Together, we keep dancefloors socialable and empowering
Dancefloor Protectors is a global movement dedicated to keeping dancefloors vibrant, empowering, and safe. We believe dancefloors have the power to transform lives, and we aim to inspire positive change by raising awareness about mental health, social safety, and community unity. Together, we can create festival experiences that everyone can enjoy and cherish. Join us in this mission!
READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
As festivals grow larger and more intense, the challenges of maintaining safe, social, and mentally healthy environments have become increasingly evident.
There’s a thin line between the rawness of a vibrant dancefloor and unacceptable behavior. Pushing someone out of the way to take their dancing spot isn’t cool. Grabbing someone’s ass without permission is NOT okay. Following someone with the intent of hooking up is downright creepy. Inviting yourself to another camp and then refusing to leave? That’s just being an asshole.
From intrusive behavior on the dancefloor to the emotional toll that extended festival experiences can take, these issues threaten to undermine the very magic that makes festivals so special.
Dancefloor Protectors is initiated to address these pain points head-on. We believe that by raising awareness, promoting respect, and fostering a supportive community, we can help ensure that every dancefloor remains a space of transformation, unity, and joy.
The Future Is In Your Hands
This website is part of a feasibility check to determine whether Dancefloor Protectors should move forward as a full-fledged initiative. Your feedback is crucial in deciding if we continue or discontinue this project. If you believe in creating safer, more empowering dancefloors, please share your thoughts and support. Together, we can make a difference—or decide that this isn’t the right time.
Please complete the survey.
Some ideas
Ambassadors Around the World: With a team of ambassadors in every country represented on the dancefloor, we can positively impact festivals worldwide. Especially if those ambassadors are active co-creators and have a strong presence on social media.
Color-Coded Wristbands/Lanyards: Symbolic wristbands or lanyards worn on the dancefloor to indicate something about the wearer. For example, an empath willing to listen/help, a medic available for assistance, someone with experience handling tough festival situations, or an active Dancefloor Protector. These identifiers help create a safer, more supportive environment directly on the dancefloor.
Check-In Sessions: Part of the pre-festival fun and beneficial for getting the most out of the event. Checking in with yourself will help set the right mood and intentions.
WhatsApp Groups: Dedicated WhatsApp groups for major festivals where attendees can communicate with each other and the festival’s organization team for immediate support, safety updates, and community building.
Social Media Campaigns: Collaborate with festival crews to launch campaigns that raise awareness and share ideas on keeping dancefloors safe and sociable before festivals.
MISSION & VISION
MISSION
Our mission is to not be needed for dancefloors to be vibrant, empowering, and safe spaces, where people from around the world share their love for music and life itself—making it possible for individuals to go alone and/or experience personal transformations and forge lasting friendships.
VISION
We envision a global festival community where every dancefloor is considered a sacred space and treated as such: vibrant with positive energy, protection from assholes and united in a shared commitment to kindness, consent, and mutual respect.
Guiding Principles
Empowering Dancefloors
Festivals hold the power to transform lives. For this reason we believe the dancefloor experience can and should be considered as sacred and deserving protection; protection from bad vibes and disrespectful and intrusive behavior. We are well aware and appreciative how raw and intense things can get; the dancefloor should remain safe and social for everyone at all times.
Social Safety
There’s a thin line between the rawness of a vibrant dancefloor and unacceptable behavior. Pushing someone out of the way to take their dancing spot isn’t cool. Grabbing someone’s ass without permission is definitely NOT okay. Following someone to camp is downright creepy. Consent is a thing for a reason. Don’t be an asshole or a creep, just try to be a decent human being. Act through kindness and with respect. Stay awesome.
Unity Over Division
Festivals are about coming together and celebrating our shared love for music and life itself. We leave our differences at the door and focus on what unites us. Please consider to leave your country flags at home.
Mental Health Awareness
Festivals can be exhilarating and transformative, but they can also be mentally and emotionally challenging. We believe in promoting mental health awareness to ensure that everyone can enjoy the festival experience in a positive and balanced way. Take time to check in with yourself and those around you. If you or someone else is feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out for support. Remember, it’s okay to take a break, find a quiet space, or talk to someone who understands. Together, we can create an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and able to fully enjoy the magic of the festival.
Personal Security
Your personal security is as important as your well-being on the dancefloor. Always be aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts. Keep your belongings secure and know your way around the festival grounds, especially the locations of security personnel, first aid stations, and safe spaces. If you ever feel unsafe, don’t hesitate to seek help from festival staff or fellow attendees. Protect yourself and others by staying vigilant and looking out for one another.
Logo ideas (AI)
Challenges
Creating a Team
This initiative has limited power as a one-person show. For Dancefloor Protectors to truly succeed, it needs to grow into a global movement with a diverse team of content creators, ambassadors, supporters, and fans. Building a dedicated team is essential for expanding our reach and impact.
Funding
Time is money. Without adequate funding, our efforts can only go so far. Financial support is needed to create a professional logo, website, and promotional materials. An initial funding injection will help get the movement off the ground. Selling merchandise might also help sustain and grow the initiative, keeping the momentum going.
Collaborations and partnerships
To reach the big festivals and make a significant impact, Dancefloor Protectors needs to be seen as a professional brand and community. Building partnerships and collaborations with established organizations and festivals will be key to our growth and success.
Building Awareness
One of the initial hurdles will be building awareness about Dancefloor Protectors. Without visibility, it will be difficult to attract supporters, collaborators, and participants. A strategic approach to social media, content creation, and word-of-mouth promotion will be crucial to getting the message out and gaining traction in the festival community.
Longevity
It’s one thing to start a movement, but sustaining it over the long term is another challenge. Ensuring that Dancefloor Protectors remains relevant and impactful requires continuous effort, fresh content, and ongoing engagement with the community. Developing strategies for growth and adaptation will be key to the initiative’s longevity.
Measuring Impact
It’s important to understand the impact that Dancefloor Protectors is having on the festival community. However, measuring this impact can be challenging, especially in terms of quantifying changes in behavior, safety, and overall festival culture. Developing metrics and feedback loops to gauge success will be necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of the initiative.
Why we started this
Dancefloor Protectors is an initiative founded by Marijn van Laerhoven, a passionate advocate for the dancefloor and the well-being of those who inhabit it. Marijn has been dancing on the frontlines of techno and psytrance raves since 2004, and his life was profoundly transformed by the insights he gained on the dancefloors of Fusion in Germany and Boom in Portugal.
Between 2005 and 2015, Marijn volunteered as a peer educator for Unity, an alcohol and drug harm reduction project in the Netherlands, where he worked to promote ‘think for yourself, care about others’, among other key messages.
In his professional life, Marijn works as a Duty Manager for G4S in Airport Security at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, where his focus on safety, security and well-being continues to guide his work.
In 2024, he completed the Mental Health First Aid course, further deepening his commitment to supporting others in the festival community. Dancefloor Protectors was started after a rather rough week at Ozora festival 2024, where the dancefloor wasn’t always as safe and socialable as it could and should be.
