What do I need to know before attending a Cube of Truth?

Cube Etiquette

 

IMPORTANT: Please read this post in full before attending your first Cube of Truth action.

Before Attending a Cube of Truth Demonstration

Please respect that organisers take on a substantial responsibility to follow a specific structure we have carefully formulated. The seriousness and professionalism of our actions are directly proportional to how the public responds to us. Perhaps you are welcome to do whatever you please at other street actions, but we ask that you adhere to our structure and represent our core values while attending our events. If you cannot give this basic level of respect to the organisers or the orchestration of the event, you are not welcome to attend, as it will impede the event’s effectiveness.

A Cube of Truth is NOT a social event and should not be treated as such. There are often post socials planned for after the Cube, so we focus on the animals during the Cube.

When preparing to attend a Cube of Truth, please pack lightly. Any items brought to the Cube are your responsibility. This means you will be wearing your bag for the duration of the event. We aim to keep bags and other personal belongings well away from the Cube to not interfere with the aesthetic. The organisers will provide masks, signs, and AV closing cards. Please wear black clothing. You can purchase official AV clothing in our shop here.

If you can, please bring a fully charged device with both the recommended footage and a media player downloaded. Prepare your device ahead of time so that valuable time isn’t lost. Have the footage ready to play on loop via the media player, make sure your device is muted, has Wi-Fi disabled (to preserve battery life), and has brightness maximized. (Devices may not be necessary for you to bring if TV screens are being used. Please check with a chapter organiser.) 

Attending a Cube of Truth

Please arrive on time to avoid disrupting our pre-demo briefing. If you arrive after the demo has started, please check in with the organiser(s). Respect the time and contributions of everyone in attendance, and offer assistance if you see it is needed. Having valuable volunteers is part of what helps make our chapters and organisation successful.

There are two parts to our demonstrations: the Cube and the outreach. Both of these are equally important—we are a team. We expect everyone to be willing to go in the Cube at some point (unless a medical condition or otherwise prevents you from doing so, in which case you can let the organiser(s) know privately after the briefing). This is essential for our demos to run smoothly.

The Cube

Volunteers standing in the Cube will be masked and must stand up straight and be as still as possible, facing forward at all times and remaining silent. Occasionally, an organiser or outreacher may approach you to straighten your sign or screen or ask you to take a step in a certain direction to maintain the Cube aesthetic. While in the Cube, do not engage the public, even if someone approaches you or tries to talk to you. Organisers and outreachers will constantly watch the Cube and intervene when necessary.

While in the Cube, if you need to communicate with an organiser or outreacher, please raise your hand, and someone will come to check on you. Please raise your hand if… 

  1. You need a break. An outreacher will check on you and find someone to switch with you. Please try to give a few minutes’ notice so that we have time to find a replacement. Don’t leave your request until the very last minute.

  2. You notice an unattended child watching the footage. Point them out to an outreacher, and we will find their guardian or have a child-friendly discussion about animal rights with them.

  3. You notice a bystander who has been watching the footage for a significant amount of time but has not yet been approached by an outreacher. Please do not point at the bystander, as this can be intimidating. Instead, describe the colour of the person’s clothing (for example).

If you are taking a break from the Cube, you can rest off to the side. Or, if you are new or still looking to learn, you can shadow an experienced outreacher as well. When shadowing, please make sure you do not distract from the interaction. Please move away from the demonstration area if you are breaking to eat, smoke, or do otherwise—it is not professional to do so in the middle of a demonstration—and it can also distract other volunteers.

Outreach

You can learn our outreach protocol by watching the following workshop by Paul Bashir: Click here to watch the ‘Holding Non-Vegans Accountable 2.5 Workshop Summary + Examples’ video on YouTube.

AV Volunteer Expectations

Respect and uphold AV’s values and ethos, and represent AV appropriately while volunteering with us.

All volunteers, including the organisers, must respect one another at all times. This means not interrupting someone when they are talking to a bystander, not creating conflicts, valuing others’ contributions, helping with setting up and breaking down (if required), and remaining conscientious throughout each Cube.

Thank You for Standing With Us.