Ayear after it became an unwilling focus for Britain's #MeToo movement, the Old Vic Theatre says it is trying to stamp out abuses of power in all workplaces.
The London theatre company once led by actor Kevin Spacey said yesterday that 20 cultural organisations had joined it in appointing workplace "guardians", specially trained staff to serve as a first line of defence against bullying, harassment and abuse.
It has been a year since abuse allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein spurred women around the world to organise the "Me Too" and "Time's Up" movements, and triggered an outpouring of allegations against powerful men in entertainment, politics, publishing, academia and business.
The scandal rocked the Old Vic when Academy Award-winning actor Spacey, its former artistic director, was accused of sexual misconduct by men in the United States. Police in the US and in Britain are investigating several claims.
After an investigation, the Old Vic said it had received 20 complaints of inappropriate behaviour by Spacey, who led the theatre between 2004 and 2015. It said most of the alleged victims had been staff, and acknowledged that a "cult of personality" around the Hollywood star had made it difficult for them to come forward.
