New international research reveals widespread and systemic sexual violence in the arts and culture sector
The #MeToo movement revealed the widespread nature of sexual harassment and violence in the arts and culture sector, breaking the illusion of an open, equal and progressive field. A new anthology demonstrates that gender-based violence is both extensive and systemic. Due to the lack of previous research, the book seeks to fill this gap through multiple case studies across different countries.
The book ‘Gender-based Violence in Arts and Culture’ states that #MeToo ended the silence surrounding women’s experiences of harassment and violence in the sector, while challenging its reputation for equality. Edited by visiting researcher Sari Karttunen (Uniarts Helsinki) together with Marie Buscatto (Sorbonne, Paris) and Mathilde Provansal (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich), the anthology shows that gender-based violence affects workplaces and educational institutions across the arts and culture sector in many countries. Its prevalence and systematic nature indicate that these are not isolated incidents.
While #MeToo initially sparked hope that entrenched gendered power structures were coming to an end, the recent rise of ‘anti-woke’ sentiments raises questions about the durability of these changes.
According to the editors, gender inequality in the arts has been widely studied, but gendered violence has not. The book aims to address that gap through case studies in opera, electronic music, visual arts, the audiovisual sector, photography and theatre, spanning Finland, France, Japan, the UK and the United States.
Women study, men teach
The introduction notes that the prevalence of gendered violence is linked to the fact that most art students are women, while men are proportionally more represented among teachers.
“The sexualisation of female students seems to be a norm that influences everything from recruitment to education and employment,” the editors write.
The phenomenon appears across all fields studied, regardless of how female-dominated they are. Students are often dependent on teachers early in their careers – and sometimes later: “Men in positions of power act as gatekeepers to women’s futures as artists at every stage of their careers.”
Another factor is the blurred boundaries between private, educational and professional spheres. Artistic creation often draws on intimate experiences and the artist’s body.
In her ethnographic case study, Mathilde Provansal examines one of France’s elite art schools and shows how students’ dependence on their teachers, together with the blurred boundaries between the private and the professional, can normalise and obscure gender-based violence.
There are also too few processes and measures that allow victims or witnesses to report violence openly, safely and transparently, the editors note.
The Helsinki School case
The Finnish case study focuses on sexual harassment within the Helsinki School, a photography export and training initiative.
Researchers Leena-Maija Rossi (University of Lapland) and Sari Karttunen (Uniarts Helsinki) show that female photographers were pressured to produce images where ‘female bodily capital’ appears as a resource. Their analysis of Helsinki School photo books reveals that several women artists were strategically used to craft the School’s collective image and boost the commercial success of its branding – an economic form of gender-based violence.
Strategies for protection
Victims often struggle to speak out, but the case studies highlight some preventive practices. Women share information or rumours about harassers to avoid risky situations, creating safer environments for those who take warnings seriously.
Intimacy coordinators in theatre, opera and film help establish emotionally safe spaces, preventing directors from exploiting performers.
Public denunciation of sexual abuse on social media or in press releases can disrupt power dynamics, but such cases remain rare due to the high burden of proof and legal thresholds for media coverage.