CONTENT COURTESY MUSIC INDUSTRY REVIEW
The volunteer Temporary Working Group — with support from APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, Australia Council, and Support Act — have selected consultants Alexandra Shehadie and Sam Turner to undertake a national Music Industry Review on sexual harm, sexual harassment, and systemic discrimination in the contemporary Australian music industry, and to deliver a report in June 2022 with findings and recommendations at its conclusion.
Shehadie and Turner bring extensive collective experience and leadership to this Review, specifically in relation to safe, inclusive and respectful workplace culture diversity and inclusion, gender equality, and the prevention of and effective responses to, sexual violence, including sexual harassment.
Their work spans cultural reviews of the Australian Defence Force, Qantas, the Australian Federal Police, major Australian Universities, the NSW Parliament, a major resource organisation, and a leading cultural institution, to name just a few.
The Music Industry Review, to be auspiced by Support Act, will span six months, with a series of focus groups, one-on-one interviews, an online survey, and a confidential online written submission process beginning in February 2022.
The Review is the first of its kind in Australian music, and will be industry-wide and covers all sectors and professions in the national contemporary music industry. It will be the first time the lived experiences of our people are front and centre of a cultural change process.
The Review will include artists, artist management, agents, crew, venues, production, labels, publishing, promoters, studios, trade and peak organisations, and freelancers and creatives.
The stories and experiences of music professionals will provide the consultants with a deep understanding of the current culture, including those areas requiring reform. This will help to inform their findings and recommendations.
A final report identifying key issues and themes, and sustainable recommendations with impact will be provided to the industry to implement at the conclusion of the consultation process.
The consultants will take an intersectional approach across the entirety of the work. A First Nations facilitator will be engaged to ensure greater inclusion and cultural safety when engaging First Nations industry colleagues. In addition, the consultants will engage a First Nations advisor to review the overall report, but with specific attention to elevating Black voices throughout the report and recommendations.
This national Review initiative was kickstarted six months ago through an initial gathering of a number of committed industry members who were eager to commence an industry-wide program of cultural change. It was acknowledged that this gathering was not exhaustive in including all possible voices and was merely a starting point to get the ball rolling.
Critical to ensuring all possible voices are heard and can contribute to this work and its outcomes, it was agreed that an extensive, national consultation strategy was needed, and that independent, expert consultants were required to carry out the work.
The Temporary Working Group, APRA AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, the Australia Council, and Support Act have been impressed by the calibre of consultants and experts that applied to be part of this work, and the outpouring of interest from the industry-at-large to contribute.
“It is time to hear the voices of our most vulnerable members of our music industry. It is only through this survivor-centric approach can we understand the problems that allow for systemic abuse and sexual harassment to occur in our industry. The journey to appoint independent consultants Alex and Sam has been immense, and is a big step in pushing for real change. This requires an industry-wide commitment financially and emotionally. It is not about blame but about how we can come together to grow into a safe industry we all deserve to work in” — Temporary Working Group.
A music industry briefing will take place on Monday 13 December at 1pm AEDT offering the opportunity for anyone in the industry to hear from Shehadie and Turner, their methodology and approach to this work, and how to be heard and get involved.
Learn more on the Music Industry Review website, and register here to attend the briefing.
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