Policies

Updated October 2022

The Toronto Fringe is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination, violence and harassment, where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, can contribute fully and have equal opportunities.

Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, every person has the right to be free from harassment, violence and discrimination. Harassment, violence and discrimination will not be tolerated, condoned or ignored at The Toronto Fringe. If a claim of harassment, violence or discrimination is proven, disciplinary measures will be applied, up to and including termination of employment or in the case of participant or patron, banning from the events presented by The Toronto Fringe.

The Toronto Fringe is committed to a comprehensive strategy to address harassment, violence and discrimination, including:

• providing training and education to make sure everyone knows their rights and responsibilities
• regularly monitoring organizational systems for barriers relating to Code grounds
• providing an effective and fair complaints procedure
• promoting appropriate standards of conduct at all times.

Harassment at The Toronto Fringe is not tolerated. Employees or volunteers who are found to have harassed another individual may be subject to disciplinary action. This policy applies to all current employees of The Toronto Fringe including full and part-time, casual, contract, permanent and temporary employees, and to all persons who attend at any of The Toronto Fringe's workspaces (including without limitation, certain offices, theatres, tents and outdoor spaces), including without limitation, patrons, volunteers, artists and other third party participants, independent contractors, and members of the Board of Directors.

This policy also pertains to any persons who are demonstrating anti-discrimination, violence or harassment and are present at a gathering due to the Toronto Fringe; this includes and is not limited to; the theatres we rent, the Fringe club during the summer, the tent at Next Stage Festival and our Fringe KidsFest Club.

Executive Director (exec@fringeotoronto.com) and the Managing Director (manager@fringetoronto.com) will be responsible for making decisions related to this policy.

Anyone who feels they have been harassed or discriminated against can email either or both at the above emails and know that the information will be treated with the strictest of confidentiality.
If a person would rather remain anonymous we have posted a form that anyone can fill in and return and will only be seen by the above two staff members.

Definitions of Harassment is:

• offending or humiliating someone physically or verbally;
• threatening or intimidating someone; or
• making unwelcome jokes or comments about someone’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or pardoned conviction.

Sexual harassment is:

• offensive or humiliating behaviour that is related to a person’s sex;
• behaviour of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, unwelcome, hostile or offensive work or social environment; or
• behaviour of a sexual nature that could reasonably be thought to put sexual conditions on a person’s job or employment opportunities.

Violent behaviour may include:

• include hitting a worker,
• throwing objects at a worker,
•  sexual violence, or threats, whether conveyed verbally, in writing, or through behaviour.
• A customer, client, student, co-worker, supervisor, or a stranger could be violent or threaten to be violent in the workplace.

The Toronto Fringe is responsible for:

• providing all employees and volunteers a harassment-free workplace.

The Managing Director and Executive Director are responsible for:

• the administration of this policy;
• reviewing this policy annually, or as required; and
• making necessary adjustments to ensure that this policy meets the needs of the organization.

They are also responsible for:

• ensuring that this policy is applied in a timely, consistent and confidential manner;
• determining whether or not allegations of harassment are substantiated; and
• determining what corrective action is appropriate where a harassment complaint has been substantiated

Employees/Volunteers are responsible for:

• treating others with respect in the workplace;
• reporting harassment to the Managing Director or Executive Director
• cooperating with a harassment investigation and respecting the confidentiality related to the investigation process;

Employees/Patrons/Artists and Volunteers can expect:

• to be treated with respect in the workplace;
• that reported harassment will be dealt with in a timely, confidential and effective manner;
• to have their rights to a fair process and to confidentiality respected during a harassment investigation; and
• to be protected against retaliation for reporting harassment or cooperating with a harassment investigation.

Procedures for Addressing a Harassment Complaint Filing a Complaint:

1. A person may file a harassment complaint by contacting the Managing Director or Executive Director
2. The complaint may be verbal or in writing.
3. If the complaint is made verbally, the Managing or Executive Director will record the details provided by the person
4. The person should be prepared to provide details such as what happened; when it happened; where it happened; how often and who else was present (if applicable). Complaints should be made as soon as possible but no later than within one year of the last incident of perceived harassment, unless there are circumstances that prevented the person from doing so.
5. The Managing Director or Executive Director will tell the person that the harassment complaint has been made against, either in writing or in person, that a harassment complaint has been filed. The letter will also provide details of the allegations that have been made against him or her.
6. Every effort will be made to resolve harassment complaints within 2 days.
7. The Managing Director or Executive Director will advise both parties of the reasons why, if this is not possible. If either party to a harassment complaint believes that the complaint is not being handled in accordance with this policy, he or she should contact the Managing or Executive Director.

Substantiated Complaint

If a harassment complaint is substantiated, the Managing Director or Executive Director will decide what action is appropriate.

Remedies for the person who was harassed may include: an oral or written apology; compensation for lost wages; compensation for any lost employment benefits such as sick leave; and compensation for hurt feelings. Corrective action for the person found to have engaged in harassment may include: a reprimand; a suspension; a transfer; a demotion; and/or dismissal. Both parties to the complaint will be advised, in writing, of the decision.

Other Redress

An employee who is not satisfied with the outcome of the harassment complaint process may file a discrimination complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Privacy and Confidentiality

All parties to a harassment complaint are expected to respect the privacy and confidentiality of all other parties involved and to limit the discussion of a harassment complaint to those that need to know.

Everyone is expected to uphold this policy and to work together to prevent workplace violence.

The Toronto Fringe and all individuals involved in the harassment complaint process, will comply with all requirements to protect personal information.
The Toronto Fringe will review this policy and procedures on an annual basis, or as required, and will make necessary adjustments to ensure that it meets the needs of all employees.

Enquiries about this policy and related procedures can be made to Laura Paduch, Managing Director, at manager@fringetoronto.com.

Click here to download this policy as a pdf document.

The Toronto Fringe is a non-profit, registered charity dedicated to creating opportunities for both emerging and established artists to produce their work with artistic freedom while engaging members of the community by making productions as affordable and accessible as possible.

The Toronto Fringe is a platform for everyone to access, discover, and experiment with the arts. By valuing creative experiences, we contribute to a healthy arts economy, and ultimately a thriving society. In order to implement this mission, we produce two important festivals - the Toronto Fringe Festival and the Next Stage Theatre Festival.

The Toronto Fringe is committed to diversity and inclusivity at all levels of our company. Our policies and practices encourage positive attitudes throughout the organization.

We will make every effort to identify and remove any barriers to inclusion within all aspects of the organization by making decisions and communicating without regard to ethnicity, age, gender identity or expression, color, disability, national origin, family or marital status, language, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, or any other characteristics that make our communities and individuals unique.

We will continue to be reflective of the community we live in and are committed to employment equity and diversity. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. We make accommodations available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

This will be reflected in our volunteer pool, staff and board of directors as well as all those that use the organization, whether through Festival participation or through other ancillary events.

The benefits of an inclusive approach include:

• Broadening the perspective, innovation and skills of the organizations through diversity of thought
• Strengthening the artistic integrity of the community as a whole
• Serving as a model of fairness, equity, and equality of opportunity for our communities
• Developing individuals’ skills such as cultural self-awareness and cross-cultural communication by learning from one another through our individual and collective narratives
• Extending opportunities for partnerships, markets and audiences
• Expanding outreach and enhancing community engagement in order to stay relevant to our growing and ever diversifying communities

The Toronto Fringe recognizes there is ongoing work required to reach our goals surrounding this policy and we are committed to realizing them.

Definitions

The Toronto Fringe bases all understandings and policies on these commonly accepted definitions:

• Diversity: the presence of a wide range of human qualities and attributes within an individual, group or organization. Diversity includes such factors as age, sex, race, ethnicity, physical and intellectual ability, religion, sexual orientation, educational background and expertise.
• Inclusion: appreciating and using our unique differences – strengths, talents, weaknesses and frailties – in a way that shows respect for the individual and ultimately creates a dynamic multidimensional organization.

Responsibilities:

• Board of Directors: to approve and review diversity policy.
• Toronto Fringe management: To oversee the day to day implementation; staff will embody the values and support implementation.
• All employees: To treat all other employees, partners, and stakeholders with dignity and respect and in a fair and non-discriminatory manner in all employment and customer service related dealings.

Accommodation

In order to discharge its obligations under this policy, The Toronto Fringe will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate the particular needs of employees and volunteers, subject to operational requirements.

Legal

We will follow legal requirements of the Ontario Human Rights Act, Ontario Equity Act and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Please see also separate policies on, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Health and Safety, Privacy and our Good Neighbour policy

Date: July 2, 2018

Click here to download this policy as a pdf document.

Updated October 2022

The Toronto Fringe runs two festivals, the Toronto Fringe Festival and the Next Stage Theatre Festival, and takes over venues throughout the City of Toronto. Our intention for both festivals is to engage with and incorporate ourselves into the communities that we are producing in, meaning that everyone is welcome to our events and we do not want our festivals to impose on or inconvenience our neighbours.

The Toronto Fringe Festival’s festival hub and outdoor patio, POSTSCRIPT, is located at the TRANZAC Club at 292 Brunswick Avenue and situated among residential, retail, and office buildings. In an effort to minimize disruption to our neighbours and to mitigate any potential noise issues, we have several practices in place at our patio.

The Fringe runs annually for 12 days in July (2022 dates are July 5-16), with set up taking place in the days prior and take down taking place in the days following. POSTSCRIPT is open 5pm-2am on weekdays, and 12pm-2am on weekends, and is free and open to everyone.

The site is comprised of our main festival box office, an outdoor stage, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, and a full service bar. The stage programming features early evening outdoor entertainment ranging from family style entertainers, local indie bands, comedy nights, and artist run cabarets.

All amplified noise will be finished before 11pm nightly. Subwoofers before that time will only be used if completely necessary. Sound levels will be checked consistently in the evenings, and will be monitored every 30 minutes after 11pm in order to abide by the Municipal Code of Toronto Chapter 241 (noise bylaw), which states that noise must remain under 85dB as measured from the surrounding sidewalk.

A trained and licensed security professional will be posted at every entrance/exit of the patio and will inform patrons to exit quietly and not gather at the exits.

The Fringe is committed to a respectful and productive relationship with the surrounding residents’ associations at all of our venues. We welcome feedback from the community at any point during our time there.

During the festival any security or noise concerns can be communicated to the Fringe by email which will be monitored 24/7 of the festival at general@fringetoronto.com.

This policy is also available in PDF form here: Toronto Fringe 2017 Policies  Procedures.pdf

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Customer Service Standard - Policies and Procedures

Updated May, 2017

Introduction

The Toronto Fringe is committed to extending a high level of customer service to all of its patrons.  We are dedicated to demonstrating leadership by working constructively with our venues, patrons, staff, volunteers and community to meet and exceed the requirements which will identify, prevent and remove barriers so a fulfilling theatrical experience can be enjoyed by patrons with disabilities.

Definition of Disability

“Disability” means,

• (a) any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
• (b) a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
• (c) a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
• (d) a mental disorder, or
• (e) an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997; (“handicap”).

Ontario Human Rights Commission/Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) became law on June 13, 2005.  Under this landmark legislation, the government of Ontario developed mandatory accessibility standards that identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities in key areas of daily living. The standards apply to private and public sector organizations across Ontario. The goal is for the province to be accessible by 2025.

On June 6, 2016, the Ontario government consolidated the regulations to the AODA into a single regulation called the Integrated Accessibility Standard (IASR).

The IASR includes the following sections:

• General
• Information and Communication
• Employment
• Transportation
• Design of Public Spaces
• Customer Service

The Customer Service Standards address business practices to provide better customer service to people with disabilities.

The Customer Service Standard (AODA)

Every business and organization operating in Ontario that provides goods, services and facilities to the public or other organizations and has at least one employee in Ontario has to meet the requirements of the Customer Service Standard. Every provider must:

1. Develop, implement and maintain policies and procedures on providing goods, services and facilities to patrons with disabilities.
2. Provide training on the IASR requirements and the Ontario Human Rights Code, and how to serve patrons with disabilities to staff, volunteers, contractors, and anyone else who interacts with the public or other third parties on your behalf, and those involved in developing customer service policies, practices and procedures.
3. Establish a process for receiving feedback on how you provide service to patrons with disabilities and how you will respond to feedback and take action on any complaints.  Make information about the feedback process readily available to the public.
4. Communicate with a patron with a disability in a manner that takes into account his or her disability.
5. Let patrons with disabilities bring their service animals onto any part of your premises open to the public, except where the animal is otherwise excluded by law.
6. Let patrons with disabilities bring their support person with them when accessing goods or services on parts of your premises open to the public.
7. Let the public know when facilities or services that people with disabilities usually use to access your goods or services are temporarily unavailable.
8. Document all policies, practices and procedures to providing accessible customer service and notify the public that these documents are available upon request.

Overview of the Growing Disability Theatre Market

Disability impacts the lives of many Ontarians. The numbers of people with disabilities is increasing and the disability sector is a growing market.  Research indicates accessible service attracts more patrons with disabilities, resulting in return visits and increased revenue.

Ontario

• 1 in 7 people in Ontario, 4.4 million Canadians and 1 in 5 people in the United States - all have disabilities. 
• In 20 years, one in five Ontarians are likely to have some kind of disability.
• 10 – 20% of the general population have hearing loss; 50% of people over 65 have hearing loss.
• 600,000 Canadians have self identified as having vision loss.
• 6% of people with physical disabilities use a wheelchair.
• Many of our veterans have disabilities.  Men and women, who want to carry on their life activities with friends and family, will demand access to do so.
• It is projected that the older population will double in the next 25 years.
• Many disabilities are invisible and need to be considered when responding to adaptive needs.
• In the next 20 years, people with disabilities will represent 40% of total income in Ontario – that’s $536 Billion of spending power. Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment, Ontario, 2013 With increased audience development, potential patrons can be invited and encouraged to spend some of their disposable income attending the Toronto Fringe Festival, particularly if accessible features and adaptive needs are well publicized.
• While average life expectancy in Ontario is just under 80 years, the DFLE (disability-free life expectancy) is only 68 years of age.  After that, Canadians can expect to live more than a decade – until 81 years – with a significant physical or mental disability before they die. Statistics Canada
• Almost half of all people with disabilities make the buying decisions for their households.

Towards an Accessible Future: Ontario Innovators in Accessibility and Universal Design”, MaRS 2013

Statistics to Support Theatre Production Design for Patrons with Adaptive Needs

Patrons on the Autism Spectrum (Relaxed performances)

• In the United States in 2014 a report indicated that 1 in 68 children have an autism spectrum disorder.
  • This was a 30 per cent jump from the last estimate of 1 in 88 children and a 1,000% increase over the last forty years. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The National Epidemiologic Database for the Study of Autism in Canada (NEDSAC) in 2010 estimated the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in Canada as 1 in 94 children.

Patrons Who Are Blind or Have Vision Loss (Performances with live audio description)

• 1 million Canadians are living with blindness or significant vision loss. This number is expected to double within the next 25 years. Source: CNIB

Patrons Who are Deaf, Deafened or Have Hearing Loss (Performances with ASL interpretation)

• Nearly 1 out of every 4 adult Canadians reports having some hearing loss, although closer to 10% of people actually identify themselves as culturally Deaf, oral deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing. Canadian hearing Society: 2013
• According to Statistics Canada, more than one million adults across the country reported having a hearing-related disability, a number more than 50% greater than the number of people reporting problems with their eyesight (Stats Can, 2002).
• 530,210 people in Ontario (4.74% of the population) are deaf or hard of hearing. (Canada Census 2006)

Accessible Patron Service at The Toronto Fringe

To ensure compliance with the Customer Service Standard, The Toronto Fringe has:

• Reviewed existing policies and procedures and identified gaps.
• Revised and developed new policies and procedures, as required.
• Recommended long term priorities that continue to enhance the experience for patrons with disabilities.
• Developed and implemented a communication plan to increase understanding of the Customer Service Standards.
• Developed and delivered training programs for staff and volunteers on the content required by the Customer Service Standard, which also accommodates, on an on-going basis, the high turnover at the Fringe each year.
• Worked with and continues to engage proactively with the theatre venues to enhance access in the delivery of goods, services and facilities to patrons.
• Developed a sustainability plan to ensure access continues to be integrated into on-going business plans.

Customer Service Standard – The Toronto Fringe’s Policies and Procedures

In complying with the requirements, The Toronto Fringe makes reasonable efforts to ensure that its policies and procedures are consistent with the following principles, as defined by the Customer Service Standard, AODA:

• All goods, services and facilities at The Toronto Fringe will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity of people with disabilities.
  • Dignity:  service is provided in a way that allows the person with a disability to maintain self-respect and the respect of other people.
  • Independence: when a person with a disability is allowed to do things on their own, without unnecessary help or interference from others.
  • Integration and Equal Opportunity: service is provided in a way that allows the person with a disability to benefit from the same services, in the same place, and in the same or similar way as other patrons, unless an alternate measure is necessary to enable a person with disability to access goods or services.  They should not have to make significantly more effort to access or obtain service.  They should also not have to accept inconvenience or lesser quality.  Sometimes this may mean that The Toronto Fringe has to treat individuals slightly differently so that they can benefit fully from the services.

Assistive Devices

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe is committed to serving and welcoming people with disabilities who use assistive devices.

Procedures:

If any of our venues make assistive devices available, the Fringe volunteers and staff are committed to being aware of the various assistive devices and how to support their use.   Assistive devices are devices that are used to assist persons with disabilities in carrying out activities or in accessing the services of persons or organizations and can include:

• Wheelchairs
• Hearing assistive receivers;
• Close captioning systems;
• Live descriptive services.

Communicating with a Patron with a Disability

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe’s policies and procedures take a person’s disability into account when communicating with the individual.  Two-way communications is a process of providing, sending, receiving and understanding information.  To communicate in an effective way, The Toronto Fringe considers how the disability affects the way that the person expresses, receives or processes communications.  Where possible, The Toronto Fringe asks the patron directly the best way to communicate with him/her.

Procedures:

The Toronto Fringe uses a variety of ways, wherever possible, to make communications more accessible by:

• Considering the needs of people with disabilities during the planning stage of services and communication development.
• Using plain language to make a document easier to read for people with certain learning disabilities.
• Making our rented venues aware of the requirements and the options for accommodating patrons with disabilities.
• Where possible, offering information in alternate formats or with communication supports, upon request, to include:
  • Hand-written or typed information; Assistance in navigating show descriptions to the patron; E-mail as an alternate channel to provide accessible communication; Braille ASL Video

Service Animals

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe is committed to welcoming patrons with disabilities who are accompanied by a trained, accredited service animal who come to the administrative office and theatres and makes third parties aware of this policy.  A service animal may accompany a patron or any third party with a disability to all parts of our premises that are open to the public.  Service animals may be used for, but not limited to, the following disabilities: vision loss, physical disability, hearing loss, autism, epilepsy etc. Although service animals are most commonly dogs, other service animals could include, but are not limited to, ferrets, monkeys etc.  The Toronto Fringe ensures that all employees are properly trained in how to interact with people with disabilities, who are accompanied by a service animal.

Procedures:

To be considered a service animal under this standard, it must either be readily apparent that the animal is being used because of a person’s disability or the person with a disability may be asked to provide a letter from a regulated health professional confirming that it is required because of his or her disability. Service animals are not pets - they are working animals. They are used by people with disabilities to overcome barriers much like assistive devices such as a white cane or a wheelchair.

Guide dogs or other service animals, including service animals in training, are allowed to accompany people with disabilities on The Toronto Fringe premises open to the public.

If the service animal is causing a disturbance for other patrons, the patron and accompanying service animal may be required to leave the area or The Toronto Fringe premises or rented venue.

The owner is responsible to "stoop and scoop".

The Toronto Fringe anticipates there will be special situations and is prepared to make every effort to accommodate the circumstances on an individual basis, as they arise, keeping safety to all patrons and service animals in mind.

Patrons can contact the Toronto Fringe at 416-966-1062 for more information.

Support Persons

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe is committed to welcoming people with disabilities who are accompanied by a support person.  Any person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person is allowed to enter The Toronto Fringe’s premises with his or her support person.  At no time will a person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person be prevented from having access to his or her support person while on The Toronto Fringe premises and rented venues.

A support person is an individual hired or chosen by a person with a disability to provide services or assistance with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs or with access to goods, services and facilities.

The Toronto Fringe may require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person when on the premises to protect their health and safety or the health and safety of others. Prior to requesting the presence of a support person, the Toronto Fringe must first consult with the person with a disability to understand their needs and consider the health and safety implications based on available evidence.  The presence of a support may then only be required if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health and safety of the person or of others on the premises. Where the presence of a support person is required any applicable admission fee or fare must be waived for that person.

Procedures:

A patron with a disability, accompanied by a support person, pays regular admission to The Toronto Fringe.

Fees are not to be charged for the support person. Complimentary admission for one support person is the standard. Additional requests are addressed on a case by case basis.

Patrons are informed of this through The Toronto Fringe’s communication to the public.

Temporary Disruption of Service

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe is aware that temporary disruptions of services (daily functions – elevators, physical operations) and programs may occur due to reasons that may or may not be within The Toronto Fringe’s control or knowledge, particularly since many venues are rented.  The Toronto Fringe makes a reasonable effort to provide advance notice of the disruption to the public, including information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities or services, if any, that may be available.

Procedures:

The notice is made available for broadcasting news and updates through the following networks, as appropriate.

• www.fringetoronto.com
• Telephone recordings;
• Walkie Talkie System;
• Temporary signage;
• Twitter;
• Face book;
• Notification slip and alert signage at The Toronto Fringe Box Office.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, advance notice is not possible.  In such cases, The Toronto Fringe provides notice, as soon as possible, through its communication networks.

Process to Receive and Respond to Feedback

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe has a process in place for receiving and responding to feedback about how goods and services are provided to patrons with disabilities.

Procedures:

Patrons with disabilities can offer their feedback in the following ways:

• On-line at the Toronto Fringe web site www.fringetoronto.com
• E-mail and telephone, (re-directed, as required, to the appropriate response employee);
• Face book, Twitter, Blogs;
• In writing where correspondence is re-directed to the appropriate response employee;
• Focus groups;
• In person to any Toronto Fringe staff and management.

The patron is requested to provide their name and contact information (phone, e-mail). Once feedback is received, the following actions are taken to respond:

• The feedback is directed to the appropriate person for action.
• The feedback is assessed for appropriate action. (Note: the customer service standard does not require a response to be provided for all feedback).
• Patrons who provide feedback can expect an answer within three days (particularly during the Fringe Festival).

The feedback process is readily available to the public through:

• A notice on the web site;
• An incident report at the box office;
• A document describing the feedback process, available on request in different formats;
• Other communication networks, as appropriate.

Customer Service Training

Policy:

The Toronto Fringe provides training to all members of the organization. The Toronto Fringe works constructively with the different theatre locations and companies to facilitate that third parties, and others, who deal with the public, are aware of the policies.

Procedures:

Individuals in the following positions are trained by The Toronto Fringe: 

• Board of Directors;
• Senior Staff;
• Front Line Staff;
• Volunteers.

New staff and volunteers will also receive training. This training will be provided as soon as practicable or as soon as it can be done in the circumstances, after an employee or volunteer commence their duties.

A variety of methods and time frames are used including formal and informal training sessions, presentations, train the trainer, Ministry of Economic Development, Employment, and Infrastructure's web sites, e-training, printed material, hand outs, fact sheets, and videos, dependent on need, job descriptions and functions.

The training content, required by the Customer Service Standard, includes the following:

• The history of the legislation and the purposes of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the requirements of the customer service standard.
• How to interact and communicate with people with various types of disabilities.
• How to interact with people with disabilities who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person.
• The potentially available assistive devices available at The Toronto Fringe’s rented premises and the contact for patrons on accessing these devices.
• What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty in accessing The Toronto Fringe’s goods and services.
• The Toronto Fringe’s policies and procedures relating to the customer service standard.
• On-going training in connection with any changes to The Toronto Fringe’s policies and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to patrons with disabilities is provided.

The additional following topics are included:

• The Toronto Fringe’s commitment to access and patrons with disabilities.
• The assistance staff and volunteers cannot offer due to insurance implications.
• The business case for access.
• Definitions of disability, dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity.

Training is recorded for staff and volunteers and includes name, date and content.

A sustainability plan has been developed and includes:

• Budget guidelines;
• Resources;
• Incorporating access into the orientation program;
• Training updates.

Posting of Documents

Policy:

Notices are posted, informing the public that the documents required by the Customer Service Standard are available upon request and will be provided in a format that takes a person`s disability into account.

Procedures:

Documents are available on the web site: www.fringetoronto.com or by calling 416-966-1062.

Additional Toronto Fringe Policies and Procedures to Enhance the Patron Experience

In addition to compliance with the Customer Service Standard - AODA - The Toronto Fringe enhances the experience for patrons with disabilities by:

• Accommodating patrons with disabilities, where reasonable.
• Providing large text versions of information, where possible.
• Front of line service for patrons with disabilities.
• Seating accommodations:
  • Making seats available inside the theatre so waiting in line is avoided;
  • Advance seating;
  • Designated seating.

This policy is also available in PDF form here: Toronto Fringe Privacy Policy.pdf

This Privacy Policy applies to all of the products, services and website offered by the Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival (the “Toronto Fringe”). Sometimes, we may post product specific privacy notices other materials to explain our products in more detail.

By submitting personal information to the Toronto Fringe, you:

1. Consent to the Toronto Fringe collecting, using and disclosing that personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy or otherwise with your consent or as permitted or required by law; and
2. Acknowledge and consent that the Toronto Fringe may retain service providers to perform certain services and that in the event that a service provider is located in the United States, personal information may be processed and stored in the United States and that United States governments, courts or law enforcement or regulatory agencies may be able to obtain disclosure of personal information through the laws of the United States.

Ultimately, it is up to you whether you want to provide any personal information to the Toronto Fringe. An individual may withdraw his or her consent at any time (subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice) by notifying the Toronto Fringe. However, if enough personal information is withheld, the Toronto Fringe may be unable to provide services.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please feel free to contact us through our website (www.fringetoronto.com) or write to us at:

Toronto Fringe Festival
204-688 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1C5
Canada

Information we collect and how we use it

We may collect the following types of information:

• Information you provide – When you sign up to purchase tickets or to be an active member of the Toronto Fringe, we ask you for personal information. “Personal information” is information that you provide to us, which personally identifies you, such as your name, email address or billing information, or other data which can be reasonably linked to such information by the Toronto Fringe. Personal information does not include aggregate information that cannot be associated with a specific individual, and in certain jurisdictions, it may also exclude business contact information. We may combine the information you submit under your account with information from other Toronto Fringe services or third parties in order to provide you with a better experience and to improve the quality of our services. For certain services, we may give you the opportunity to opt out of combining such information.
• Cookies – When you visit the Toronto Fringe website (the “Website”), we may send one or more cookies to your computer or other device. We may use cookies to improve the quality of our service, including for storing user preferences, improving search results, and tracking user trends, such as how people search.
• Log information – When you access Toronto Fringe services, our servers automatically record information that your browser sends whenever you visit a website. These “server logs” may include information such as your web request, your interaction with a service, Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser or your account.
• User communications – When you send email or other communications to the Toronto Fringe, we may retain those communications in order to process your inquiries, respond to your requests and improve our services. If you send and receive SMS messages to or from one of our services that provides SMS functionality, we may collect and maintain information associated with those messages, such as the phone number, the wireless carrier associated with the phone number, the content of the message, and the date and time of the transaction. We may use your email address to communicate with you about our services.
• Third Party Applications – The Toronto Fringe may make available third party applications, such as gadgets or extensions, through its services. The information collected by the Toronto Fringe when you enable a third party application is processed under this Privacy Policy. Information collected by the third party application provider is governed by their privacy policies.
• Other sites – This Privacy Policy applies to Toronto Fringe services only. We do not exercise control over sites that include Toronto Fringe applications, products or services, or sites hyperlinked from within our various services. These other sites may place their own cookies or other files on your computer, collect data or solicit personal information from you. Your use of those sites is subject to the privacy policies of those other sites. Even if the third party is affiliated with the Toronto Fringe, the Toronto Fringe has no control over these linked sites, each of which may (or may not) have their own privacy policies and practices in place. The Toronto Fringe has no responsibility or liability for these independent policies or practices or for the content of such websites. These linked sites are for your convenience and you access them at your own risk. Nonetheless, the Toronto Fringe seeks to protect the integrity of its website and the links placed upon it and therefore it requests any feedback not only on its own site, but for sites it links to as well (including if a specific link does not work).
• Furthermore, if you connect to the Toronto Fringe website through another site, such as Facebook, the Toronto Fringe is in no way responsible for nor able to protect any personal information and privacy you communicate to that site.
• General purposes – The Toronto Fringe collects uses and discloses personal information as follows:
  • to administer and service our business relationship with you and to provide you with requested services;
  • to enforce your obligations under your agreements with the Toronto Fringe;
  • to offer you additional products and service that may be of interest to you;
  • to confirm your eligibility for contests and special offerings;
  • if required, to provide the various associations (e.g., Visa, MasterCard) with certain reporting with respect to our business;
  • to investigate suspicious activities in relation to your account;
  • when required or permitted by law; and
  • otherwise with your consent

The Toronto Fringe does not license, sell, rent or trade your personal information to other parties unless it is necessary to provide you with requested services and you authorize or consent to the disclosure, or when such disclosure is otherwise described in this Privacy Policy or permitted or required by law.

In addition to the above, we may use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, protect, and improve our services (including advertising services) and develop new services; and
• Protect the rights or property of the Toronto Fringe or our users.

The Toronto Fringe processes personal information on our servers in Canada.

Information sharing

The Toronto Fringe only shares personal information with other companies or individuals outside of the Toronto Fringe in the following limited circumstances:

• We have your consent. We require opt-in consent for the sharing of any sensitive personal information. “Sensitive personal information” includes information we know to be related to confidential medical information, racial or ethnic origins, political or religious beliefs or sexuality and tied to personal information.
• We provide such information to affiliated companies (if any) or other trusted businesses or persons for the purpose of processing personal information on our behalf. We require that these parties agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
• We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce applicable Terms of Use, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or (d) protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of the Toronto Fringe, its users or the public as required or permitted by law.

The Toronto Fringe may provide some information received from you to outside organizations as necessary to provide requested services. Such organizations may include the various credit or debit card associations (including without limitation Visa and MasterCard) or credit card processors.

Our contracts with such third parties and affiliates require that:

1. any information that we provide to them is held strictly confidential; and
2. any information provided to them may be used solely for the purposes of providing the services that they have been contracted with to provide.

The Toronto Fringe may transfer personal information to outside agents, mandatories or service providers that perform services on our behalf (for example emailing houses) in which case we use similar contractual or other means to ensure that your personal information is protected and not used or disclosed for any purposes other than as directed by the Toronto Fringe.

Information security

The Toronto Fringe takes appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures, including appropriate encryption and physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data.

The Toronto Fringe restricts access to personal information to Toronto Fringe employees, contractors and agents who need to know that information in order to process it on our behalf. These individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to discipline, including termination and criminal prosecution, if they fail to meet these obligations.

The Toronto Fringe may store your personal information in an electronic file or a physical file. The Toronto Fringe has implemented reasonable technological, organizational and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, improper use, and accidental destruction or loss. The physical file containing your personal information will be stored at the Toronto Fringe’s premises, or if required, at an offsite storage facility. The electronic file containing your personal information will be stored on a secure network. Authorized employees, mandataries and agents of the Toronto Fringe who have a legitimate purpose for accessing the information and require it in the course of their duties will have access to your personal information. There is restricted access to the Toronto Fringe’s offices and the Toronto Fringe’s computer server.

The Toronto Fringe uses Secure Socket Layer and 128 bit encryption technologies to increase security levels when you visit certain secured areas of the Toronto Fringe website. Encryption causes any data you provide to be altered into an unreadable format to prevent unauthorized access. In addition, Patrons are also required to use a user ID and password to enter certain secured areas of the Toronto Fringe website.

Accessing and updating personal information

When you use Toronto Fringe services, we make good faith efforts to provide you with access to your personal information and either to correct this data if it is inaccurate or to delete such data at your request if it is not otherwise required to be retained by law or for legitimate business purposes. We ask individual users to identify themselves and the information requested to be accessed, corrected or removed before processing such requests, and we may decline to process requests that are unreasonably repetitive or systematic, require disproportionate technical effort, jeopardize the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical (for instance, requests concerning information residing on backup tapes), or for which access is not otherwise required. In any case where we provide information access and correction, we perform this service free of charge, except if doing so would require a disproportionate effort. Because of the way we maintain certain services, after you delete your information, residual copies may take a period of time before they are deleted from our active servers and may remain in our backup systems.

Enforcement

The Toronto Fringe adheres to the applicable privacy laws of the Province of Ontario and Canada.

From time to time, the Toronto Fringe reviews its compliance with this Privacy Policy. When we receive formal written complaints, it is the Toronto Fringe’s policy to contact the complaining user regarding her or his concerns. We will cooperate with the appropriate regulatory authorities, including local data protection authorities, to resolve any complaints regarding the transfer of personal data that cannot be resolved between the Toronto Fringe and an individual.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Please note that this Privacy Policy may change from time to time. We will post any Privacy Policy changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice. We will also keep prior versions of this Privacy Policy in an archive for your review.

Date: July 2, 2018

2023 Toronto Fringe Festival Media Policy

Updated April 2023

PURPOSE OF MEDIA POLICY

One key goal of the Toronto Fringe is to further the careers of independent theatre artists in Toronto. Another key goal is to support these artists financially, by subsidizing the cost of producing a show in this expensive city and by returning 100% of the net ticket price to them. These twin goals will be supported by a strong and fair media policy that allows artists access to the media who help support their careers, but also places reasonable conditions on the complimentary tickets issued to members of the media.

A SAFER, MORE INCLUSIVE FESTIVAL

We believe that the Toronto Fringe has a responsibility to create a safe and supportive festival for artists, which allows for a dynamic exchange of ideas about their work, while maintaining a clear set of guidelines and procedures regarding media coverage that may be offensive, abusive, or intolerant. The Toronto Fringe works closely with its media partners and colleagues, and has created this policy to clearly articulate our common goals.

ACCREDITATION

Members of the media who have a solid working relationship with the Toronto Fringe and have covered the festival in the past two years will be automatically re-accredited for each festival. The Next Stage Theatre Festival accreditation list is a smaller than the list for the Toronto Fringe Festival, due to the more intimate nature of the festival.

Members of the media wishing to be accredited for the festivals must contact Toronto Fringe Communications Manager Carly Chamberlain (communications@fringetoronto.com) with the following information:

• Publication or media outlet they are working for
• The reach of said organization (number of impressions, listeners or viewers)
• Which shows they wish to cover
• Expected publication dates of content such as reviews, previews or other coverage

MEDIA TICKETS

The Toronto Fringe issues media tickets in three distinct levels:

1. Media A: two tickets offered to any show in the festival
2. Media B: one ticket offered to any show in the festival
3. Media C: tickets offered on a show-by-show basis, with a capped limit determined by Fringe

The level of accreditation is commensurate with the reach of the media outlet and the depth of the relationship with the Toronto Fringe. Toronto Fringe’s media partners, for example, are often issued Media A and B passes while smaller blogs or outlets are issued Media C tickets on a case-by-case basis.

PUBLICATION EXPECTATIONS

Members of the media who are offered complimentary tickets to the festival must publish content regarding the festival in exchange for said complimentary tickets. Publication of this content (previews, reviews, articles, videos, interviews, etc.) should occur before the closing day of the festival to be of most benefit. Independent artists rely on their box office revenue to support themselves, thus complimentary tickets will only be issued in the case that the artist(s) and/or festival as a whole stand to gain exposure.

MEDIA TICKET BLACKOUT PERIODS

The festival will not permit members of the media to book media tickets on the closing weekend of each festival. For the summer Fringe Festival and the Next Stage Theatre Festival, this blackout period extends from the second Thursday of the festival until the closing Sunday. Some exceptions may apply. Members of the media wishing to review on closing weekend (Thurs – Sun) must get approval from the producing company to do so. Fringe is available to help facilitate these conversations, as needed.

SHOWS MAY OPT-IN OR OPT-OUT OF REVIEWS

The Toronto Fringe also asks each company in the festival whether they wish to be reviewed. If the company opts out, media is asked to not publish reviews of these shows or view these shows for free. If a member of the media wishes to view the show, they are welcome. We ask in that case that the member of the media pays for a ticket for that show. (It will not be considered part of the complimentary pass.) Members of the media will be provided a list of Opted-out shows at the time they receive their passes.

RETRACTION OF ACCREDITATION

Members of the media who do not abide by the Toronto Fringe’s Anti-Harassment, Anti-Violence and Anti-Discrimination Policy may have their accreditation retracted. The Fringe reserves to the right to suspend or immediately revoke accreditation if an infraction occurs. The Fringe reserves the right to request amendatory action by the media member and/or the outlet that they represent. Failure to respond to a written warning from the Executive Director of Toronto Fringe will respond in immediate revocation.