Misfit Improv & Acting School Policies
Welcome and thank you so much for being here. We are a value-driven business and want to make sure everyone is fully informed about our mission and values so that we can all act in an inclusive and respectful way. These verbose statements, policies, and rules of engagement help us accomplish those goals. We encourage you to read them carefully. If you have any questions, thoughts, or comments, feel free to reach out at misfitavl[at]gmail[.]com.
Misfit's Mission Statement:
Misfit's mission is to be an inclusive community that provides educational experiences in the performing arts that drive inclusion, connection, and belonging.
Misfit Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
Misfit has a pro-human policy, which means we believe in the sanctity of honoring the human experience and each person's right to safety and inclusion, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Misfit celebrates you, in the way you identify, and your lived experience. We acknowledge that creating a diverse and inclusive community is a fluid process. There will always be room for us to grow and improve. We will do our best to honor your perspective(s) and welcome conversations about how we can create greater inclusion at Misfit. As an inclusive community, we choose to support and ally ourselves with diverse perspectives, and that also means we choose not to be inclusive of hate.
To currently support a diverse community we offer:
- Inclusion Scholarships for members of marginalized groups
- Work-study to trade work for classes
- Payment plans for classes
In the interest of inclusion and creating a safe space for creation and developing joy, we ask all community members to commit to the below rules of engagement.
We do realize this is a learning space and there are moments where we may not always make the best choice. If we become aware we are hurting someone, we make a new choice. We choose to be kind to ourselves, each other, and to create beautiful meaningful experiences connecting with each other.
To reach out with suggestions or insights please email us at misfitavl[at]gmail[.]com.
Anti-Harassment Policy:
Misfit does not welcome hate speech or hate actions of any variety. This includes racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual violence, physical violence, violence on stage, or putting another performer in an unsafe situation on stage.
To support being clear about these expectations:
- Students are asked to sign our student and faculty commitments that outline the below details.
- We have posted our commitments and policies in the classroom space.
- We share them at the beginning of Misfit events.
Expected Misfit Behaviors:
If children are in the classroom space, we default to family-friendly material.
When attending a Misfit event, we expect that participants and/or the audience will not interrupt or create a disruption of the event. We reserve the right to immediately eject anyone who Misfit leadership deems an interruption or disturbance to a Misfit event, with or without cause. It’s very unlikely, but we have to mention, no refunds upon ejection.
If a student is in a scene, and they feel the content of the scene is unsafe, they can call a timeout to discuss it as a class or privately with the instructor.
If a member of Misfit leadership sees or hears a choice that creates a potentially unsafe space, they can call "new choice" to navigate folks on stage towards content that is inclusive.
If overtly harmful behavior, violence, and/or hate speech were to occur, expect that leadership will stop the event and make a statement. We will call for a 10-minute break. Then leadership will talk directly with the person/team to reset the boundary, ask them to sit out the rest of the night, and potentially remove them from participating in anything Misfit. The event will then be discussed with Gillian Bellinger with the support of Megan Piscitelle, a clinical social worker and DEI&B expert.
If anyone is engaging in hate speech, hate actions, or non-inclusive behaviors there will be a series of steps that occur. The goal is to call people in and give folx the opportunity to evolve rather than to ostracize them, but it is dependent on the situation and that person’s willingness to engage and do the work of change.
For situations that are nuanced, like a violation of boundaries and expectations, there will be a conversation between the community member and Misfit leadership about the harm done and what repair or edification is needed.
We have a 3 strikes policy. If someone is spoken to 3 times, they may be asked to leave the space/class based on leadership’s discretion.
In overt acts of hate, whether that is the words someone uses or the choices they make that overtly violate these rules, leadership reserves the right to remove them from participating in anything Misfit.
This is a place of inclusion. If at Misfit you have experienced harassment of any form, please reach out to misfitavl[at]gmail[.]com, so that we may connect you with an external moderator to understand the situation and develop next steps.
Illness Policy:
At Misfit Improv and Acting School, we prioritize the health and well-being of our entire community. If you are displaying any symptoms of illness, we kindly ask that you do not attend class, even if you are wearing a mask. Many members of our community are immunocompromised, care for elderly adults, or have young children, and it is important that we all do our part to minimize the risk of spreading illness. We appreciate your understanding and commitment to creating a safe environment for everyone.
Attendance & Makeup Class Policy:
If you need to miss a class, no problem. The next time that level is offered, you are welcome to attend the week of class you missed for free. If you miss more than 3 classes in an 8-week class, you will be asked to repeat the level before moving on to the next level. We do not issue refunds for classes you miss, and you cannot buy a multi-week class by the class. They are sold in 8-week class sessions.
No Refund or Exchanges Policy:
There are no refunds on classes or exchanges to another class. While we realize that things come up that are sometimes out of our control, when you reserve your spot in a class, that means someone else doesn't get an opportunity to come. If we exchange you to a different class, someone loses an opportunity to be in your old class and an opportunity to be in the new class. Because our mission is creating an available space for performance and connection for as many people as possible, there are no refunds or exchanges to another class. However, if you find a friend that wants to take your spot and you work out reimbursement amongst yourselves, we will happily switch out your name for theirs. We are a small operation, and we appreciate your support serving as many people as we can.
Misfit Student and Faculty Rules of Engagement:
- We choose to be kind to ourselves and each other.
- We choose to listen.
- We choose to be in service of the scene & our scene partner(s).
- We choose to give ourselves the grace to learn.
- If we become aware we are hurting someone, we learn how to repair the harm and make new choices to repair the harm.
- Performance notes will be given by to Misfit coaches & teachers only.
- We choose to be inclusive.
- We honor pronouns and names.
- We choose to see “failure” as growth.
- We do not play stereotypes.
- We do not culturally appropriate life experiences that we have not lived.
- We do not make jokes at the expense of another person or group.
- We do not put our scene partners in sexually uncomfortable situations.
- We keep touching to handshakes or high fives.
- If we are going to touch our scene partner beyond high fives and handshakes, we ask for their consent.
- If children are in the classroom space, we default to family-friendly material.
- If a student is in a scene, and they feel the scene is unsafe, they can call a timeout to discuss it as a class, privately with the instructor, or just remove themselves.
- We choose to create beautiful meaningful experiences connecting with each other.
Accessibility:
Please note there is a flight of stairs into our space.
