STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD OF THE GATE THEATRE

8 March, 2018

THE BOARD OF THE GATE THEATRE RELEASES INDEPENDENT REVIEW PREPARED BY WORKPLACE RELATIONS EXPERT GAYE CUNNINGHAM

The Board of the Gate Theatre has released an amended version of the independent review conducted by workplace relations expert Gaye Cunningham into allegations of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power against former Artistic Director, Michael Colgan. Ms. Cunningham had full editorial control of the final document.

The Review will be available on the website from the morning of Thursday 8th March 2018 for a period of three days.

The release comes after a detailed legal review which was undertaken to protect individual confidentiality and follows on from a detailed response statement which the board of the Gate published on February 9th – here.

Commenting on behalf of the Board of the Gate Theatre, Peter Crowley, Chairperson, said. “Ms. Cunningham has provided an amended review which enables us to get past the legal obstacles while retaining in full the integrity and findings of the report. We are pleased to now be able to put the Review in the public domain so that we can acknowledge the experiences of those that agreed to participate, while respecting their confidentiality and preserving their anonymity.”

“The Board reiterates its unreserved apology to those who experienced the behaviours detailed in the Review. In our statement three weeks ago we acknowledged that the Board had an onus to be more aware of the culture prevailing in the theatre over time and we stated our commitment to implement Ms. Cunningham’s recommendations in full. This work has already commenced and we will update progress on our website. We believe the recommendations provide a strong blueprint for making the Gate a safe and supportive work environment,” said Mr. Crowley.

Gaye Cunningham stated, “Following legal advice to the Gate, I have submitted an amended version of my original review in the context of protection of confidentiality and anonymity. I am satisfied that none of the amendments change the import of the review or the strength of its recommendations, and it remains an accurate representation of the input from the 56 individuals who took part in the process. I would like to personally thank those that participated for their time, openness and honesty, and also for their patience, in reaching this stage.”

Ends

If you would like to receive a copy of the report, please email info@gate-theatre.ie.