Last week's news of a silent "public secret", yet another case of harassment in classical music, is alarming. The saddest thing of all is that there have been countless similar cases in the field of art and culture, which one by one have come to light – when it already has been going on for too long.
The Student Union of Uniarts Helsinki (TaiYo) demands concrete measures from Uniarts Helsinki and the rest of the art and culture field to eradicate harassment. Every artist graduating into the field must be sure that the harassment experienced can be talked about and addressed. The Board of the Student Union states that Uniarts Helsinki, as a university, must have the capacity to act when harassment occurs. The university must also offer students anonymised protection and support in problem situations. Harassment should not only be addressed when students point it out, but eradicating harassment should be proactive, everyday activities.
Based on recent news reports, the reader is inevitably left with the impression that harassment cases may be known to those in power in the field for a long time, but for one reason or another, disruptive behaviour has not been addressed. TaiYo is now collectively asking the art scene: why is it so difficult to eradicate the culture of tacit acceptance?
We thank Uniarts Helsinki's Sibelius Academy for reacting quickly to last week's news. The university has raised the issue, and TaiYo believes that the university and its management are aware of the problem. However, we as a community still have a long way to go before Uniarts Helsinki could be a direct trendsetter in building a more equal culture. We are particularly concerned about the students of the Sibelius Academy, who need considerably more support and the opportunity to discuss harassment confidentially with the university staff.
"Students must have clear information about who or whom they can contact confidentially if they experience or witness harassment. Staff and students must be trained on how to address harassment and what constitutes unacceptable behaviour. Together, we must address the obstacles that prevent students from reporting harassment', says Siiri Koistinen, Member of the Student Union Board responsible for equality.
"Unfortunately, I have heard of many well-known artists in the field who, in the worst case, engage in systematic sexual harassment. People, especially young people, are afraid to bring cases to light. If students are not protected in these situations, the student's future may be in jeopardy – career opportunities must not be impaired as a result of intervening in harassment. The victims still have to fear that they will not be believed," says Willjam Tigerstedt, Vice Chairman of the Student Union Board.
TaiYo will continue its close advocacy work towards the university and aims to ensure that, among other things, anonymous contact in harassment cases is still possible this year.
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