A study conducted in the UK has found that 60% of people working the classical music industry have experienced sexual harassment and discrimination.
Of the 60% of respondents who said that they had experienced harassment, the ‘primary place’ of harassment was found to be orchestras and ensembles.
Harassment in the arts ‘widespread and ‘deeply rooted’
The survey, which was carried out by the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), found that 70% of those working in the industry who were self-employed said that they had been harassed. This is in comparison to 30% of staff, while three-quarters of those surveyed said that they had been scared to report incidents due to fear of losing their jobs.
The chief executive of the ISM, Deborah Annetts, spoke to BBC Radio 3’s Music Matters programme, saying: ‘We’ve had about 250 responses and out of those responses, 60% are reporting discrimination of some sort or another and the chief form of discrimination is actually around sexual harassment. The primary place in which it’s taking place is in orchestras and ensembles, but also there is quite a high level of activity within schools and conservatoires, which is extremely concerning, that there is a very high level of sexual harassment going on within the music community.’
She said that the fact that the majority of harassment and discrimination was directed towards those who were self-employed was disturbing.
Speaking of the significance of this finding, she spoke about the difference between those who are employed and those who are self-employed, saying that those who are employed work in environments where they are in the majority, and have HR procedures, something which does not exist in the classical music community.
She also says that it is troubling to think that 75% of those surveyed were too scared to report incidents which made them uncomfortable for fear or losing out on work.
The editor of the Arts Profession magazine, Frances Richens, took part in a different survey, asking readers from across the industry about their experiences.
Her survey found 800 people who were aware of sexual harassment in the arts, with 500 saying that they had been the victims of sexual harassment while working in the arts.
She said that the problem of sexual harassment is deeply rooted and widespread, describing it as ‘unfortunate’ that organisations are not doing all they can to address the issues.
Speaking to Radio 3, an anonymous musician said that she had been thrown off a West End production and told she would not be booked again after she had refused the advances of her employer’s close friend.
She said that in another West End show she was asked to perform a sexual act on a musical director in from of the rest of the band, who were all-male.
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