CODE OF CONDUCT

The Process Matters:

        At FORGE, we believe that how you work matters as much as what you’re making and why. When you’re in one of our Retreats, Residencies or Workspaces (in person or online), that extends to how you treat the spaces, the staff, and your fellow makers. FORGE is committed to fostering a brave, inclusive, and equitable work environment that supports all makers and staff, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, age, disability status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other personal characteristic.

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       To make sure that all FORGE participants can make the most of their time, we ask everyone to read and agree to the following expectations:

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The Baseline

     ●  I agree to treat the space and makers who share it with me with a generosity that reflects their wholeness, makes space for

         experiences and communication styles that I may not share, and holds me accountable to my creative process.

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The Law

     ●  I agree to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations. I understand that violation of laws

         and regulations may subject me, as well as FORGE, to civil and/or criminal penalties.

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     ●  I am committed to a workspace that is free from sexual, racial, or other unlawful harassment, and from threats or acts of

         violence or physical intimidation, and otherwise agree to comply with FORGE’s sexual harassment policy. I agree that

         abusive, harassing or other offensive conduct is unacceptable, whether verbal, physical or visual. If you believe that you have

         been harassed or threatened with or subjected to physical violence in or related to the workplace, you should immediately

         report the incident to a FORGE staff member, who will arrange for it to be investigated. All efforts will be made to handle the

         investigation in a confidential manner.

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Working with Shared Time & Space

     ●  I agree that our access to FORGE’s physical and virtual spaces and all of their facilities and moveables is subject to FORGE’s

         discretion and I agree to abide by their rules and policies for the duration of our time in those spaces.

     ●  I agree not to occupy FORGE’s physical and virtual spaces outside the periods that FORGE has allotted.

     ●  I agree to treat FORGE’s physical and virtual spaces with respect, understanding their value as a shared resource for my

         current and future colleagues.

     ●  I agree to refrain from using or distributing software that may damage or disrupt FORGE’s work environment by transmitting

         a virus or conflicting with FORGE’s systems.

     ●  I agree not to bring any weapons or instruments of violence (including knives or any firearms) into FORGE’s physical spaces,

         or to make threats of violence within FORGE’s virtual spaces,.

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Working with FORGE

     ●  I agree to treat all Fellows, FORGE staff members, and guests with respect.

     ●  I agree to share my concerns with FORGE about any activities that may violate the Code of Conduct, or present a danger to

         the Fellows, FORGE staff members, or guests.

     ●  I agree to collaborate with FORGE using software and internet-based platforms that FORGE selects, given the following

         conditions: FORGE makes use of shared Google Drive folders to share and collaborate on documents with clients and

         Fellows. This information may include any offline or online data that makes a person identifiable such as names, addresses,

         usernames, digital footprints, photographs, social security numbers, financial data, personal information, business strategies

         and other information, etc. FORGE collects this information in a transparent way and only with the full cooperation and

         knowledge of interested parties. Once this information is available to FORGE, the following rules apply.

         FORGE’s data will be:

         ●  Accurate and kept up-to-date

         ●  Collected fairly and for lawful purposes only

         ●  Processed by the company within its legal and moral boundaries

         ●  Protected against any unauthorized or illegal access by internal or external parties

         FORGE’s data will not be (without a party’s consent):

         ● Distributed to any party other than the ones agreed upon by the data's owner (exempting legitimate requests from law

            enforcement authorities) without the prior written consent (email with return receipt received being sufficient) of such

            owner

         In addition to ways of handling the data FORGE has direct obligations towards people to whom the data belongs.

         Specifically we must:

         ● Let people know which of their data is collected

         ●  Inform people about how FORGE will process their data

         ●  Inform people about who has access to their information

         ●  Have provisions in cases of lost, corrupted, or compromised data

         ●  Allow people to request that FORGE modify, erase, reduce or correct data contained in FORGE’s databases

Working with Each Other

• I agree to not make assumptions about the gender, sexuality, race, religion, or other closely held beliefs of FORGE program participants, staff, and guests. I will speak only from my own perspective, understanding that it is no more or less salient and valuable than another. I will grant myself and others the grace of being and speaking “in draft,” and allow us room for growth and change. I will not shame, threaten, interrupt, or talk over anyone. I will speak directly and respectfully when I disagree, and if I lose my temper, I will stop and move away for a break until I can restart the conversation.

• I agree to not assume that the intimacy I feel towards someone is shared by them. If they physically or verbally ask me to stop, I will. I will use proper names and pronouns when I speak, and I will not subject anyone to comments on their clothing, bodies, physical attributes, cognitive function or personality characteristics. I understand that the way my behavior is received is as valid as the way my behavior was intended. I will listen to the feelings and responses of others, and adjust accordingly. I will name harassment of any kind if I see it.

• I agree that historical narratives and inherited systems of oppression and exploitation (including but not limited to: ableism, ageism, anti-blackness, classism, casteism, homophobia, misogyny, racism, transphobia, xenophobia, white supremacy) are inextricably connected to our individual life experiences and creative endeavors, and I acknowledge the reality of generational trauma and the existence of categorical privilege. I agree to recognize and further my own awareness of my relationship to those narratives, systems, traumas, and privileges, and I agree to welcome their complexity into my working relationships with kindness and humility. I understand that this work is never complete, and I am prepared to invest my time and energy in learning how to mitigate and prevent harm, as well as to be guided by others in the reduction of harm. I accept responsibility for the harm I may cause, and agree to attend to someone when they name a harm, and to defer to their preferences in repairing that harm.

• I acknowledge that even well-intended people have blind spots and make mistakes. I will engage in open-minded dialogue and seek to resolve disputes with respectful communication.

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Working with the House, Barn, and Property

• I agree to abide by FORGE’s rules and policies for the duration of our time at 130 West King Street. 

• I agree to treat and keep clean the property, facilities, and movables with respect, understanding their value as a shared resource for my current and future colleagues.

• I agree to take responsibility for myself, and my collaborators, and clean up any messes we make (returning spaces to their original conditions), immediately report, and seek help from FORGE in repairing, any damage we may cause to the property.

• I agree not to smoke within any buildings on the property, and to make sure that any materials are fully extinguished, fire-safe, and properly disposed of. 

• I agree to obtain advance written consent from FORGE before bringing any live animals or pets to the property.

• I recognize that there is no lifeguard on duty at the pool, and affirm my ability to swim safely before entering the pool enclosure. I agree to take full responsibility for any accidents or injuries that may occur within the pool enclosure, and release FORGE from any responsibility.

No Code of Conduct can provide definitive answers to all questions; FORGE recognizes that it is difficult to anticipate every decision or action that you may face or consider. Whenever there is doubt about the right ethical or legal choice to make, or questions regarding any of the standards discussed in the Code of Conduct, you should seek guidance from FORGE about the right thing to do, and keep asking until guidance is obtained.

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We encourage everyone to directly address behavior they experience or observe that does not uphold our commitments to each other, in so much as they are comfortable. Or, they can speak to any of the following people with whom they feel most comfortable, without fear of retaliation: FORGE Co-Founder, Chie Morita or FORGE Co-Founder Greg Taubman. Complaints will be taken seriously and treated with care and discretion. Confidentiality will be respected when at all possible.

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This Code of Conduct is a living document and will be periodically updated*. Failure to follow this Code, or to comply with federal, state, local, and any applicable foreign laws, and FORGE’s policies and procedures may result in, among other actions, expulsion from a FORGE program without refund, and a termination of any ongoing agreements with FORGE.

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*Last Updated January 21st, 2025.