AboutConsultationThe Workshop Get Involved
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17 octobre 2024 — Montréal

The Workshop:
an underground reflection

A day of collective work bringing together about twenty-five stakeholders of the Montréal underground scene — the first concrete step toward building an ethical framework for the night together.

Watch the Capsules
Contexte

A day of collective reflection

The workshop of October 17, 2024 brought together event organizers, artists and DJs, volunteers, regular participants and people involved in festival safety — all connected to the Montréal underground scene.

The central question posed to these twenty-five people: how do we co-build an ethical framework for nightlife culture that is rooted in the reality of those who live it?

The result: 10 mantras, 16 video capsules, and the beginning of a public consultation to extend this work to the entire community.

Christophe and Julie Charlebois — workshop co-hosts

Christophe "Costa" and Julie Charlebois, co-hosts of the October 17, 2024 workshop.

Group photo — all participants of the S.O.U.L. workshop, October 17, 2024, Salon Daomé

All participants of the S.O.U.L. workshop — October 17, 2024, Salon Daomé

25+ stakeholders of the Montréal underground scene gathered to co-build an ethical framework for the night.

"For the first time, I felt like we were talking about us, with us — not for us. This isn't a charter imposed from the outside, it's something we built together."

— Participant, underground event organizer
Salon Daomé empty before the workshop — the echo chamber
Before — The room awaits
Salon Daomé prepared for the S.O.U.L. workshop
After — The Consultation Salon takes shape

"The echo chamber to amplify the call to ethics."

An iconic venue for this workshop — Salon Daomé transformed into a Consultation Salon

Video Capsules

16 capsules — The night explains itself

Each capsule is a filmed conversation from the workshop — scene stakeholders speaking about what they live, what they see, what they wish for. Raw. Sincere. Underground.

Intro
Introduction to underground ethics
The vision and philosophy of the S.O.U.L. project — the dance floor as a safe, inclusive, and free space.
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Context
Setting the context
Prevention of sexual and social misconduct in underground events — a collective and educational approach.
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Lexicon
Lexicon and definitions
Ethics, values, consent, sexual misconduct, harassment and intimidation — the foundations of the S.O.U.L. project.
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Testimonials
Testimonials and support for the initiative
Direct and sensitive testimonials about dance floor abuses — consent as the pillar of collective safety.
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Motivation
Motivation and inspiration
The birth of the S.O.U.L. project, born from a real wound turned into collective momentum — the lantern as a universal symbol.
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The Workshop
Workshop methodology
Participants co-create a collective code of conduct — 20 essential values guiding respect and safety on the dance floor.
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Values 1-2-3
Personal safety – community – goodwill
The first three founding values of the S.O.U.L. project — trust, respect, and mutual aid on the dance floor.
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Values 4-5
Your face and the buddy system
Authentic expression and shared solidarity — the balance between self-affirmation and collective care.
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Values 6-7
"No drama zone" and the dance floor
Peace, non-violence and emotional mastery — the dance floor as a sacred zone of freedom and respect.
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Value 8
Dance as a sacred experience
The dance floor as both intimate and collective — each movement in harmony with the others.
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Values 9-10-11
The soft touch, cell phone policy, and leave no trace
Gentleness in interactions, genuine presence without digital distraction, and care for shared spaces.
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Values 12-13-14
Freedom of movement – love – generosity
Never obstruct the dance floor, feel the Source of Universal Love, and cultivate generosity.
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Values 15-16
Respecting others' space and letting go
Consent and freedom of being — respecting personal bubbles and welcoming everyone without judgment.
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Values 17-20 + The Grip
The quasi-spiritual values
Letting go, egregore, life's magic and active transmission — the spiritual values of the S.O.U.L. project.
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Octov Safe Squad
Applied inspiration: OCTOV Collective
The exemplary action of the OCTOV collective and the Safe Squad — how S.O.U.L. ethics come alive on the ground.
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Conclusion
Angelot Protocol and conclusion
Order an Angelot: a free accreditation protocol to prevent sexual violence in party settings.
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"I have 10 years on the scene and I had never had the chance to put words on what I was experiencing. The workshop gave me a vocabulary, and above all, showed me I wasn't alone in thinking that."

— Volunteer, workshop participant
Impact

What the workshop achieved

Beyond the capsules and mantras, the workshop created something even more precious: a human network around a shared conviction.

25+
Scene stakeholders gathered for the first time around a shared ethical table.
16
Video capsules produced — a unique documentary corpus on the underground scene's reality.
11
Ethical mantras co-built, submitted to the community for validation and enrichment.
The S.O.U.L. team — Workshop, October 17, 2024

The S.O.U.L. workshop support team — October 17, 2024

Technical : Marc Garceau · Welcome : Brenda Richard and Emmy Delacroix · Imagery : Diana Lopez
Co-facilitator : Julie Charlebois · Initiator and facilitator : Costa
Stage manager : Christian Généreux · Talking stick : Geneviève Canuel
The Next Step

The workshop started the work.
The consultation completes it.

25 people laid the foundations. Hundreds of voices can now enrich them. Your perspective wasn't in the room in October — it can be in the final Code.

Join the Consultation →
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Published capsules, new actions, consultation results — stay informed about the Underground Ethics Charter evolution and upcoming events.