## _**Richmond Festival Trustees Report 2022**_ _**"Post-pandemic" recovery and advance**_ we were very pleased to be able to offer a hugely positive report this year. The details follow, but it was wonderful to re-open doors to live performances and to see and hear such high standards of performance in all the sections _**Looking ahead with The Play and Perform Platform**_ Adopting the Play and Perform Platform which was essential to keeping the Festival going during lockdown, has continued to bring benefits to all Sections of the Festival particularly in streamlining the administration and has the potential to open up further technological possibilities. _**Looking Ahead with our Section Secretaries.**_ We have an excellent team of Section Secretaries to develop all of our performing arts. Our **Stage Dance Section Secretary, Debbie Souter** , was ably supported this year by Natalie Wells, her very experienced assistant. They appear to have found a very satisfactory new home at Jubilee School in Addlestone, but unfortunately this is not in the borough of Richmond upon Thames, where no suitable venue could be found. **Heidi Pegler, our new Vocal Secretary** organised a very successful move from virtual to reality at St Luke's Community Centre for the individual classes. While the ensemble classes had to remain virtual this year for want of a suitable venue, she is hopeful that a venue can be found next year. Heidi has also agreed to take on a significant proportion of the administrative responsibilities. Now that so much of the work has been simplified by using the Play and Perform Platform, this role should not be as arduous as in the past. **Manuella Jessop, our new Instrumental Secretary** oversaw a successful weekend of strings, wind and brass music and has some exciting ideas for the future of the Section. Manuella has also agreed to manage the Festival's website in the wake of Pam Frazer’s retirement. The move of the Piano classes from St Luke's in Kew to St Augustine's in Whitton was successfully managed by **Sue Thornton, our Piano Secretary** . This year saw the revival of the Speech and Drama Section under **Emma Tinniswood, our new Speech and Drama Secretary** , who was able to put together a successful weekend at St Luke's Community Centre in May - a little later than in previous years, although this has proved to be more convenient and it will be run at the same time next year. This will mean a move from April to end of May/early June for the Festival Showcase, which also worked well. _**The Festival Showcase**_ We were delighted to be back in the Normansfield Theatre which proved to be a lovely setting for our Festival Showcase. We were honoured by the presence of the Mayor of Richmond, Councillor Julia Cambridge who was duly impressed by all the talent on display! In celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee the AT Stewart Founder's Cup and a money prize of £50 was awarded to the Chadwick Family Trio, the most entertaining performance chosen from those who had taken part, all of whom performed exceptionally well. The Festival Showcase continues to be a celebration of the high standard of achievement in all the Sections and going forward will be in need of someone to take overall responsibility for its production _**With Thanks to Our Stewards**_ . We have a small but enthusiastic band of volunteer stewards. This group needs replenishing following the pandemic, but we have an opportunity to fill the gaps with younger colleagues, parents and supporters of our new and younger Section Secretaries. Technology is already streamlining the amount of manpower needed to ensure the smooth running of events, and I am thinking in particular of two new developments necessitated by the pandemic: firstly, the streamlining of what can be provided by way of refreshments and with self-service and secondly, the introduction of the little handheld machine that make cashless payments possible. _**Thanks to Our Supporters**_ The Festival is indebted to the Hampton Fund for their continued financial support which continued throughout the pandemic. I would also like to thank all our Patrons, especially those who have been able to gift aid their patronage. _**And In Particular**_ As ever special thanks go to Pam Frazer who has been at the heart of the Festival these past forty-five years and is now retiring. She shared twenty-eight of them with Judy Hildesley, the also retiring Chair. Huge thanks to both for all the effort they have put in in securing the health of the Festival as it goes forward. Hilary Dodman will be the next Chair. We know of no one more suitable. It is the hope of every Chair to leave an organisation in good shape to face the future - with a new and enthusiastic team able to embrace technology as well as bring fresh ideas, skills and expertise we confident that the Festival will continue to flourish. Richrnond upon Thames Perforniing Arts Festival Balance Sheet As at 30th Aprll 2022 2022 2021 Current Assets Stock of meda15 etc Cash at Bank Prepaid Venue Hire Gift Aid due for 21122 546 18798 659 18954 550 322 20485 172 19516 Current Liabillties Unused Hampton Fund Grant Play & Perform Charges paid May 22 St Luke's Sponsored Prize Advance Receipts for May Festival I￿0 497 900 1566 3466 872 2169 Totsl Assets 17347 17019 Represented by: Fund bought forward Surplus/Deficit for the Year Fund carried forward 17019 328 17347 17179 -160 17019 5igned:......._............... J. Hildesley Ichaimianl Signed-.. G. Hames ITreasurer} I have examined the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet of the Richmond-upon- Thames Performing Arts Festival and in my opinion they give a true and fair view of the Festivals affairs at 30th Aprll 2021 in accordance with the accounts and explanations given to me. Signed.._.--....----..---.-..--_-.-_--_...... Les Phlllips Ilndependent Examiner). Richmond upon Thames Performln8 Arts Festival Income and Expenditure Account For the year ended 30th April 2022 Income 2022 2021 Entry Fees Door Money Grants~ Hampton Fund Patrons, Fees GiftAid Sponsored Prize5 Refreshment Sales Bank Interest 15999 6512 3500 490 262 300 65 170 322 188 27131 685 Expenditure Venue Hire Adjudicators, Fees Cash Prizes Medals Printing Catering Website Piano Hire Piano Transport Piano Tuning Affiliation Fees Insurances Gift5 Postage Stationery Play & Perfomi Card Reader & Phone PayPal Charges 14199 5907 1190 437 523 161 630 354 185 628 283 91 Is 199 687 119 443 197 205 355 26803 Surplus/Deficit for the year 328 -160 I have examined the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet of the Richmond-upon- Thames Performing Arts Festival and in my opinion they give a true and fair view of the Festiva15 ffairs at 30th Aprll 2021 in accordance with the accounts and explanations 8tven to me. Signed.._-..... . Les Phillips Ilndependent Examinerl-