Leadership / 06.21.23

Calling All Crows' Maggie Arthur on the Nonprofit's Efforts to Combat Sexual Assault & Harassment in Live Music

Access Staff

Pollstar (06/15/23) Pittman, Sarah

The nonprofit Calling All Crows is teaming up with artists and festivals like Bonnaroo to fight sexual harassment and assault at live music events. Maggie Arthur, director of Calling All Crows' #HereForTheMusic campaign, explains in an interview that the campaign's training sessions seek to change the current culture. That culture, where sexual harassment has permeated in live music spaces, should transition "to one where if they see that type of harm happening, people feel empowered and emboldened to react — to intervene or at the very least to reach out to the person who experienced the harm and check in to make sure that they're okay and provide space for that person to process what happened," she says. For this year's Bonnaroo, Arthur notes that "not only are we gonna be tabling there, but we'll also be providing a couple of fan workshops and we're training Bonnaroo staff before the festival starts. We're partnering with a local counseling center in Tennessee so that we can have 24-hour crisis support on festival grounds — not just if someone experiences sexual assault, but if anyone is experiencing any type of mental health crisis, there is a counselor who is there the whole weekend." Arthur cites conventional gender roles and limited roles for people who are not cis men as a key risk factor for sexual violence. "We don't see diversity in music [and] this violence is contributing to who feels valued," she comments. "Not just who feels safe, but who feels valued in these spaces. And so it just extends in so many ways, which is why I'm personally so passionate about it."

Read the full story from Pollstar.

Tags: Leadership , Concert Safety