Young people facing pressure to ‘drink and take drugs’ in traditional music scene

The presence of alcohol and drugs in Scotland’s traditional music scene alongside power imbalances between established performers and young people presents safety risks that must be addressed, a sector support organisation has said.

A report by Glasgow-based BIT Collective, titled Safeguarding Young People in Traditional Music, outlines a range of endemic issues and calls for the sector to come together to create its own code of practice “that all organisations and individuals can sign up to as an accountability measure”.

The BIT Collective was founded in 2017 and describes its mission as “to catalyse progressive and intersectional structural change” in the country’s folk and traditional music community.

The report, authored by Dr Diljeet Kaur Bhachu, Luisa Brown and Maddie Morris, highlights the informal nature of the traditional music scene, the high number of freelancers, and low rates of pay are highlighted as factors contributing to the issues young traditional musicians can face.

The role of alcohol and drugs are singled out as something that can exacerbate already unequal relationships between more seasoned musicians and younger players.

The report notes that many traditional music events take place in pubs or other spaces where alcohol is readily available.

These were seen by focus group participants as spaces “in which young people could easily be ‘taken advantage of’” leading to “incidents of sexual harassment, assault or abuse”.

In one focus group session, the report states: “Participants noted the ease with which young traditional musicians are exposed to alcohol and drug culture, and the increased scope for young people to feel pressured to drink or take drugs.”

It continues: “There is also still a culture of ‘payment’ in drinks instead of a monetary fee, and this was noted as a possible factor in alcohol issues at residentials and festivals, where low rates of pay (or no pay at all) are ‘compensated’ for in free alcohol provision.”

Informal culture

The report highlights the safeguarding issues associated with the intrinsically social and informal nature of the traditional music scene.

It states: “Traditional music is seen broadly by focus group participants as a largely informal culture – until recent decades, it was largely absent from formal education, and while elements of traditional music may be more institutionalised it is still led by grassroots communities of practice.”

“While it is hugely valuable for young musicians to have access to playing with musical leaders in informal settings such as sessions, focus groups highlighted that the presence of alcohol and drugs alongside power imbalances does present safety risks, affecting issues such as consent.”

Another example of the potential risks of the informal nature of the sector is the common practice of touring artists playing and staying in people’s homes or community spaces, rather than formal venues.

The report continues: “Focus group participants from traditional music organisations voiced that there is a gap between policy and practice, i.e. that there is an awareness of what best practice should be, but it is not necessarily applied consistently and thoroughly.”

Tradition versus change

In making a series of recommendations for the sector, the report’s authors note the “tension between creating positive change while preserving a musical and cultural tradition”.

Yet they also state that many focus group participants expressed “a sense of relief” that the issue is being taken seriously.

Specific recommendations include the sector working together to create a code of practice that “could draw on existing codes of practice, but may also want to consider the nuances of the Scottish traditional music sector”.

Other suggestions include the creation of a formal, independent reporting mechanism “to protect those who do not have access to a formal workplace or education policy and procedure, such as freelance workers”.

With regards to addressing some of the informal aspects of the sector, the report recommends that all musicians and music teachers “should utilise professional/business page options on social media with regards to music and teaching work, to keep professional relationships separate from personal accounts”.

In particular, it says that “the use of personal profiles to communicate with for example students, contributes to the absence of appropriate boundaries, placing both parties at risk”.

Anyone running activities with young people, the report says, “should have clear signposting about safeguarding across their online and physical information, to make it clear that they are aware of and following best practice”.

Commenting on next steps for the sector, the BIT Collective said: “Through consideration and collaboration we can all step up to the challenge of real structural change to ensure a positive future that welcomes all musicians and participants in equitable ways.”