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For anyone working in the performing arts and entertainment industries, there are things you may be able to do as a ‘bystander’ or ‘ally’ (rather than a victim) to make sexual harassment less likely to occur or to help stop it when it does.
Influence ‘the room’
At the beginning of a creative project or even a meeting or gathering, here are some things that anyone leading the process can do:
• Lead by example
• Respect your colleagues and their boundaries
• Discuss boundaries before undertaking work involving physical contact
• Create your own working agreement and ground rules specific to any group at the start of a creative process
• Consider displaying agreements anywhere appropriate, eg. rehearsal room, wings, green rooms and refer back to them as necessary
• Encourage the use of the Equity Safe Spaces statement or an equivalent
• Normalise asking others for consent before touching them or trying something that might make someone uncomfortable
• Do not assume that what feels comfortable for one person will feel comfortable for another.
• Normalise bringing in an intimacy co-ordinator
• Pause and consider the different lived experiences amongst colleagues before asking any questions or making requests of them. Think about how these might be received and whether they are reasonable or necessary
• Be prepared to reflect and take ownership where mistakes are made
Equity Safe Spaces statement is as follows:
‘Every single one of us working on this project is entitled to work in a safe space: a space free of fear, a space free of bullying & harassment of any kind. We will work together honouring our differences & celebrating the gifts we each bring to the table. We will treat one another with politeness & respect at all times &, if we are subjected to or witness bullying & harassment, we will speak out knowing that our voices will be heard & we will be taken seriously. Together we can create a safe space.’
Speak up
If you hear or see inappropriate comments or behaviour, speak up. You can do this both privately and publicly. You can speak to the harasser directly or raise concerns with the company. ‘Calling someone in’ can be an effective method and involves:
• Inviting someone into a ‘learning moment’ through their own choice
• Helping someone to understand why their behaviour is harmful and encourages them to change it
• Asking someone to choose to commit to learning and improving their behaviour.
‘Calling someone out’ can also be effective if you see behaviour that is actively causing harm to someone, or if someone is resistant to being called in. You might need to:
• Set a hard boundary around the behaviour
• Insist the person take the moment to learn and improve
• Highlight the behaviour in front of a group of peers to emphasise that the behaviour is out of step with the group and non-negotiable. Both can be done with patience and compassion. It can be easier to speak up when we focus on the behaviour and not the person enacting the behaviour
Even if you are not the leader you can still help to create an environment where sexual harassment is less likely to happen to others.
Some companies will arrange to have someone present at rehearsals / training who is not part of management or the cast. Performers can talk to them if they have any concerns about other members of the company – whether management or other performers.