Oaklash's
BETTER EVENTS CHECKLIST
This is a living document our organization uses to curate the highest quality events that we can. While all spaces, programs, and communities are different, these guidelines can help you find opportunities to make your events more accessible and enjoyable for your performers, staff, and attendees.
While all of these may not be possible for every event, try and check off as many as you can within the skills and resources you have available! We consider items with a ☑ symbol to be the bare minimum and items with a ☐ symbol to be goals for events with more resources.
Make a copy of our checklist for your next event >>
Got something you think should be included? Shoot us an email at oaklashfeedback@gmail.com
ACCESSIBILITY
☑ Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Bring your own signage if needed!
☑ Have KN95 masks available and encourage masking throughout the space
☑ All programmed areas should be wheelchair accessible
☑ Have accessible seating options throughout the venue and priority seating for performances
☑ Clearly communicate accessibility information for the space to performers and attendees before the event
☑ Create a pathway for performers, staff, and attendees to communicate access support needs
☑ Separate green room/staging space for performers
☐ Have an accessibility coordinator on site for the event
☐ Lower stimulation area for attendees
Less noise, less movement and light, seating available
☐ Caption video content and have ASL translation, language translation, or live audio description available for performances
☑ Book a diverse cast
This means ensuring you include a range of performers of different races, genders, disability status, performance type, and more.
☑ Hire a diverse team of cultural workers to support the event
☑ Make the coin make sense!
Pay people fairly for their work, communicate rates and expectations clearly before bringing people on, and pay them on time.
Equity
Security
☑ Make sure there is private security and meet with them prior to your event to ensure they know who your audience is and your expectations for how issues should be handled
We communicate to the security staff that they are there to maintain a presence and should only intervene when called upon by a staff member.
☑ Make Naloxone (NARCAN) & testing strips available
☑ Make condoms and lube available
☑ Share Information about the event and community guidelines to be clear about who your event is for and how you expect audiences to behave
☑ Ensure water is freely available, along with nonalcoholic options
☑ Train staff on how to support someone who is intoxicated and how to prevent an opiod overdose with Naloxone (NARCAN)
☐ Have a dedicated harm reduction team
☐ Have event staff on site trained in de-escalation
☐ Have a medic team or event staff on site trained in first aid
Make a copy of our checklist for your next event >>
Got something else you think should be included? Shoot us an email at oaklashfeedback@gmail.com