When the #MeToo movement rose to global attention, the SHIFT– or Shared Initiatives for Training– project made a joint decision to focus on sexual harassment and power abuse in the European art world. The result of this collaboration is a recent report called “#MeToo in the Arts: From call-outs to structural change – Research-Informed Recommendations For Network Organisations On Combating Sexual Harassment And Power Abuse In The European Cultural Sector.”

SHIFT, or Shared Initiatives for Training, is a European Union-funded project that invites cultural leaders to work together and create paths to face global challenges, such as climate change, gender equality, and inclusion of minorities. The SHIFT project is the partnership of nine European cultural networks and platforms:

• IETM
• European Music Council
• European Choral Association – Europa Cantat
• ELIA – European League of Institutes of the Arts
• European Union of Music Competitions for Youth
• Fresh Arts Coalition Europe
• International Music Council
• Trans Europe Halles
• On the Move

As FEDEC’s website states, “The collected stories cover, in particular, countries that are usually less ‘on the spot’ when it comes to #MeToo cases (especially those in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe), with the aim of providing a more balanced and contextualised picture of the current situation across the continent. 40% of the interviews were made with professionals from the Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries. This choice was driven by a desire to counterbalance the numerous publications, articles, and tools that are usually more related to Western contexts and that are collected in this report’s Annotated Bibliography. The majority of the interviewees work primarily in the performing arts, including music. Several visual arts professionals were also interviewed as well as people who work across disciplines. Additionally, a significant number (14 out of 23) of the stories we collected were from art academies and universities.”

The reports are available via the FEDEC Resource page: