The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance has today released the findings of an anonymous survey for members of the live enteratainment industry, which it conducted online between July and November 2017.

The findings are pretty grim. Of the 1,124 respondents, at least 40 percent had experienced at least one form of sexual harassment. As for the perpetrators, 35 percent were fellow cast members, 18 percent were directors and 35 percent were crew members. The other ten percent of perpetrators included teachers, conductors and photographers. Almost a quarter of the victims didn’t make a complaint for fear of repercussions for their career.

As a result of the survey the MEAA will now work with all the major state theatre companies as well as freelance artists to develop more effective policies for dealing with sexual harassment, assault, criminal misconduct and bullying in the theatre.

The survey also found that there is a culture of bullying to be addressed in the opera sector. Speaking to Limelight, Zoe Angus, Director of MEAA’s Equity section for performers and actors said: “Gee, the findings in relation to opera are not pretty in terms of bullying. There is a clear theme that we will need to raise with the...