teacher & Staff Expectations

• Strict Boundaries on Relationships: Teachers and staff hold a position of influence and trust. Instructors are strictly expected not to initiate or engage in romantic or sexual pursuits with their current students.
• Power Dynamics & Transparency: If a pre-existing or external relationship exists or develops, it must be disclosed immediately to school management in confidence so that alternative class arrangements can be made to preserve a neutral, fair environment.
• Safe Environment: Teachers are responsible for establishing a supportive atmosphere where physical, emotional, and artistic boundaries are honored.
• Confidentiality: Private conversations between students, teachers, and management are handled with discretion and respect.

4. Reporting & Resolution Procedure

If you feel uncomfortable, experience a crossed boundary, or witness inappropriate behavior during a class, workshop, or show:

• Reach Out: Speak directly with your instructor or contact school management.
• Confidentiality Assured: All reports will be handled promptly, with care, empathy, and strict confidentiality.
• Action & Enforcement: IRIS reserves the right to issue formal warnings or, in severe or repeated instances, remove individuals from programs without refund.

For any questions, concerns, or reports, please email us directly at info@irisimprov.com.