In 2023, we facilitated the establishment of a Safe Zone at Volkano Festival in Rwanda, as part of a broader effort to promote safer, more inclusive, and more responsible cultural spaces. The initiative emerged from a simple but urgent observation: festivals and nightlife venues are spaces of freedom, celebration, and creativity, but they can also reproduce forms of harassment, discrimination, and gender-based violence that too often remain minimized, normalized, or unaddressed.

Created in collaboration with organizations actively engaged in the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) — including RWAMREC, HDI, and AfriYAN through the Generation G program — the Safe Zone was developed as a visible and accessible space dedicated to awareness-raising, prevention, support, and orientation throughout the three-day festival.

More than a symbolic presence, the Safe Zone functioned as a practical resource and point of contact for festival-goers who experienced or witnessed harassment, inappropriate behavior, or situations of discomfort and insecurity. It also served as a space for dialogue and education, where discussions around consent, respect, positive masculinity, inclusion, and bystander responsibility could take place openly.

As part of this initiative, work was also carried out on the development of the festival’s Safe Space Policies and Community Agreement guidelines. These documents aimed to establish clear behavioral standards and reinforce a collective understanding of what constitutes unacceptable conduct within cultural and festive environments. The objective was not only reactive — responding to incidents — but also preventive: creating a culture of shared responsibility where safety and dignity become integral parts of the event experience.

Training sessions on harassment prevention and sexual violence awareness were organized for festival volunteers, teams, and staff members. These trainings focused on identifying inappropriate behaviors, understanding consent, responding appropriately to reports or situations of distress, and learning how to support individuals in vulnerable situations with care and professionalism.

In parallel, public discussions were organized during the festival in both 2023 and 2024, bringing together artists, activists, cultural professionals, and members of civil society to reflect on the role of culture and the entertainment industry in addressing GBV and harassment. These conversations highlighted the influence artists and public figures can have in challenging harmful norms, breaking silence around violence, and promoting healthier and more respectful social behaviors.

The panels also explored the responsibility of festivals, venues, promoters, and cultural institutions in creating environments where inclusion and safety are actively protected rather than assumed. Artists and “artivists” shared experiences and perspectives on how music, storytelling, performance, and creative expression can contribute to awareness-raising and social transformation.

This initiative represented an important first step toward rethinking nightlife and festival culture in Rwanda. It demonstrated that prevention, education, celebration, and artistic freedom are not contradictory — they can and must coexist.

Through projects like these, we aim to continue supporting the transformation of festivals, nightclubs, and cultural venues into spaces where people not only gather to celebrate art and music, but also to build communities grounded in respect, dignity, equality, and collective care.