Safe Spaces

No-one should be made to feel unsafe in their workplace. Our members deserve the same respect as any other worker in any other sector.

Following #MeToo and 2017's disturbing spate of revelations, Equity formed a working group. Its aim was simple: to figure out how to address our industry's sexual harassment crisis.

The group wrote the Agenda for Change. This document explains how everyone in the industry must work together to create a "culture shift".

Safe Spaces is one of the products of this report.

The campaign seeks to give members the confidence to challenge and report inappropriate behaviour, knowing the union is always behind them.

They can do this via our Harassment Helpline (020 7670 0268), which members can ring to report incidents or concerns.

Posters with this phone number have been, and are continuing to be put up in members’ workplaces, including rehearsal spaces, casting suites and green rooms.

We have also created a statement for a cast or crew member to read aloud at the beginning of a production’s rehearsal period. By doing this, a company demonstrates its commitment to creating safe spaces “free of bullying and harassment”.

We are also a developing a step-by-step guide that will offer clarity on unacceptable behaviour and good practice as well as advice on what members should do if they are the victim or observer of sexual harassment or assault.

Safe Spaces was launched with the cast of the Young Vic’s Yerma (see above photo, from left to right: John MacMillan, Maureen Beattie, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Billie Piper, Thalissa Teixeira, Brendan Cowell and Charlotte Randle), and the production’s stage managers.

On the one year anniversary of the launch, we unveiled a video version of the statement read by David Tennant, Rosalie Craig, Sir Michael Boyd, Jason Pennycooke, Phil Davis, Niamh Cusack, Sarah Gordy, Jonathan Bailey and Maureen Beattie.