Since the broadcast of the program ANGRY Thursday the telephone will be red hot at Mores. People from the cultural sector can contact this hotline for support with undesirable behavior such as sexual misconduct. Mores is there for the arts and television, so also for The Voice of Holland. This talent show was taken off the channel last week after ANGRY submitted dozens of allegations to broadcaster RTL about sexually transgressive behavior of four employees, including coaches Ali B and Marco Borsato.
Mores promises complete discretion to those who report, so chairman Janke Dekker cannot say whether the reports are also about this. The Voice go: “But there are also many reports from other sectors. Something has been loosened: enough is enough.”
Shocking at the testimonials in ANGRY Dekker thinks that the anonymized victims were so hesitant to tell their story. She also recognizes this from the people who call Mores: “According to our confidential advisers, the reporters often say: ‘This happened to me, but I don’t know whether this is undesirable behaviour’, and then they come up with a story that makes you think: wooh! They often blame themselves.” When a report comes, says Dekker, she knows that it is only the tip of the iceberg: “Then you know: it is already very bad.”
Customized care
Mores was founded in 2018 by various cultural umbrella organizations after the Gosschalk affair: an important casting director had repeatedly sexually misbehaved towards young actors. The hotline is especially for victims who cannot turn to within their own organization, for example because they are freelancers. Every year, dozens of reports are received by Mores’ confidential advisers. According to Dekker, what the reporting center then does with this differs from case to case: “Some want information about what they can do. Others just want to tell their story. But we also go with people to talk to the company, for support. And sometimes it leads to a lawsuit.”
“The decision to make a report must rest entirely with the victim.”
In the latter case, the hotline does tell the victim what the risks are: “The average sexual assault case is very confrontational and makes you very vulnerable. You are now hearing about the candidates of The Voice: ‘They have to report it!’ But they don’t have to. Such a decision must rest entirely with the victim.”
Is this sexual abuse typical of the creative sector? “No, it happens in every industry. But there are certain circumstances in the cultural sector that increase the risks.” She says about insecurity in the workplace: “There are a lot of self-employed people who are self-employed in television and in the culture who are expected to take care of their own safety. You don’t want to be bothered because then they won’t ask you again next time.” Moreover, the competition is fierce: “Not everyone you work with is your friend. They are also each other’s competitors, all fighting for the same scarce spots.”
drum lesson
This type of abuse is always about power inequality, says Dekker. And in the cultural sector you often have ‘old-fashioned sharp’ hierarchical relationships: ‘You have to deal with the great stage director or with the star singer. That power difference is huge.” Just like with Gosschalk, it went with The Voice in addition to audition candidates: “That is the most vulnerable group you can get, so you have to take extra care of that.”
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Now that the stories about The Voice coming out, says Dekker favourably: “That creates growing awareness. In every sector where there has been a major case, this has led to significant changes.” This usually involved procedural improvements: drafting protocols, appointing confidential advisers, et cetera. Example: to prevent a teacher at an art course from assaulting a student, he must always leave the door of the room open. Dekker: “But if you give someone drum lessons, you can’t do that with open doors. That is why they have installed glass doors everywhere at Codarts in Rotterdam.”
Although Dekker thinks these are important improvements, she misses one important element: a culture change. “We must hold each other accountable for misconduct. Don’t laugh, don’t look away, have the courage to say something.” One small bright spot, she mentions: “Maybe it’s a generational thing. I think the new generation is very combative. I hope that by 2025 every woman in the Netherlands will be able to walk safely on the street.”
A version of this article also appeared in NRC Handelsblad on 22 January 2022
A version of this article also appeared in NRC on the morning of January 22, 2022
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