Bosses at the crisis-hit Glasgow School of Art planned a £370,000 public relations offensive after bad publicity and an exodus of staff, secret papers reveal.
More than half the money would have come from an insurance pay-out from the second fire that destroyed the world-renowned Charles Rennie Mackintosh building.
Board papers seen by The Sunday Post said the cost of a “communications analysis, synthesis and strategy” would cost between £250,000 and £300,000 and hiring a full-time press officer £70,000.
A follow-up report by director Irene McAra-McWilliam said blue chip public relations company Hill + Knowlton started work on a communication strategy in November and £215,000 of the cash required would come from an insurance claim pay- out for business interruption after the 2018 fire. “Any further resource will be met through existing budget processes,” she said.
Last year, we revealed how a survey showed one in three staff felt “unduly stressed” at work and one in eight felt harassed or bullied. We also told how millions of pounds raised from the public to rebuild the famous Mackintosh building had been diverted into an expansion plan because insurance covered the repairs.
Subsequent reports to the board said: “The two main challenges for The Glasgow School of Art are: perception and staff wellbeing.
“As the GSA continues to be the subject of negative attention in the press and social media, action is required to enhance perception through the development of a research and communication strategy which will be led by the Director of Strategy and Marketing, reporting to the Director. The outcomes of the staff survey serve to underline the urgency of this action.”
The Glasgow School of Art yesterday said that the planned PR strategy had not been carried out. A spokeswoman said: “After some initial scoping work this wasn’t progressed and no money has been spent from the fire insurance.”
However, when contacted by The Sunday Post, a member of staff at Hill + Knowlton said he understood the company has been working with the art school.
A recent Glasgow School of Art staff member said: “This shows a board prepared to act without any sense of propriety.
“They recognise they have a management crisis negatively impacting on staff welfare and the student experience and yet they have been willing to throw money at putting a gloss on the problem.
“I do not know how they could justify the use of insurance funding given for rebuilding to improve public perception of the board and management.”
The Mackintosh building was destroyed by fire in June 2018 as a £35m restoration following a previous fire four years earlier neared completion. An international appeal raised £20m after the first fire, even though insurance payouts covered the restoration work.
MSP Joan McAlpine, who convenes the Holyrood committee that produced a highly- critical report about the art school’s response to the two fires, said: “Many people will feel it isn’t a communications strategy the art school board should have been considering but concrete action to actually fix the problems that exist within the management structure at the art school.
“The record shows the decision-making is the problem at the art school, not how those decisions are communicated.”
Last month architect Gordon Gibb was sacked for criticising the GSA board while giving evidence to MSPs and in hard-hitting columns for The Sunday Post.
But at First Minister’s Questions two weeks ago, Nicola Sturgeon stressed the importance of whistleblowing after being questioned by Glasgow MSP Pauline McNeill.
A investigation into the fire’s cause is expected to take another six months.
Manchester director emerges as frontrunner for top job
The head of Manchester’s art school has emerged as a frontrunner to take over at the Glasgow School of Art.
Penny Macbeth is understood to be the preferred candidate of the art school board of governors, who said in October they were launching an “international search for a director who will reflect the GSA’s international position”. Ms Macbeth has been dean of Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University for four years and has worked there since 2011.
The new director will take over from Irene McAra-McWilliam, who was appointed temporary director in November 2018. Her appointment followed the departure of Tom Inns, who was forced to leave work after a rift with art school chairwoman Muriel Gray, as revealed by The Sunday Post. She told IT staff to close his computer accounts when he refused to stop work.
An art school spokesperson said: “The GSA has not appointed a new director and if the personal details of anyone who may or may not have been on the shortlist are released appropriate action will be taken.”
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