Free to speak? Not if you work in the arts

You might expect those working in the cultural sector to be open and tolerant of each other, welcoming of debate and diverse opinion, and prepared to stand up and challenge the status quo. Indeed, nine out of ten respondents to AP’s Freedom of Expression survey, published today, agreed that “The arts and cultural sector has a responsibility to use its unique talents to speak out about things that matter, regardless of the potential consequences” – a very positive endorsement of the importance of free speech.

But nothing could be further from the truth. More than eight out of ten survey respondents agreed that “workers in the arts and cultural sector who share controversial opinions risk being professionally ostracised”. The overwhelming message that comes across from more than 1,000 free text comments – running to 60,000 words – is neatly summed up by one person, who said “I often feel pressured to self-censor for fear of being 'cancelled' or bullied for not conforming to the orthodoxy”.

The rich, the brave, the powerful, the naïve and the free are being heard while the rest are muted for fear of a hostile reception

The anonymous forum offered by this research is likely to have been eagerly embraced by those who have experienced censorship or self-censorship themselves and were free for the first time to share their stories without fear of retribution. This includes those who are subject to contractual gagging clauses that have taken away their right to speak out, and one who witnessed criminal activity being covered up to protect the reputations of those involved. The anguish, fears, regret and anger expressed by the very many who left personal comments form a disturbing testimony. It shines a light upon coercion, bullying, intimidation and intolerance within a community that thinks of itself as liberal, open minded and equitable.

The research offers tentative responses to questions in four areas:

Do arts professionals speak their minds?

Based on the research, the short answer is ‘no’. Of course, it’s not only the cultural sector where people feel unable to step out of the mainstream and express a controversial view. You won’t hear many churchgoers admitting to the vicar that they favour assisted dying, or corporate lawyers telling their bosses they think they’re overpaid. Having said that, the pressure on arts workers to keep their views to themselves reveals self-delusion and even hypocrisy at the heart of a sector that believes it is owed artistic freedom but doesn’t tolerate freedom of speech within its own ranks.

What don’t people say?

Publicly stating opinions outside of the sector’s norms is widely thought to be a career-breaker. For example, it’s unsurprising to find evidence of left-leaning political viewpoints dominating the discourse, but it is depressing to read of intolerance shown towards those with other political views.

Other topics are also no-go areas. People of faith are being labelled with stereotypes; discussion of gender identity has become a no-go area; and honest conversations about the meaning and value of diversity have been all but extinguished. Hierarchical power structures within arts organisations appear to be contributing to the problem. In a tight-knit community where reputation is arguably more valuable than expertise, stepping beyond expected norms of speech or behaviour is dangerous. It is, therefore, unsurprising that complaints of sexual harassment, bullying and exploitation are seldom aired in places where action could be taken to stop it.

Why don’t people speak out?

Sometimes people don’t speak out because of sensitivity to a situation or fear of hurting someone’s feelings. That’s often understandable, sometimes laudable, but also potentially dangerous if it protects those wishing to censor debate or those incapable of dealing with honest feedback. Public derision of this has led to the term ‘snowflake’, but the right path to take must surely be determined on a case by case basis.

It isn’t sensitivity that is the primary deterrent to free speech though – it is fear of consequences. As a result, the rich, the brave, the powerful and the naïve are being heard while the rest are muted for fear of a hostile reception.

Who’s applying the pressure?

We might expect the sector to be wary of sharing opinions among those who have power over them, such as funders and others they rely on for their livelihoods. But it is deeply disturbing to find that colleagues are the ones most likely to leave arts professionals fearful of speaking openly. The clearest evidence of organisations being gatekeepers of communication is when they pay for silence using contractual devices including non-disclosure agreements. When evidence emerges of potentially unlawful activity being covered up using pay-offs and gagging clauses, the time has come to re-examine these widespread practices which have even been advocated by some funders, as well as those they fund.

This research is a prompt for everyone working in the cultural sector to take a long hard look in the mirror. Failing to respect the views expressed by others is the hallmark of people living in an echo chamber – an accusation that is often levied at the cultural sector. It would be nice to have produced evidence to refute that. Sadly, this research doesn’t provide it.

The prompt for ArtsProfessional is to create more safe spaces where the sector can speak out, which is why, next week, we’ll be launching a new anonymous platform where those working in the sector can tell us what’s going on – and we can investigate.

As a completely independent voice in the cultural sector we are free to speak out while others can’t; we’re brave enough to challenge the status quo; we’re powerful enough to worry those who would like the sector to stay silent; and we’re naïve enough to believe that change can happen if someone starts talking about the things that need to be said.

Liz Hill is Director of ArtsProfessional

Read the Freedom of Expression report, including over 1,000 comments and personal testimonies relating to freedom of expression in the arts and cultural sector.

Next week AP will launch an anonymous platform where you will be able to: