Postgraduate Profile Katherine Ellis

Biography: Katherine Ellis completed a BA(Hons) in French at the University of Leeds in 2010 and an MA in Arts Management at Queen’s University Belfast in 2019. Her MA dissertation title was 'Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Policy, Practice and Prevention in the Publicly Funded Arts in Northern Ireland'. It looked at the context of and contributing factors to the current culture of bullying and harassment within the arts sector in the UK, taking two Northern Irish arts organisations as case-studies. A version of her research has recently been published in the Irish Journal of Arts Management and Cultural Policy, Volume 7 (2019-20). She has ten years’ professional experience as an Arts Manager, including at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The Hepworth Wakefield, the Ulster Orchestra, and as a Relationship Manager at Arts Council England.

Research: This study 'Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: A comparative study of the publicly funded performing arts in Ireland and the United Kingdom' aims to better understand the current workplace cultures, contexts and conditions that lead to bullying and harassment in performing arts organisations, and to identify practical solutions to improving these.

Bullying and harassment are damaging behaviours that can have a detrimental impact on the lives of artists, arts managers and creatives. Recent high-profile cases in the media (Weinstein, Spacey, Colgan, etc.) have brought these issues to the forefront of the public’s attention. Furthermore, movements such as #MeToo and Waking the Feminists have shone light on the need for sector-wide change. However, there continues to be limited academic research on the topic and it is within this research-gap that the study situates itself.

The study will address three key research questions:
1. What policies and procedures are currently in place to protect the performing arts workforce from bullying and harassment?
2. Does this workforce feel sufficiently protected and supported from bullying and harassment in their workplace?
3. What more could be done to further support the workforce from bullying and harassment?

Keywords: Bullying; Harassment; Arts Management; Cultural Policy; Performing Arts; Theatre

Contact: (opens in a new window)katherine.ellis@ucdconnect.ie

Supervisor: Dr Victoria Durrer