Scenekunstbruket is the first company to receive the Balance Label

Scenekunstbruket is the first cultural organization to achieve the Balansemerket, Balansekunst's label against sexual harassment in cultural life. The Norwegian Jazz Forum and the Norwegian Jazz Scene follow close behind.

Through the scheme, Balansekunst offers training, guidance and tools to help arts and culture companies work towards a safe and inclusive working environment.

Under the auspices of Balansekunst, we have carried out training, mapped risk factors and implemented measures against sexual harassment in the business, including including information about guidelines in our contracts and highlighting the organization's position against sexual harassment in the festival program and on the website.

Zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination

- "We're proud to be the first to achieve the Balance Label. It has been a great and educational process," says Ådne Sekkelsten, general manager of Scenekunstbruket. "We have taken a careful review of our entire business to ensure good guidelines and notification routines at all levels, and we see this as ongoing work that will be present in all future evaluations. As a promoter of dozens of performing arts companies on tour every year and as the organizer of the Showbox festival, it is important to us that it is perceived as safe, both for performers and audiences. It is therefore our responsibility to show that we have zero tolerance for all forms of harassment and discrimination, and the Balance Label highlights our attitude in a good way. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Balansekunst," he says.

- A clear stance against sexual harassment is important. In order for guidelines and reporting routines to work, trust is essential. When everyone at the festival knows that the organizer takes the issue seriously, the threshold for reporting it is lowered," explains Siri Haugan Holden, General Manager of Balansekunst.

A continuous effort

The Balansekunst label is awarded for one year, after which the companies and Balansekunst meet again to develop a plan for preventive work. Haugan Holden of Balansekunst explains that mapping the risk and implementing measures against sexual harassment is a continuous process.

- The Balance Label cannot guarantee that sexual harassment will not occur, but it is a tool to prevent and guide the handling of sexual harassment in cultural businesses," she says.
- "Both the work of the label scheme and the label itself raise awareness and create attitudes. In the same way that a rainbow flag in a room can give security to vulnerable groups and highlight an inclusive attitude, we want the Balance Mark to act as a preventive stance against sexual harassment.

The balance mark and guidelines against sexual harassment

It is important for us to do our best to be at the forefront when it comes to a gender-equal and diverse cultural life, and that we in all parts of our business look at routines and measures to prevent sexual harassment and support inclusion. The balance mark helps to raise awareness in this work and clarifies our responsibility. We aim to be a safe workplace, free from sexual harassment.

Equality, gender balance and diversity do not happen by themselves. It requires an awareness and a focus, in all parts of our business. Showbox, and all our other arenas where people meet, must be an arena where artists and audiences are respected for who they are, with the identity and background they have.

As an audience member at Scenekunstbruket's events, we want you to feel welcome, respected and included, and we want you to make sure that your fellow audience members feel the same.

NTO's ethical standard

Scenekunstbruket is a member of NTO and has drawn up an ethical standard for the prevention of harassment at Norwegian music and performing arts institutions. The purpose of the standard is for everyone working at the institutions to be aware of their responsibility to contribute to a good working environment characterized by equality, diversity, openness and tolerance. NTO's member companies have zero tolerance for harassment, discrimination or other unacceptable behavior towards colleagues or others you relate to through work. Read NTO's ethical standard here.

We expect all our business partners to adhere to the same ethical standards, which are included in all our contracts.