Balansemerket

Freelance work

In arts and culture, many work as freelancers or are self-employed. When you don’t have a permanent position, and you rely on contacts to get new work, it’s a lot harder to set boundaries and people are reluctant to report harassment in fear of ruining opportunities.

Networking

A lot of recruitment happen through social networks, and people rely on good relations with others. This created power dynamics where it can be hard to report anything unpleasant and set boundaries.

Hierarchies and competition

Parts of the cultural sector in characterized by tough competition for a few prestigious spots. Some institutions and persons have a lot of power by virtue of deciding who’s accepted and promoted. In such environments it could cost a lot to report misconduct.

Short contracts

Many people in arts and culture work on short productions and projects, moving from one workplace to the next. When you know your employment will end soon, many decide they won't bother to report misconduct. That way a toxic culture may grow.

Changing roles

In one production A is the leader and B is a coworker, and in the next production B is the leader and A is a coworker. When the same people work together with changing roles and responsibilities, boundaries can be unclear. Are we friends? Are we colleagues? Is there a power relation between us?

Alcohol

Premiéres, exhibitions, concerts, conferences – alcohol is often present in arts and culture. Parties and alcohol can heighten the risk of misconduct.

Blurred lines between work and private life

Many artists use personal elements in their creative work. Touring, night work, social settings, often with alcohol, can create a blurred line between work and private life.

Intimacy as a tool

For dancers, actors and other performing artists the body is their tool at work. Being physically close to coworkers is a part of the work and you often work closely, sometimes in pairs alone. Getting into a role may entail challenging your own intimate boundaries. Stepping in and out of the role may create unclarity around relations, norms and boundaries, on and off stage.

Sexualized profession

Idolizing actors and artists often entail elements of sexualization. “Sex sells” is a well know idiom in the business. As a performing artist, you can experience that appearance and sexuality are emphasised in others' reviews and description. In this way, one can say that the professional role is being sexualised.

Protecting the talent

In some productions and environments, the consideration for the big talent takes precedence over the consideration for everyone else. This makes it particularly difficult to report unwanted scenarios involving a particularly talented person or celebrity.

Media coverage

Being famous can give you power. At the same time, the threshold for reporting can be extra high for famous people because of potential media coverage. It’s hard to handle cases, and it’s even harder if the case is discussed publicly.

Protecting the power

If the person harassing you "knows everyone", it can be difficult for the person harassed to report an incident. Who should you report to if everyone has some close relationship with the person in question?

Charismatic power

Parts of the arts and culture sector are characterised by charismatic leadership where especially talented artists gain a lot of power. Some have pointed out that artists who take up teaching positions or leadership positions may identify themselves more as artists than as leaders or teachers, and in the worst case may misunderstand their responsibilities.

The bystander effect

This is when "everyone" knows that there is abuse of power and boundary-crossing, but no one does anything. Everyone expects someone else to take action, and the responsibility is shifted. When no one speaks out, a culture where abuse of power becomes normal - "that's just the way it is".

Boundary-breaking art

Artistic practices are often characterised by breaking boundaries. Art challenges conventions and norms, and constantly pushes artistic boundaries. At the same time, it is important that artists feel that there is room to set their own boundaries and that the entire production is aware of this.

• Description text goes hereConditions that make it difficult for employees to speak up due to fear of potential repercussions

• Negative attitudes towards groups, such as women, LGBTQ people, black, indigenous and people of colour, religious minorities, people with disabilities

• Sexualised culture and jargon in the workplace

• Conscious or unconscious prejudices, stereotypes and expectations related to identity

• Limited knowledge of the challenges related to discrimination and an inability to understand other groups’ perspectives

• Homogeneous environments are at risk of reinforcing or confirming societal norms. If there is little diversity, you might not get to hear other perspectives. And when underrepresented groups enter such environments, they may become particularly visible.

• Evening and night work

• Work involving the serving of alcohol

• Work involving close contact with customers, guests or users

• Working alone

• Training situations. Often an older and more experienced artist or instrumentalist is tasked with teaching younger people

• Work-related social settings with unclear boundaries between work and private life

• Settings where customers, guests, users or audiences experience the situation as private and ‘forget’ that employees or artists are at work

• Temporary employees, part-time employees, freelancers, self-employed persons and volunteers

• Young employees, especially women

• Apprentices and employees in training

• Employees representing or perceived as minorities

• Persons with minority identities: LGBTQ people, multicultural persons, Sami people, national minorities, religious minorities, people with disabilities