Live music audiences to be given 'named contact' to report sexual violence at gigs

Scotland's first safety scheme, spearheaded by music collective Hen Hoose, aims to "change attitudes" across the music industry by training staff at venues, studios and events to create safer working and live music environments for women.

Funded by Creative Scotland, the scheme is backed by venues and festivals including Celtic Connections, Aberdeen Performing Arts, Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall, Unique Assembly and the Tolbooth in Stirling. It will provide free specialist training and establish identifiable safety contacts at participating venues, record labels, events and studios, giving artists, workers and audiences a clear person to approach if they experience or witness an issue.

At live events, audiences, artists and workers will be informed where they can be found and contacted, with the trained contact present and visibly identified at the event. Meanwhile, recording studios will also provide contact details when sessions are booked.

Hen Hoose will use learning and evidence gathered through the pilot to help shape the scheme’s development and expansion and plans to produce a policy document to present to the Scottish Government, with the aim of making the measures standard practice across the music industry.

Tamara Schlesinger, who formed songwriting collective and music production house Hen Hoose in 2020 as a response to inequality within the music industry, said: "Being safe at work or at a gig is a right, not a privilege. This change is long overdue. Across society, and within our own industry, we continue to face harassment and abuse, and there isn't enough support for those experiencing it. We felt a responsibility to use our position to do something about it.

“This pilot will work across live venues, recording studios and rehearsal rooms to build safer spaces and change attitudes throughout Scotland's music industry. We're delighted to have such committed partners with us as we begin this vital work."

Earlier this year, a study from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow found 81 per cent of women musicians who participated in its survey disclosed personally experiencing some form of sexual violence or harassment while working or participating in the Scottish folk music scene.

Lesley Shaw, festival manager at Celtic Connections, said: “As Scotland’s leading folk, roots and world music festival, Celtic Connections welcomes the creation of the first-ever safety certification scheme for Scotland’s music industry by the Hen Hoose Collective.

“We wholeheartedly endorse Hen Hoose Collective’s efforts to make our country the safest place in the UK to work in music and we strongly believe this project marks an important step towards making Scotland’s music scene safer for all.”

The scheme will see nominated individuals undertake free training delivered online and in person, with courses planned to begin in the new year. The course will be created by Jayne Stynes and Clare Duffin, lecturers at the University of the West of Scotland alongside FLAPS, and will cover bystander intervention, EDIA, safety and wellbeing.

Once trained, participating organisations will appear in a searchable public directory, allowing artists, music workers and audiences to identify venues, studios, events and organisations that have committed to the scheme and have trained support in place.

The first training courses are expected to begin in the new year, with further details on participating organisations and the public directory to be announced as the pilot develops.