STANDARDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
DURING THE IRENA SANTOR “VISTULA SOUNDS” INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

 

§1. General Provisions

  1. The aim of these Standards for the Protection of Minors (hereinafter: the “Standards”) is to ensure the safe participation of children and adolescents (Minors) in the events organized under the Irena Santor “Vistula Sounds” International Festival.
  2. These Standards constitute the implementation of the obligation under Article 22b of the Act of 13 May 2016 on Counteracting the Threat of Sexual Crime and the Protection of Minors (Journal of Laws 2024, item 560).
  3. These Standards apply to all staff members, volunteers, third parties, and other persons in contact with Minors during the festival.

§2. Definitions

  1. Minor – person under the age of 18.
  2. Staff – all adults involved in the organization of the festival who are in contact with Minors (including organizers, artists, lecturers, volunteers, technical staff).
  3. Organizer – SAR SARGSYAN CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT Foundation based in Warsaw and SAR SARGSYAN CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT Artistic Agency based in Warsaw.
  4. Disturbing Incident – any suspicion of violence, abuse, harassment, or any other act that may affect the welfare of a Minor.

§3. Rules for Contact with Minors

  1. Each Staff member is required to:
    • Show respect to Minors, be polite, and respond to their needs;
    • Listen attentively to Minors and provide responses appropriate to their age, level of functioning, situation, needs, and abilities;
    • Within their competencies, inform the Minor about decisions made regarding them;
    • Respect the Minor’s right to privacy;
    • Assure Minors that, if they feel uncomfortable in a situation due to certain behaviours or words, they may report this to a coordinator/employee or designated person and expect an appropriate response and/or assistance.
  2. It is prohibited to:
    • Use any form of violence against Minors, including physical punishment, abuse of power or physical superiority (intimidation, coercion, threats);
    • Shame, humiliate, disregard, or insult Minors;
    • Raise one's voice, shout, or cause fear to Minors, unless required for safety purposes;
    • Disclose sensitive information about Minors to unauthorized persons, including other minors;
    • Behave inappropriately in the presence of Minors, including inappropriate language, offensive remarks, or references to sexual attractiveness;
    • Establish romantic or sexual relationships with Minors, or make inappropriate proposals, sexual comments, jokes, gestures, or share erotic/pornographic content in any form;
    • Show favouritism or discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, social, cultural, religious, or ideological status;
    • Record the image of Minors for personal use (filming, voice recording, photographing);
    • Offer or consume alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances with Minors or in their presence;
    • Invite Minors to their place of residence.
  3. It is recommended that Staff:
    • Acts in the presence of other adults or in public spaces;
    • Uses clear and understandable language;
    • Responds to signs of discomfort expressed by Minors.

§4. Staff Verification

  1. Each person having contact with Minors is required to:
    • Submit a written declaration of no criminal record (Annex No. 1) or present a certificate of no criminal record from the National Criminal Register;
    • Read these Standards for the protection of Minors.
  2. Verification records are stored for a period necessary to achieve its purpose, but no longer than for 6 years following the end of participation in the event.

§5. Persons Responsible for the Protection of Minors

  1. The Organizer appoints Child Protection Coordinators:
    • Małgorzata Staciwa – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +48 501 775 160
    • Dominika Olek – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +48 504 189 116
  2. Their responsibilities include:
    • Receiving reports of potential threats or violations of these Standards;
    • Cooperating with relevant organizations and institutions in the event of serious incidents;
    • Ensuring that child protection procedures are followed by all associates.

§6. Intervention Rules

  1. For Minors witnessing or falling victims to peer violence:
    • Immediately inform an adult guardian and/or coordinator. In the absence of an adult, call emergency number 112.
    • Support the victim with kind words, empathy, and disapproval of the aggression.
  2. For parents and guardians:
    • Show understanding and do not suggest the Minor caused the violence; express disapproval of the perpetrator’s behaviour.
    • Inform the Organizer and cooperate to resolve the issue if the Minor is involved in peer violence.
  3. For the Organizer:
    • Strictly comply with incident reporting rules.
    • Separate the Minor from the aggressor if needed for safety.
    • Prepare an incident report (Annex No. 4) and notify the Child Protection Coordinator.
    • The Coordinator will notify the Police and take legal action if needed, including notifying the family court.
    • In case of a minor incident, corrective actions are to be prepared together with the Minor and parents.
    • Repeated incidents require educational measures or family court notification.

§7. Procedure for Reporting Disturbing Incidents

  1. Each staff member must report any suspicion of safety violation immediately to the Child Protection Coordinator.
  2. Reports can be submitted:
    • In person to the Coordinator;
    • By email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
    • By phone to the Coordinator.
  3. Depending on the incident, the Coordinator must:
    • Secure the Minor, and/or
    • Remove the suspected person from contact, and/or
    • Report the case to Police, Social Welfare Centre, or Prosecutor’s Office.
  4. Each report is recorded in the Incident Register (Annex No. 4) and securely stored.

§8. Education and Training

  1. The Organizer provides mandatory training in:
    • Recognizing signs of violence;
    • Principles of safe contact;
    • Incident reporting procedures.
  2. Confirmation statements (Annex No. 5) are kept on file.

§9. Rules for Informing Participants

  1. Information about the Standards is published on the Festival’s and Organizer’s websites.
  2. Parents and legal guardians must read and understand the Standards before allowing Minor participation.
  3. All persons involved in the festival must read, understand, and comply with these Standards.

§10. Final Provisions

These Standards enter into force upon publication on the Organizer’s website. Amendments will be made through an addendum and also published.

ANNEXES