Arts sector harassment in Portugal: National study now accessible
The MUSA Project, a new initiative aimed at addressing workplace harassment in the arts sector, has been launched in Portugal. Funded by the Government for €45,000, the project is the first activity promoted by MUSA and aims to support those who have been targets of harassment and sensitize them to the situation.
The national inquiry, which was launched this Friday, is restricted to the performing arts and interdisciplinary crossovers, excluding visual arts, cinema, and audiovisual. Researcher Dalia Costa recognizes that the inquiry is not comprehensive of all Culture, but its objective is to reach a diverse group of people from different locations, labor contracts, and roles in the arts sector, including artists, technicians, producers, teachers, and students.
The objective of the MUSA Project's inquiry is to map, not to represent a sample. At least 400 to 1,000 responses are expected for the inquiry, which is available until September. The advice for witnesses is to offer themselves as witnesses, while victims are encouraged to tell someone they trust, keep evidence, and file a complaint with the authorities or internally. The results of the inquiry will be known in March 2026.
The study is being carried out by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, including Ana Báratro, Isabel Silva (Psychology), Dalia Costa (Sociology), and Joana Neto (Labor Law). The project also aims to create a Good Practices Manual, Conversations, and Training Actions, but funding for these aspects is still awaited.
While there are no search results directly addressing a national inquiry on harassment in the arts in Portugal, including its objectives, expected responses, or timeline, it can be generally expected that such an inquiry would aim to investigate the prevalence and nature of harassment within the arts sector, identify systemic issues, hold perpetrators accountable, and recommend measures to prevent future misconduct. Expected responses could involve policy reforms, awareness campaigns, support mechanisms for victims, and possibly legal action depending on findings. The timeline for national inquiries usually spans several months to over a year, depending on the scope and complexity.
For those experiencing harassment or witnessing it, the project's website provides guidelines on what to do, which can be found here. If you require more information or a targeted search, feel free to ask!
- The MUSA Project, with funding from the government, will create a Good Practices Manual for addressing and preventing workplace harassment in the performing arts, interdisciplinary crossovers, and related arts sector roles such as artists, technicians, producers, teachers, and students.
- In addition to the MUSA Project, persons dealing with lifestyle issues might find resources for handling harassment on fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, or cars websites, which often contain provisions addressing workplace and personal conduct.
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