Silencing in the Arts 🤫

Background & Research Objectives

BACKGROUND:


Silencing in the Arts was initiated in response to the growing number of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) being signed by artists and arts workers within our professional peer networks in Canada.

The original purpose of an NDA was to prevent the sharing of confidential business information (“intellectual property”) and trade secrets. Silencing in the Arts looks specifically at the misuse of NDAs in the arts sector, which prevent artists and arts workers from speaking out about their experiences working with an arts institution, with no reference to trade secrets or proprietary information. This would include speaking about allegations of censorship, misconduct, discrimination, retaliation, and other forms of bullying and harassment.

The project aims to uncover how the misuse of NDAs impacts growth within the field, exploring the role they play in upholding power imbalances, protecting professional misconduct, silencing workers and creators, and ultimately hindering artistic expression.



RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:


Determining the extent to which NDAs are being misused in the sector across Canada, which includes the number of people who have signed, their geographic location, employment level, and the type of institution issuing the NDA

Understanding the main contexts in which NDAs are issued in the arts sector across Canada and whether they are being signed with informed consent

Understanding the long- and short-term impacts on the person signing, including financial, social, and psychological

Determining what rights artists and arts workers have when being asked to sign, and what strategies can help artists and arts workers navigate the process of being faced with an NDA from both a legal and mental health perspective

Understanding the broader impacts on the sector, including industry drain, stunted opportuities for growth, and attrition

Determining what policy changes and other actions are needed to abolish the misuse of NDAs in the arts sector
Silencing in the Arts is a research project that traces the extent and impact of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) on the Canadian visual arts sector. The project aims to shed light on the culture of silence that permeates the artworld, and the cycles of abuse, professional misconduct, and censorship that are perpetuated as a result.

A Project by Aisle 4

Funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Sector Innovation & Development Program

"Shhh" drawings by anonymous artists
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