Government to Tackle Sexual Misconduct and Bullying in the Arts Sector
The Federal Government is set to establish the Centre for Arts Workplaces, which will be charged with making the arts sector a safer place to work.
The body will be able to receive complaints from those within the creative industries, including music, and will help facilitate referrals to the authorities where appropriate.
In addition, it will develop codes of conduct and provide resources for the sector.
Individuals and companies which receive government funding will be required to adopt the workplace safety standards. Those that fail to meet the minimum threshold could have government funding pulled.
The announcement will be made on Monday as part of the Labor Government’s new National Cultural Policy, however first appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend.
The Centre for Arts Workplaces comes after a number of high-profile cases of sexual harassment, bullying and mistreatment in the music industry, as well as the wider arts sector.
Tony Burke, minister for the arts (pictured above), told The Sydney Morning Herald that all Australian artists and workers have the right to safe and fair workplaces.
“That doesn’t just mean physically safe workplaces. It also means a work environment that’s free from harassment and bullying,” he added.
Over the weekend, ARIA and PPCA welcomed the reports of the creation of the Centre for Arts Workplaces.
Annabelle Herd, CEO of ARIA and PPCA, said: “This announcement will complement and build on the new Respect@Work legislation and changes to existing workplace laws. It is our hope that this will bring new focus and much-needed reform to workplace culture in Australian music – as identified by the Raising Their Voices report into sexual harm, harassment and systemic discrimination in the music industry – which recommended the creation of a music industry council built in conjunction with government. The Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces will directly respond to that recommendation, broadening the scope and building in greater government oversight.
“ARIA and PPCA worked closely alongside other key industry organisations on commissioning the Raising their Voices report to ensure a cohesive industry approach. We look forward to continuing this, and working with the government on the development of the new body and understanding more detail on its governance and industry representation.”
TMN will join Adrian Collette AM (CEO, Australia Council) and Dr Stephen Arnott (deputy secretary, creative economy and the arts) in conversation on Thursday, 9 February at 2:15pm (AEDT) to discuss the implications of the National Cultural Policy for the music industry, including the development of Music Australia. Click here to register.