Balansemerket

Members who want to work systematically with equality and diversity are given a clear framework through our Balansemerket label.

We want to make it easier for cultural organizations to take active steps toward greater equality and diversity. Through Balansemerket, we offer training, guidance, and practical tools to help organizations build safer and more equitable working environments.

Interested in Balansemerket? Please contact Victoria Øverby Steinland at victoria@balansekunst.no

The path to Balansemerket:

  • The training takes place through online courses and a workshop session. Each member of the en enterprise reads through our online course. After that we meet for a 2-hour-training session with room for dialogue and collective reflection. During the session, Balansekunst present measures and ressources.

    Online course on equality and diversity

  • After the training, the enterprise complete measures for a safer and more equal working environment. Balansekunst offers checklists, templates and tips that can make the work easier.

    This must be done to achieve Balansemerket:

    • Map the risk
      Map the risk of discrimination, sexual harassment and other incivility. We have created a form to map risk factors in the enterprise.

    • Ensure guidelines for a safer environment
      Based on the risk mapping, create guidelines that create awareness and clear attitudes among people who work together.

    • Ensure routines for reporting and handling cases
      There must be a low threshold for reporting something you perceive as inappropriate. We offer a template for guidelines and routines for feedback, reports and handling cases.

    • Ensure routines for diversity-conscious recruitment
      In homogeneous environments, you risk having a limited perspective. People with different perspectives and networks can reach a broader audience. We have tips for diversity-conscious recruitment.

    • Ensure routines for accommodation at work
      Everyone is different, with different needs. Accommodation and flexibility can make more people feel at ease, and perform better. We have tips for routines for accommodations at work and working with accessibility.

    • Plan conversations throughout the year
      Working with diversity is not a quick fix. Keep the conversation going. It builds trust – a crucial ingredient for other routines to work. Balansekunst offer digital conversation cards.

    The requirements were updated in autumn 2023.

  • When the training and the measures have been completed, the enterprise has achieved Balansmerket.

    With Balansemerket, the enterprise communicates that prevention of discrimination and sexual harassment is a priority. This provides security to employees, freelancers, volunteers, audiences and others in and around the business.

    Working for equality and diversity is a continuous process. Balansemerket is awarded for a duration of two years. After two years, the enterprise and Balansekunst have another meeting where we develop a new plan for preventive work.

How to prevent discrimination and sexual harassment? How to work for diversity?

A A good place to start is by mapping power structures and identifying risks within your organization.

The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud provides an overview of common risk factors, risk situations, and particularly vulnerable groups. Balansekunst has expanded on this by identifying additional risk factors that are specific to the arts and culture sector.

  • Freelance work

    In arts and culture, many work as freelancers or are self-employed. When you don’t have a permanent position, and you rely on contacts to get new work, it’s a lot harder to set boundaries and people are reluctant to report harassment in fear of ruining opportunities.

    Networking

    A lot of recruitment happen through social networks, and people rely on good relations with others. This created power dynamics where it can be hard to report anything unpleasant and set boundaries.

    Hierarchies and competition

    Parts of the cultural sector in characterized by tough competition for a few prestigious spots. Some institutions and persons have a lot of power by virtue of deciding who’s accepted and promoted. In such environments it could cost a lot to report misconduct.

    Short contracts

    Many people in arts and culture work on short productions and projects, moving from one workplace to the next. When you know your employment will end soon, many decide they won't bother to report misconduct. That way a toxic culture may grow.

    Changing roles

    In one production A is the leader and B is a coworker, and in the next production B is the leader and A is a coworker. When the same people work together with changing roles and responsibilities, boundaries can be unclear. Are we friends? Are we colleagues? Is there a power relation between us?

    Alcohol

    Premiéres, exhibitions, concerts, conferences – alcohol is often present in arts and culture. Parties and alcohol can heighten the risk of misconduct.

    Blurred lines between work and private life

    Many artists use personal elements in their creative work. Touring, night work, social settings, often with alcohol, can create a blurred line between work and private life.

    Intimacy as a tool

    For dancers, actors and other performing artists the body is their tool at work. Being physically close to coworkers is a part of the work and you often work closely, sometimes in pairs alone. Getting into a role may entail challenging your own intimate boundaries. Stepping in and out of the role may create unclarity around relations, norms and boundaries, on and off stage.

    Sexualized profession

    Idolizing actors and artists often entail elements of sexualization. “Sex sells” is a well know idiom in the business. As a performing artist, you can experience that appearance and sexuality are emphasised in others' reviews and description. In this way, one can say that the professional role is being sexualised.

    Protecting the talent

    In some productions and environments, the consideration for the big talent takes precedence over the consideration for everyone else. This makes it particularly difficult to report unwanted scenarios involving a particularly talented person or celebrity.

    Media coverage

    Being famous can give you power. At the same time, the threshold for reporting can be extra high for famous people because of potential media coverage. It’s hard to handle cases, and it’s even harder if the case is discussed publicly.

    Protecting the power

    If the person harassing you "knows everyone", it can be difficult for the person harassed to report an incident. Who should you report to if everyone has some close relationship with the person in question?

    Charismatic power

    Parts of the arts and culture sector are characterised by charismatic leadership where especially talented artists gain a lot of power. Some have pointed out that artists who take up teaching positions or leadership positions may identify themselves more as artists than as leaders or teachers, and in the worst case may misunderstand their responsibilities.

    The bystander effect

    This is when "everyone" knows that there is abuse of power and boundary-crossing, but no one does anything. Everyone expects someone else to take action, and the responsibility is shifted. When no one speaks out, a culture where abuse of power becomes normal - "that's just the way it is".

    Boundary-breaking art

    Artistic practices are often characterised by breaking boundaries. Art challenges conventions and norms, and constantly pushes artistic boundaries. At the same time, it is important that artists feel that there is room to set their own boundaries and that the entire production is aware of this.

    • Description text goes hereConditions that make it difficult for employees to speak up due to fear of potential repercussions

    • Negative attitudes towards groups, such as women, LGBTQ people, black, indigenous and people of colour, religious minorities, people with disabilities

    • Sexualised culture and jargon in the workplace

    • Conscious or unconscious prejudices, stereotypes and expectations related to identity

    • Limited knowledge of the challenges related to discrimination and an inability to understand other groups’ perspectives

    • Homogeneous environments are at risk of reinforcing or confirming societal norms. If there is little diversity, you might not get to hear other perspectives. And when underrepresented groups enter such environments, they may become particularly visible.

    • Evening and night work

    • Work involving the serving of alcohol

    • Work involving close contact with customers, guests or users

    • Working alone

    • Training situations. Often an older and more experienced artist or instrumentalist is tasked with teaching younger people

    • Work-related social settings with unclear boundaries between work and private life

    • Settings where customers, guests, users or audiences experience the situation as private and ‘forget’ that employees or artists are at work

    • Temporary employees, part-time employees, freelancers, self-employed persons and volunteers

    • Young employees, especially women

    • Apprentices and employees in training

    • Employees representing or perceived as minorities

    • Persons with minority identities: LGBTQ people, multicultural persons, Sami people, national minorities, religious minorities, people with disabilities

To receive the Balansemerket, your organization must:

  • To reduce the risk of sexual harassment or discrimination, it is important to understand where, when, and how it may occur. Map the risks in your organization.

    • What are the potential risks in your organization?

    • What actions can you take to prevent them?

    • If an incident does occur, how can you minimize its impact and address it effectively?

    Balansekunst provides a template to help you map these risks.

  • People have different views on what is appropriate. Some people think crude jokes are great fun, others do not. What feels harmless to some may feel uncomfortable or inappropriate to others.

    Develop shared guidelines to help ensure that everyone feels safe in your organization.

    Use risk mapping as a starting point. Address power structures and potential risks directly in the guidelines.

    Make sure the guidelines are clearly communicated to everyone — permanent and temporary employees, freelancers, volunteers, and others connected to the organization.

    Clear guidelines help shape workplace culture and provide a structured way to handle concerns.

    Examples of guidelines:

    • We are mindful of roles, power dynamics, and boundaries in our work.

    • We understand that humor and compliments can be perceived differently, and we avoid commenting on others’ appearance.

    • Group-based insults are not accepted in our workplace.

  • Reporting may sound very serious. The goal is to create a good feedback culture, with a low threshold for raising concerns if someone experiences something inappropriate, uncomfortable, or unacceptable. This helps improve working conditions for everyone.

    For many people, reporting is a big step. If you get information about how you will be met, it can lower the threshold.

    • Information about guidelines, reporting channels, and feedback procedures should be shared with everyone connected to the organization — permanent staff, temporary staff, freelancers, volunteers, and self-employed collaborators.

    • List several people who can receive reports.

    • Make reporting channels visible on your website.

    • Employment and assignment contracts can also include information about reporting procedures, protection against sexual harassment and discrimination, and a shared responsibility for maintaining a safe environment.

    • Anonymous reporting can be offered through a form. However, anonymous reports can make it difficult to investigate and follow up on specific cases. While individual cases may not be resolved, organizations can still take preventive measures.

    • Most people find it difficult to report. Oftentimes, the person exposed to abuse of power must speak out against the power. Practical reporting procedures are important — building trust and reflecting on power structures are equally so.

    Balansekunst has developed a template for guidelines and reporting procedures in collaboration with the law firm Graasvold & Stenvaag and the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud. You are welcome to use and adapt the template.

  • Create a routine for diversity-conscious recruitment. Reflect on potential barriers and bias. Write a few points about your organization’s approach to diversity and how this is reflected in recruitment practices.

    Different people bring different perspectives, skills, and networks. Organizations with limited diversity risk missing important perspectives.

    Some groups are underrepresented in arts and culture due to structural barriers.

    Be aware how we often are drawn to others who are similar to ourselves. Reflect on how you define competence and quality, both consciously or unconsciously.

    Recruiting or booking diverse is not about quotas. It is about breaking free from bias and recognizing and overcoming barriers, and include a wider selection of perspectives, networks, expertise and artistic expression.

    Reflect on barriers and bias:

    • Which barriers may make it harder for certain groups to work with us?

    • What does our network look like? Who are we not reaching

    • What tastes or styles do I easily gravitate toward?

    • How do we define competence and quality?

    • Can diversity competence be included as a qualification criterion?

    Here you can find a compiled a list of practical tips for diversity-conscious recruitment, booking and jury work.

  • Write down a few points about your organization’s approach to diversity and different needs. Describe how you will ensure that employees, volunteers, and audiences are offered reasonable accommodations.

    Employers are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees. Flexibility and adjustments can help more people feel safe and perform their best.

    Everyone is different. We have different needs, for example related to disabilities, religious customs, mental health, or combining work with caregiving responsibilities.

    The common principle is simple for all facilitation is to recognize that people are different and respond with openness and flexibility.

    It can be difficult to ask for accommodations. Work to lower the threshold.

    • Ask employees what they need, for example during interviews and onboarding.

    • Provide examples of possible accommodations. This makes it easier for people to express their needs.

    • Share information about accessibility and provide contact details for accommodation requests.

    • Include a question about accommodation needs in registration forms.

  • Make a plan for how to continue the conversation throughout the year. Set aside time for discussions, reviewing routines, and training.

    There is no quick fix for preventing sexual harassment and discrimination. This work requires ongoing efforts to raise awareness.

    For practical measures and routines to be effective, people need to trust them. Reporting procedures must feel accessible and safe to use. It is therefore important to create space for open conversations, learning, and awareness-raising activities.

    To support this work, Balansekunst has developed: