Jam Support

Who is Jam Support?

Jam Support is a team of volunteer jam-goers who staff the jam and seek to foster a culture of consent and accessibility. The Jam Support Responders available on a given day will be identified at the Opening Circle as a resource to help participants navigate the jam. Jam Support: 

• Orients participants to the space and sets norms that support Participant Community Agreements

• Provides guidance about the form of CI 

• Attends to challenges that arise and helps participants strategize

• Solicits and integrates feedback

• Responds to harm in accordance with our Protocol for Responding to Harm and tracks ongoing accountability processes

How does Jam Support respond to harm? 

Jam Support refers to the volunteer jam-goers who implement this protocol. This is just one part of their role. Primarily these peer supports prevent harm by facilitating the space to align with the Chicago Contact Improvisation Sunday Jam Community Agreements, helping individuals navigate the jam and integrating feedback to improve the jam experience. 

After harm takes place, people often ask “Who broke the rules?” and “How should they be punished?” Jam Support asks “Who was hurt?” “What do they need?” “Is there a relationship in need of repair?” and “How might this harm be prevented in the future?” Jam Support mitigates harm by attending to relationships and building skill rather than attempting to deter harm by threat of punishment.  

While Jam Support is equipped to give attention to difficulties that arise and seek next steps, they are ultimately volunteers doing their best who may not have capacity to address all aspects of a situation and cannot guarantee outcomes. Jam Support is not here to police or judge.

If a member of Jam Support feels their response would be compromised by a conflict of interest or the limits of their capacity, they will find another member to step in instead. In some cases, Jam Support may recommend a referral to support outside the jam or call on outside decision-making and facilitation assistance.

Jam Support 

Ione Sanders

Kate Ziebart 

Lang Kanai

Max Pope

Mo Hayden  

Miranda Steffens

Miriam Plane 

Naomi Oster | naomioster09 at gmail.com

Sarah Schaffer | sarahkschaffer at gmail.com

Sasha Solov

Shireen Hamza