“There Will Always Be More To Achieve”: Drama Schools Respond To Complaints Of Sexual Misconduct & Discrimination
09.08.2023 - 11:17
/ deadline.com
In the first part of Deadline’s Drama Schools Uncovered series of stories, we revealed that 11 prestigious UK performing arts institutions were hit with nearly 100 complaints over sexual misconduct, bullying, and discrimination.
The figures, disclosed through Freedom of Information Act requests, are the first real attempt to establish the scale of inappropriate behavior in drama schools, which have helped give rise to stars including Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench.
Not a single one of the schools questioned agreed to an interview, but Deadline is publishing their statements in full below, starting with some of the highest-profile institutions.
For each school, we have included the number of complaints and upheld (or partially upheld) complaints between 2020 and 2023. The figures represent the minimum number of complaints because some schools did not disclose precise grievance tallies for data protection reasons. The actual number of complaints is likely to be higher.
Comment: “We applaud the work of Deadline in ensuring the issue of racism stays at the forefront of discussions around both the arts and our teaching of them.
“At RADA we consider any complaint of racism as one too many, while at the same time we have ensured that it is easier for students to bring complaints so we can address any underlying issues.
“During the last year the number of complaints of racism was zero, and we have faith in the systems we have put in place to address matters of racism if they arise.
“Long-term commitment is required for substantive systemic change, and we are confident that the long-term approach we are taking is the right one to properly embed the anti-racism practices and policies that we have put in place since 2020.
“Both