We Need Safer Spaces: What Safety Looks Like in a Precarious Music Ecosystem

Written by Beril Sarıaltun

In Türkiye (as in many parts of the world) being a musician is as much about resilience as it is about expression. When we talk about safer spaces in the music industry, we are not only referring to the prevention of harassment or discrimination. I believe this concept needs to be defined more broadly, as an intersectional and multi-dimensional issue that goes beyond the interpersonal.

A truly safer space addresses deeper structural problems: economic insecurity, lack of legal recognition, gender-based discrimination, censorship and the absence of artistic freedom. A feminist understanding of safety urges us to move beyond a singular focus on gender and take into account how class, ethnicity, sexuality and geography shape musicians’ lived experiences. In this sense, precarity in the form of economic insecurity, informal labor and lack of legal recognition is not separate from safety, but rather a central component of it.  If we are to build truly safe environments, we must also confront the legal, structural and economic systems that create and sustain harm.

This essay argues that creating safer spaces in the music industry requires us to first ask what safety really means, and to answer that through a lens of intersectionality and structural critique. At Kreşendo, we work toward building a music ecosystem that is not only artistically vibrant but also just, inclusive, and safe. In our recent research report Müzikte Eşitlik (Grow Local, Grow Equal: Status of the Musician in Türkiye), supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity, we asked: what would it take to achieve true equality in music?

The findings showed that the absence of safety in the industry is rooted in systemic inequalities that go far beyond personal experience. In this context, safety must be understood not just as protection from harm, but as access to rights, recognition and representation. Drawing on examples from Türkiye, including data, testimonies and reflections from Müzikte Eşitlik, this essay explores how safer spaces can be built through advocacy, community-led practice and a clear commitment to challenging structural injustice.

What Do We Mean by Safer Spaces?

Safer spaces are too often understood narrowly: As places free of physical harassment or overt discrimination. But what about the gig that gets canceled with no explanation? Or a musician who avoids dressing a certain way to avoid being left out of a lineup? These experiences may not always be named as violence, but they shape how artists move, express themselves and take up space.

In our Müzikte Eşitlik report, 40 percent of women and over half of LGBTQ+ musicians said they had been excluded, harassed or censored because of how they appear or perform on stage. These are not exceptions. They are part of how the system works.

Safety, then, isn’t just about personal behavior or isolated incidents. It’s also about structure. Without contracts, labor protections or access to social security, musicians in Türkiye face deep uncertainty. Only 12 percent of those we surveyed had any insurance through their music work, and 87 percent had experienced at least one concert cancellation in the past five years. This is more than a professional problem. It reflects a broader cultural failure to value and protect artistic labor.

As the report shows, these are not scattered difficulties. They are symptoms of an unequal and unstable system. Feeling safe is not just about avoiding harm. It’s about knowing that making art will not cost you your income, your health or your place in the industry.

Building Safer Spaces from the Ground Up

Faced with a system that often fails to protect its artists, Kreşendo chose to act. When institutional support is absent, communities have to step in. Founded in Türkiye, Kreşendo is one of several grassroots organizations working to build safer and more equitable spaces in the music world by focusing on inclusive programming, shared values and community accountability, rather than relying solely on physical security measures.

This includes making anti-harassment principles visible and explicit at events, platforming women, marginalized artists and underrepresented voices across genres, and embedding care into our production practices. We regularly host public conversations as part of the festival, where artists, researchers, industry professionals and the audience come together to reflect on the current state of the music industry in Türkiye. These conversations help us identify emerging challenges and new areas for advocacy.

We do this because we have to. The safety and inclusion in music is often seen as a luxury rather than a right. But we believe safer spaces are not aspirational, they are necessary. And they are built in practice, by collectives, artists, organizers and institutions who refuse to wait for change to come from above.

Safety Requires Systems: Policy, Funding, and Legislation

Our report doesn’t just diagnose problems. It outlines concrete policy steps toward a safer, more inclusive ecosystem. The report is grounded in a year-long research process that brought together a wide range of voices from the industry. We held roundtable meetings in four cities, bringing together musicians, venue owners, label managers, booking agents and artist managers. We conducted in-depth interviews with key figures across the sector, and held consultations with music professional associations to better understand the challenges and opportunities for policy change. These conversations shaped the direction and depth of our recommendations.

Here are some of our key recommendations:

• Develop model contracts and make contract-based work a standard practice.

• Establish emergency funds for artists impacted by crises, bans, or disasters.

• Introduce minimum wage scales for different performance types and venue sizes.

• Prioritize gender-equal programming in public funding for festivals and music venues.

• Support small and grassroots venues with rent subsidies, tax incentives, and technical grants.

• Ensure transparency in public programming and event selection processes.

• Reform digital platform policies to protect revenue and visibility for independent musicians.

  
  

None of this can happen without political will. We echo Keychange’s call to national and European legislators: Safer spaces must be backed by funding, laws, and enforceable procedures.

The Challenges We Face

We do this work in a country where artistic freedom stands on unstable ground. (Self)censorship and deepening economic crises shape the conditions of cultural production. Organizing an inclusive festival in Istanbul is not a neutral act. It is a form of resistance. Every choice, from artist selection to language of marketing and communication, unfolds within a landscape shaped by shifting power dynamics and cultural fault lines.

One of the most persistent challenges we face is the absence of strong unions or advocacy structures that can protect musicians as a collective. Without organized representation, artists are left to navigate contracts, cancellations and workplace safety on their own. This isolation increases their vulnerability and makes it harder to demand structural change.

The networks that do exist are often fragmented. Musicians working in different genres, cities or career stages rarely have opportunities to connect, exchange strategies or build solidarity. This disconnection weakens the potential for coordinated action.

Funding remains another critical barrier. In Türkiye, there is no comprehensive public funding system that supports music production. Unlike cinema or theatre, where public subsidies exist, musicians are often left out of cultural support frameworks altogether. Occasionally, institutions such as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism or local municipalities may invite musicians to perform at events, but this is rarely accompanied by structural support for their creative work. As a result, the artists who gain visibility are often those who already have access to resources, while issues of representation, accessibility and equity remain unaddressed.

At the same time, precarity continues to grow. In the live music scene, rising costs and the dominance of major players have made it harder for small venues and independent artists to survive. In the recorded music sector, algorithm-driven platforms make it difficult for experimental or non-mainstream genres to reach audiences, no matter their artistic value.

These challenges are not temporary. They shape the everyday decisions of artists, and they determine who gets to be seen, heard and supported. For many, the struggle to make music is also the struggle to stay in music.

Advice: For Artists, Organizers, and Decision-Makers

• Artists: Start small. Form your own micro-communities, share resources, create your own codes. Safety begins with solidarity.

• Organizers: Think beyond logistics. Who gets to speak? Who is excluded? How will you respond when harm occurs?

• Policy-makers: Incorporate safety into your frameworks: not just in theory, but in budgets, eligibility criteria, and reporting processes.

One of the most meaningful findings from our report was that 90% of surveyed musicians want to engage in advocacy. The will for change is there. What’s needed now are systems that can support and sustain it.

We already see examples of this taking shape across Türkiye’s independent music landscape. In Istanbul, especially around Kadıköy, a number of venues and collectives have created alternative music communities rooted in care, resistance and experimentation. Places like Karga, Hood Base, Bina and Arkaoda have become cultural anchors for emerging artists and underground genres. Beyoğlu, despite the ebb and flow of closures, has long carried this spirit through spaces like Şahika, Roxy, the now-closed Anahit Sahne, and Blind (formerly Babylon)—each contributing to a more diverse nightlife culture.

Beyond the venues, initiatives like Queerwaves, Sista Sound, and XSM Recordings have built intentional platforms centering queer, feminist and marginalized voices. Independent labels such as A.K. Müzik, Gulbaba Records, Tamar Records, Tarla Records and Mevzu Records continue to support subcultural music in an industry that often sidelines it. Even in a climate where music publishing has slowed dramatically, projects or radios like Açık Radyo, Loft Caz, Radyo Modyan, Fugamundi and Beatsommelier show how curation and storytelling remain powerful tools for community-building.

These efforts may not have mainstream visibility, but they matter. They remind us that safer spaces don’t emerge from institutions alone. They are built patiently by those who live for music, who believe in its power, and who insist on making room for one another.

Final Words

Safer spaces are not a luxury. They are a precondition for creative freedom and collective well-being. In Türkiye, we’ve come to understand that safety is not the absence of harm. It is the presence of care, accountability, and collective power. It is knowing that your identity, your sound, your risk-taking will not cost you your right to belong.

A safer music ecosystem is not just about preventing harm. It’s about unlocking potential. When artists feel safe, they take creative risks. When communities feel seen and heard, they participate. When systems reflect fairness, talent flourishes.

Let us remember: a stage is not truly open unless everyone can walk onto it safely. And until that becomes the norm, we will continue to create our own spaces: louder, safer and more equal than what came before.

Keychange’s manifesto reminds us that cultural change is not theoretical. It must be built from rehearsal rooms and festival lineups to funding policies and labor laws. The vision is there. Within that perspective, safer spaces are not an afterthought. They are the conditions that allow music to mean something. Let’s build them, together.

Before closing, let me share the phrase that guides all our work at Kreşendo. This isn’t just a slogan. It reflects our belief that music is not just sound, but connection, solidarity and shared presence. We use it across everything we do: in our festivals, research, and collaborations.

It feels right to end with it now:

Sesler Birlikte Güçlü.

Together, our voices are stronger.

About Beril Sarıaltun

Beril Sarıaltun (she/her) is a musician, sound designer, and cultural entrepreneur based in Istanbul, working at the intersection of music and social impact. She is the Founding Director of Kreşendo, a non-profit music institution committed to making music a space of expression, inspiration, and discovery for all. She produces award-nominated albums, curates inclusive festivals, and leads international collaborations. Through festivals, artist development programs and cultural research, Kreşendo brings together creativity, solidarity, and social impact with a strong emphasis on equality in music. 

More about Beril

About Kreşendo

Kreşendo is a music institution with a vision to transform music into a space for expression, inspiration, and discovery for all. Kreşendo connects people with music through festivals, talent development programs, music broadcasting, and cultural research. At the heart of its work are musicians, music professionals, and music lovers.

Kreşendo designs inclusive, large-scale festivals in Istanbul that bring music to audiences in innovative and accessible ways, and offers training and dedicated programs that support artists’ development. At the same time, it produces knowledge through research projects and contributes to cultural policy development in the music field, engaging in advocacy to make the industry more fair, inclusive, and sustainable.

As a non-profit enterprise focused on social impact, Kreşendo brings together research, production, and solidarity in the name of equality in music. It operates with the belief that access to culture is a fundamental human right.

To learn more about Kreşendo and its work, visit kresendobiz.com or contact info@kresendobiz.com.