When Will the Cultural Sector Pull a Red Card for Toxic Leadership?

The cultural sector prioritizes sympathizing with Anne Teresa De Keersmaecker and Philippe Van Cauteren, rather than with the victims of their toxic leadership, argues the artist-led organization Engagement Arts. A time-out is required to make real amends.

Lees de Nederlandse versie van het artikel hier.

We are disappointed with the cultural sector’s poor response to the revelations about the toxic leadership of choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker in the Flemish newspaper De Standaard (22 June). We are equally astonished by the shadow play of the political leaders surrounding the unsafe work conditions at SMAK in Ghent.

The general reaction of the cultural sector is time and time again that no one is 'surprised'. Of course no one is: the sector has been silent about 'public secrets' for decades. We are exhausted by all those secrets: it will take months, sometimes years of work for Engagement Arts to create an environment of safety and trust, so that victims and potential whistleblowers find the courage to file complaints and denounce abuse. It is a long road from public secrets to public accountability.

In statements like 'we do not want to cancel a performance' we hear moral laziness, damage control and ostrich politics.

The sector says that abuse is unacceptable and that the field must change, but its gatekeepers don’t follow with actions. In statements like 'we do not want to cancel a performance' or 'we maintain confidence in our director', we hear moral laziness, damage control and ostrich politics. The British-Australian writer Sara Ahmed has taught us that it is a strategy of distraction and displacement. Instead of taking action, day-to-day business is resumed, and resolutions are made to organize another 'conversation' or 'training'. We have had enough of these endless conversations and trainings.

In defense of its continued programming of De Keersmaeker, the sector argues that only work that ‘was made in safe conditions’ will be shown. Of course there are productions by Rosas/De Keersmaeker in which no one was harmed, just as there are good collaborations with the director of SMAK. These are not monsters prone to constant abuse. What matters, however, is that De Keersmaeker and Philippe Van Cauteren have been known for decades for problematic work relationships – enough to make working with them potentially harmful and unsustainable. We hear that 'canceling is not the solution'. But the question should be: are these people we want to give more opportunities by continuing to applaud them? Bénédicte Linard, Minister of Culture and Women's Rights of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, is right when she says about Ars Musica director Bruno Letort: ​​’There is no place for this behavior in our sector’.

In a sector that is mainly financed with public money, keeping things under wraps will only help to delegitimize the entire field.

The sector tells us that we need to be more careful and nuanced; that publicly denouncing these issues is harming our field; that these are politically dangerous times. But it is not because of us that the field’s reputation is being damaged; it is the sector that is responsible, because it has ignored and minimized these issues for decades. And when these problems are afterwards exposed in an explosive manner, it is no longer possible to deal with them discreetly and behind closed doors. The cultural sector is mainly financed with public money. Keeping things under wraps will only help to delegitimize the entire field.

It is outrageous how the sector continues to walk on eggshells. There is empathy with De Keersmaeker, Van Cauteren and others, but much less with those artists who have been disadvantaged and harmed over the years, and whose careers and artistic practices have been made impossible. When will the sector stop unconditionally excusing its great heroes? When will the sector roll up its sleeves and finally start showing real engagement?

We hear that there is 'real insight and willingness to change'. In the past, we have supported this on many occasions. But we can only do so when there is real accountability. We do not find such accountability in the apology letters sent by Rosas to the hand that feeds them, or in the plans for action imposed by SMAK; these institutions make no attempt to repair the damage done to those who still suffer the consequences of their leaders’ missteps.

In the absence of real amends, toxic leaders should be temporary suspended. True accountability means taking a step back, accepting the red card and working toward reparation with the people you have harmed.