Orchestras ‘rife with sexual harassment’

ORCHESTRAS are hotbeds of sexual harassment, a report has found, with the majority of musicians saying they have been victims.

A survey by the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) found that 60 per cent of its members said they had been victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.

The report, titled Dignity At Work, analysed the responses of 600 professional musicians about their experiences of bullying, racism and sexual discrimination.

Of those who had been sexually harassed, the vast majority (82 per cent) were female, but male musicians also reported harassment by men and women.

An orchestra or ensemble was the most common location. Nearly 77 per cent of those who said they had been sexually harassed did not feel able to report the incidents.

The ISM, the UK’S professional body for musicians, is now calling for a code of practice for the sector.

Deborah Annetts, the

‘This vulnerable workforce are afraid of reporting their experiences’ chief executive of the ISM, said: “The music sector has a high level of self-employed workers, which makes them particularly vulnerable.”

“As a consequence, this highly talented but vulnerable workforce is afraid of reporting their experiences for fear of victimisation and losing work opportunities.”