A Voice for the Innocent, a non-profit dedicated to giving a voice to victims of rape and sexual abuse, is teaming up Warped Tour to launch Save Our Scene, a campaign aimed at reducing sex crimes in the music industry through education. The full press release is below.
APRIL 11, 2016 – A Voice for The Innocent, a non-profit dedicated to giving a voice to victims of rape and sexual abuse, will partner with Van’s Warped Tour to launch Save Our Scene, a campaign aimed at reducing sex crimes in the music industry through education. Warped Tour has a history of supporting social causes that resonate with young music fans by partnering with non-profit organizations, but A Voice for the Innocent will be the first to bring a comprehensive education and prevention program targeted at sex crimes. Through this partnership Warped Tour hopes to spearhead a cultural shift and set a new standard within the music industry. Save Our Scene is an unprecedented effort to curb sex crimes through workshops on identification, prevention, and intervention to help ensure the safety of fans and musicians during the entirety of the tour. Classes will be held for fans and bands alike, to teach the impact of sexual violence, how to identify problematic behavior, as well as effective bystander practices so the community has the tools necessary to empower change whether they are on stage, or just hoping for a backstage pass. Music festivals are more popular than ever as every summer sees the return of long time favorites like Warped Tour and the addition of new festivals in nearly every genre. With more people attending larger events more often, rates of assault, rape, sexual imposition and harassment have seen steady increases across the music industry. The prevalence of sex crimes has not gone unnoticed by music lovers, who are often drawn to bands and tours which offer a sense of community and acceptance. Seeing their communities in danger, fans have taken to social media to voice increasing concern, and to demand real change that will make festivals safer and more enjoyable. Through the Save Our Scene campaign, A Voice for the Innocent is poised to impact these unfortunate statistics through the support of Warped Tour. During the month of April, A Voice for the Innocent will launch a crowdfunding campaign via Generosity.com to cover additional costs of Save Our Scene that remain after a generous donation from Van’s Warped Tour. More info can be found and donations can be made at SaveOurScene.org.
A Voice For The Innocent is a community of support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. It is a safe, anonymous space for sharing stories and fostering strong relationships between people who have had similar experiences.
For more information, please visit www.AVFTI.org or www.Facebook.com/AVoiceForTheInnocent.