'When the BBC’s gender pay gap was revealed to the public in 2017, it unleashed a firestorm. The corporation’s top seven highest-paid stars were men. This single set of data had an instant transforming effect, raising the salaries of hitherto overlooked women almost overnight, and putting the bloated salaries of certain men under the spotlight. It proved that statistics matter. In our time, they have a power of their own.'
-Angela Saini, The Guardian
Arming audiences with the facts and figures clarifies which battles we need to fight, and which questions we need to ask in the future.
We have put together a database of all the game-changing studies that have been conducted in recent years. We want this to be a go-to place for theatre makers and activists to educate themselves with knowledge on these issues. The scope is currently mainly focused on gender, but we are in the process of expanding it to include other intersectional inequalities so if you have any more resources you’d think could be added please share them with us!
ARM YOUR SELF WITH THE FACTS!
Arming audiences with the facts and figures clarifies which battles we need to fight, and which questions we need to ask in the future.
We have put together a database of all the game-changing studies that have been conducted in recent
years. We want this to be a go-to place for theatre makers and activists to educate themselves with knowledge on these issues. The scope is currently mainly focused on gender, but we are in the process of expanding it to include other intersectional inequalities so if you have any more resources you’d think could be added please share them with us!
1. British Theatre Repertoire 2013
The largest study to-date into gender in Uk theatre, examining information by region, sector, gendre, form and gender. Stark and comprehensive insights into Gender inequalities.
2. British Theatre Repertoire 2014
A repeat of the survey above, showing little change after a year.
3. Panic! Social Class Taste and Inequalities in the Creative Industries
A broad study into class, one of the most difficult areas to research.
4. Workforce Review, 2017
An enlightening review of workplace culture in theatre: highly recommended reading for all theatre practitioners, encouraging them to review their own hiring practices.
5. Fawcett Society Sex and Power 2018
Powerful compilation of many different studies into the machinations of sex and power across different industries.
6. The Stage Harassment Survey 2018
A smaller-scale survey, with insights into harassment within the theatre industry.
7. Purple Seven Gender Thought and Leadership
While we have some questions over the robustness of this study, it provides a useful flavour of the issues the arts industry faces.
NB: Many of these studies are often quoted within industry circles, so they are useful resources to be familiar with. However, it should be noted that many only provide point estimates for the figures they discuss. This is not statistically orthodox: every estimate should have a range (e.g. 50% women, ±3%) and a formal degree of confidence specified (e.g.99% confident).
Where a range is not specified, the reader will be unable to know if the point estimate is reliable. Care should therefore be used while making inferences from studies which do not make such ranges explicit.