A new watchdog for standards of behaviour in TV, film, music and theatre aims to create "a much safer environment" for workers after years of revelations about abuse, bullying and harassment, its bosses have said. People will be able to report complaints to the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (Ciisa) when it launches next year. Founder Dame Heather Rabbatts said she was "delighted" with the response from broadcasters, producers and record labels after a call for funding, which was backed by stars like Keira Knightley and Cara Delevingne in June .
But there are questions over whether Ciisa will have sufficient powers or capacity to deal with the problems out there. The new body has been in the pipeline for several years, since Dame Heather, who founded Time's Up UK in 2018, saw that many victims of bullying and harassment had nowhere to turn for help. It also followed campaigning for better regulation from former X Factor singer Rebecca Ferguson, who has said she has suffered exploitation and bullying in the music business.
Abuse has been rife in industries where bosses and stars hold huge power over young performers and workers who are desperate for careers in those fields, and over freelance staff with precarious livelihoods. "It's often powerful people taking advantage of quite vulnerable individuals who don't have employment protection, and that means it [the creative industry] has certain characteristics that are different from other sectors," said Dam.