Executive summary

Kulturanalys Norden has conducted a study on the prevalence of threats, violence, and harassment against artists and authors in the Nordic countries. The purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which artists and authors experience these issues. Another aim was to identify whether certain groups of artists and authors are particularly affected and to report on the consequences of threats, violence, and harassment for those impacted.

The report is based on studies conducted across the Nordic countries. The findings are drawn from surveys distributed to members of eight organisations representing artists and authors in four Nordic countries. These organisations include Billedkunstnernes Forbund (Denmark, visual artists), Dansk Artist Forbund (Denmark, performing artists), Konstnärernas Riksorganisation (Sweden, visual artists), Sveriges Författarförbund (Sweden, authors), Creo (Norway, performing artists), Den norske Forfatterforening (Norway, authors), Rithöfundasamband Íslands (Iceland, authors), and Samband Íslenskra Myndlistarmanna (Iceland, visual artists).

The survey results should be interpreted with caution, as several organisations experienced low participation rates. Response rates varied between organisations, ranging from a minimum of 4 percent to a maximum of 34 percent. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalised to represent artists and authors in the Nordic countries in its entirety.

Based on previous studies and the results and analyses presented in the report, Kulturanalys Norden concludes that the occurrence of threats, violence and harassment against artists and authors is a concrete problem for working artists and authors. Many of the artists and authors who responded to the surveys had at some point experienced threats, violence or harassment. The reported share that at some point had experienced threats, violence or harassment varied between organisations, from 36 to 61 per cent of respondents. The proportion of respondents who said they had been subjected to threats, violence or harassment in the last 12 months varied between 10 and 25 per cent. Threats and harassment were more common than violence, theft and vandalism. A small proportion had reported the incidents they had experienced in the past 12 months to the police.

Visual artists, writers and performing artists experienced different types of incidents. For authors, threats and harassment were the most common types of incidents, with threats and attacks on social media standing out. Among the responding performing artists, sexual harassment, face-to-face threats and theft were the most common. Theft and vandalism were more common among respondents from the two organisations that brought together visual artists.

The proportion who had experienced threats, violence, or harassment at some point was similar for women and men. Both genders were affected in roughly equal proportions, although by different types of incidents. Threats and harassment were the most common experiences for both, but a higher proportion of women had faced sexual harassment, while more men reported direct threats and online harassment. There were also some patterns related to age, with younger individuals experiencing a higher proportion of threats or harassment in the past 12 months. These differences are mainly since younger people are more active and visible online, where much of the threats and harassment occur.

Threats, violence, and harassment have significant consequences. Such experiences have led artists and writers to withdraw from the public sphere, avoid certain commissions or subject areas, and implement security measures. As a result, these experiences can make artists and authors feel that their artistic freedom is more limited. However, many of those affected report that these experiences have also strengthened their commitment and desire to express themselves artistically.

The report highlights several key areas where further research is needed. One such area is a more in-depth study of the consequences of threats, violence, and harassment, as well as the mechanisms behind self-censorship and adaptation. It also emphasizes the need for studies examining the safety nets available—or lacking—for affected artists. Such studies should particularly focus on the rise of online threats and harassment, as well as the changing conditions for artists and authors in this new public sphere. The knowledge gained should ultimately inform measures aimed at preventing threats, violence, and harassment against artists and authors.