Madam, - The articles by Marian Fitzgibbon (July 12th) and Rod Stoneman (June 30th) are but the start of a debate that needs to be taken up by arts administrators. The rejection by the Arts Council of its 2002-06 Plan, as Dr Fitzgibbon says, may herald a return to a level of clientelism. In my view, this is a real danger. There always will be certain organisations extremely skilled in putting forward their case at the right level.
Clear and agreed policies help a funding organisation make objective, rational decisions. Dr Fitzgibbon is correct to focus on the need to apply increased resources to management training in the arts. In the past, when funds were small, this was not easy to achieve. The need for organisational and promotional skills in the arts, consistent with the culture and ways of working of the times we live in, is greater than ever. The 2002-06 Arts Plan points a way towards filling this need. Whether the Arts Council will come up with anything greatly different remains to be seen. - Yours, etc.
DAVID McCONNELL, Dublin 6.