Helpline to stamp out harassment in music industry

A helpline supporting those suffering bullying and harassment in the UK music industry is now live.

Provided by Help Musicians, the free, anonymous service aims to stamp out bullying and harassment by offering callers support, guidance and access to advisors with specialist harassment training.

The helpline is available to all music industry workers after the charity identified a gap in existing support for freelancers.

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Help Musicians Chief Executive James Ainscough called the helpline a “vital next step” in collaborations to change the culture of the UK music industry.

The creative industries have long been identified as a hotspot for bullying. An Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) survey in 2018 found 60% of musicians had been harassed at work, of whom about three quarters were self-employed.

Acknowledging most industry workers are now freelance, Help Musicians hopes the service will support those without recourse to human resources departments.

The helpline is part of the charity's portfolio of mental health services, which has grown by 40% since March 2020.

The service is open all day, all year round. Callers will initially undertake a risk assessment with an advisor before being coached on how to approach the perpetrator or organisation if an informal resolution isn’t suitable.

It will work within the ISM and Musician’s Unions (MU) Code of Practice, which aims to eradicate bullying, harassment and discrimination in the workplace. The code was developed after 86% of respondents to an ISM survey called for more support to address behavioural issues in the industry.

"We hope in time that musicians and all those who work in music will feel better emotionally supported as well as gaining practical advice on how to resolve any problems,” Ainscough said.

Insight data

Data collected through the helpline will shed light on the extent of bullying across the music industry today.

A Help Musicians’ spokesperson told ArtsProfessional a lack of proper insight on the nature of the issues experienced means the charity cannot yet fully determine the scale, scope or circumstances of problem behaviour.

The data will be shared with partners to increase understanding of the issues faced.

Ainscough says this will help shape positive and permanent change across the industry.

“We ask for everybody’s help in promoting awareness of it, to ensure that individuals who need it will know that they can call for support at any time.”

Collaborative working

The helpline is working in partnership with existing services to support musician’s mental health.

It signposts partner services, including The Musician’s Union (MU) SafeSpace service, where music industry workers can share instances of sexism, sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the industry.

Following the launch of SafeSpace, an MU survey found 47% musicians had been sexually harassed at work but 85% did not report it.

The service specifically targeted freelancers after 61% agreed they were at higher risk of being sexually harassed while working.

UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said Help Musician’s helpline is a “hugely welcome addition to existing services”.

“The music industry must take a united approach and keep working to bring about lasting change to make sure every workplace is a truly welcoming and supportive place for everyone.” 

Anyone within the UK music industry experiencing bullying and harassment can call the helpline on 0800 088 2045.