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Open to criticism

Published Tuesday 20 October 2009 at 10:15

I contest the claim that Arts Council England’s “natural reaction is to resist speaking openly” as stated in Alistair Smith’s piece Secret Service (October 15, page 10).

Our policy is always to be open and transparent, while protecting the interests of the arts organisations and audiences we serve. It is only in very rare instances that we deem it essential to withhold sensitive details.

In practical terms that means being able to have free and frank discussions with our funded organisations and among our council members about any difficulties those organisations are experiencing. The radar report requested by The Stage allows these discussions to happen.

The discussions explore actions being taken to address the problems, and to make them public prematurely could unnecessarily undermine the confidence of other investors in, or suppliers to the organisation concerned - which would serve no-one.

It would also undermine our relationships with regularly funded organisations. If they felt they could not talk to us in confidence then it would inhibit them from giving us a full account of difficulties they may be experiencing.

The Stage was made aware of the sensitive nature of the radar report when it made its FOI request, and told to expect redactions. It is fair to say that 12 pages were redacted but what is not stated in the story is that they were only part of the 30 pages released, including a complete report on one organisation.

FOI is an act designed to be balanced, to protect our deliberative process and the organisations that we fund. However, it only protects a pocket in time. The vast majority of information contained in radar reports is released into the public domain as soon as it is not counterproductive to do so.

Althea Efunshile

Chief operating officer

Arts Council England

Email supplied

Editor’s note: While it is true to state that around 30 pages were released under the freedom of information request, The Stage’s initial request had been for ‘radar papers which referred to Hackney and the Southbank’ and was broadened to include all ‘national council papers’ at the suggestion of the arts council. This is why specific reference was made to the radar paper alone in last week’s article.

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