Bullying in the Arts

Diva, Prima Donna, Maestro, Virtuoso: the terminology is testimony to the esteem in which is held the creative genius - a superior being in terms of the ability to deliver artistic excellence. This perception serves to tilt the balance of power in relationships and to substantiate the notion of artistic temperament: the Master is always right; the Diva must have her way; the artistic genius may be hell to work with, but the end result (the art) is exceptional, so behaviour deemed unacceptable in normal circumstances must be tolerated. If the corporate culture in the arts is in thrall to the concept of the artistic genius, then across the various disciplines within the creative sector, the prevailing mentality may be subscribing to a set of values that allows, even directly encourages, behaviour and employment conditions that are abusive, in the name of the pursuit of creative excellence. In 'Bullies in the Arts' the author argues that this mindset has the capacity for a profoundly negative effect in performing arts organisations, permitting managers and other staff to ignore bullying behaviour, as long as the show goes on, with all the personal, organisational, legal and economic consequences that brings. In the UK, workplace bullying has long been identified and investigated by researchers in a range of disciplines and fields, including the armed forces, the police, prisons, further and higher education, the church and the health services. Having witnessed bullying in a number of different arts organisations, Anne-Marie Quigg set out to discover whether the behaviour represented isolated, rare occurrences in specific creative environments or whether, as she suspected, it was indicative of a more widespread problem in the arts and cultural sector. In the ensuing research she discovered the highest level of bullying recorded in any employment sector in the UK - strange for a sector that professes to subscribe to the principles of recognition of talent, governance by consensus, respect for the individual and celebration of diversity. In this revealing book, Dr.Quigg sets out her extensive research findings, including the experience of countries such as Australia; Canada; France; Sweden; and the United States, and some of the responses developed in those countries. Ultimately, this book challenges the widespread notion that the arts are beyond the limitations of the ordinary milieu, different and exempt from the normal rules and regulations governing the treatment of those who work in offices, factories and shops, rather than theatres and arts centres. Arts managers and professionals, teachers, students and researchers in the arts world, and all those in management or management education, will find here a new model centred on the likely responses to bullying behaviour, which demonstrates the beneficial effect that knowledgeable, skilled action can have on the outcome of bullying incidents, as opposed to organisational ignorance, incompetence and inaction.