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2024-03-31-accounts

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Charity number 1037653

A company limited by guarantee number 01258679

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2024

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

Contents Page
Trustees' report 2 to 14
Examiner's report 15
Statement of financial activities 16
Balance sheet 17
Notes to the accounts 18 to 23

Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report for the year ended 31 March 2024

Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors

The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: Name Position Dates Emma McDowell Co-Chair Fiona Gell Co-Chair Janet Alexander Vice-Chair Craig Jefferies Anna Turzynski Catherine Brennan Richard Lee Sheila Freeman Resigned July 2023 Rebecca Owen Dick Bonham Appointed February 2023 Company Secretary Chris Lloyd Charity number 1037653 Registered in England and Wales Company number 01258679 Registered in England and Wales Registered and principal address Bankers 3 St Peters Building Triodos Bank UK Ltd The Co-operative Bank York Street Deanery Road 19/20 Commercial Street Leeds LS9 8AJ Bristol, BS1 5AS Leeds LS1 6AL

Independent examiner Simon Bostrom FCIE West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Structure of governance, recruitment of Trustees and the Charity’s objects

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was formed on 17 May 1976. It is governed by a memorandum and articles of association as amended by special resolution 20 January 1994 and 5 November 2015. The liability of the members in the event of the company being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £1. The management of the company is the responsibility of the Management Committee members who are elected and co-opted under the terms of the company's governing documents. One third of the directors/trustees retire annually by rotation and are eligible for re-election. The constitution of the Committee is regularly reviewed and new appointments made after discussions regarding suitability for the specific needs of the company. The Company is established to promote, maintain, improve, and advance education, particularly by the production of educational plays and the encouragement of the arts, including the arts of drama, mime, dance, singing and music, and to formulate, prepare and establish schemes therefore provided that all objects of the Company shall be of a charitable nature.

The following information is made publicly available on their dedicated governance pages (redladder.co.uk/about/governance) to act as a resource for current and prospective trustees.

Organisational structure and decision-making

The Trustees meet at least four times a year and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the company. The day-to-day responsibility for the company is delegated to the Senior Management Team of Red Ladder Theatre Company which comprises an Artistic Director and an Executive Producer. The company also has two Co-Chairs and a Vice-Chair position voted on by the Board of Trustees.

All board members are expected to read the papers in advance of board meetings and ask for further information and clarification when deemed necessary. Board meetings currently take place either in person or on video conferencing software or a combination of the two. We aim to be as flexible as possible with meeting times and locations to suit individuals’ working patterns and commitments. It is also expected that board members will attend shows and support the company and the staff team when needed.

As a registered charity, RLTC board members do not get paid to be on the board. However, the company will reimburse any reasonable expenses (e.g. travel/childcare) incurred by (e.g.) attending board meetings and Red Ladder is committed to covering costs incurred by any additional (e.g. access) needs of prospective and current board members, such as BSL signing services.

In addition to board meetings, there is also a standing board subcommittee: the Finance & Risk Management Planning subcommittee. Board members are invited to take part in this according to their skills and expertise, and also meet with staff members regularly when needed (e.g. for business planning, policy review etc).

Public benefit statement

In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Trustee roles & responsibilities

Below is an overview of what the Charity Commission set out as the six main duties for a Trustee of a charity. We have developed below what we believe this to mean in the context of RLTC more specifically:

Induction process for new trustees

Prospective board members may also meet one or more board members in advance, to hear more about what being a Board Member involves and be encouraged to ask further questions. Prospective Board Members are then invited to the next board Meeting as an observer.

On acceptance from both parties the new Board Member will be invited to attend the following Board Meeting, at which they will be voted on to the Board. They will then be issued with a full induction pack, which includes the following information:

The Company Secretary will issue the following forms:

In addition to the information provided above, it is expected that additional resource and/or information will be needed to accommodate any additional access needs of prospective board members, to be mutually agreed between prospective board members and the existing board on a case-by-case basis. RLTC is also committed to supporting all board members to carry out their duties effectively, e.g. board members will be regularly offered the opportunity to attend board training through a qualified body.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Summary of governance activity April 2023 – March 2024

Three full board meetings took place between April 2023 – March 2024 and were approximately 2 hours long. All board meetings were chaired by both the Co-Chairs. All were held on video conferencing software, with (automatically-generated) captions and chat function enabled.

The AGM was held in December 2023 on Zoom

Minutes from each meeting were generated and signed off by the board at the subsequent board meeting. In addition to the board meetings below, the board also met ad hoc when necessary, including the convening of the subcommittee and working groups (e.g: Finance & Risk Management Subcommittee; Artistic Director recruitment planning working group).

During the year the Artistic Direction Working Group (ADWG) led by Co-Chair Emma McDowell, facilitated by consultant Nicky Hatton and made up of other Board members worked closely with the staff team in the process of recruiting long-standing Artistic Director, Rod Dixon’s replacement.

A wide range of artists, theatre-makers, arts and community leaders, company stakeholders, participants and friends were consulted about the future artistic direction of the company helping to inform our thinking and shape our recruitment and application process. The recruitment campaign was highly successful and resulted in 50 applications of which ten were long-listed, reducing to a short list of four from which the new Artistic Director, Cheryl Martin, was appointed. Cheryl took up the post on 1 January 2024.

Related party relationships

Red Ladder Theatre Company has a strong, positive relationship with Arts Council England, the major funder of Red Ladder. Red Ladder's assigned officer from ACE Yorkshire is regularly kept informed of the artistic direction and ambition of the company and is an occasional observer at Board Meetings. ACE England continues to be extremely supportive of the charity and receives board papers and minutes of Trustee meetings. (See Risk Management - below)

Red Ladder also became a core client of Leeds City Council in the 2023/24 financial year and has also been successful in achieving core funding for both the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. Leeds City Council continues to be fully supportive of the Company’s work and is regularly updated on the progress of the Company.

Risk management

The Finance & Risk Management Committee constantly monitors and assesses the risk the company faces mitigating where necessary and reporting as such to the full board of Trustees.

This Committee produces an updates quarterly Risk Register which is signed off and presented to the full Board and submitted to the Arts Council. This assesses the major risks to which the company is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the company and must be satisfied that policies, systems and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to any major risks.

The Arts Council recently reviewed Red Ladder’s Risk Rating reducing it to a rating of 4 which sits comfortably in the Minor Risk Band of 2 – 6.

During the financial year in question the long-standing Artistic Director of the company stepped down in December 2023.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

During the nine-month period from Rod Dixon announcing his decision and his final step down the board lead an exhaustive recruitment process resulting in 50 candidates applying and their appointing Cheryl Martin who took up the Artistic Director post on 1 January 2024.

Red Ladder’s major production for 2023/24 was Taxi which was well reviewed and audience reaction was extremely positive.

The show was a large-scale site-specific production with a company of five actor/dancers and a community chorus of 20 with ten featuring in each show.

Due to the immersive nature of the piece audience numbers were limited to 100 per performance. 85% capacity was achieved.

The budgeted deficit for the year was £32,978.36. However the Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) claim was substantially bigger than anticipated by £39,000 due to Red Ladder having two shows in production and both fell in to the higher eligible reclaim bracket. This anticipated deficit was, in fact, turned in to an operating surplus of £25,419 as a direct result of the TTR claim and a combination of increased income through void mitigation property lease schemes and the Artistic Director’s reduced hours.

That apart there have been no other major incidents to report during this financial period.

The company has comprehensive IT cover both remotely and onsite with virus cover through the server and for all incoming emails and web usage. Red Ladder also backs up server activity locally on an external hard drive that is removed off the premises each day and, also, to the Cloud daily.

The company also has a robust Financial Control Procedures in place. A Finance & Risk Management Subcommittee meets regularly prior to board meetings and, when needed, at short notice to assess new opportunities and threats, to discuss the latest financial figures, add context and report to the full board. This has the advantage of crystallising key information for board members and reducing duplication during meetings. This committee consists of six Trustees with a range of skills, knowledge and experience in management accounting and financial matters.

These meetings are chaired by Trustee Richard Lee supported by the Executive Producer who prepares and circulates monthly cash-flows and updated management accounts to this committee with updated budgets and details of any new opportunities and/or threats that may arise.

Staffing

Red Ladder employed three members of staff on payroll throughout the 2023/2024 financial year: The Artistic Director (Rod Dixon) went down to 60% salary in November 2022 and stepped down at the end of December 2023 being replaced by Cheryl Martin on 1 January 2024. Executive Producer (Chris Lloyd full time), and Creative Producer (Alice Barber 0.6 FTE). The Company continued to engage Bonner & Hindley on Press, PR and Marketing duties until the end of October 2023. Ruth Saxton joined the freelance staff as Marketing Manager in September 2023 and has continued in that role throughout the rest of the 2023/24 financial year and into the current one.

The Company is also supported in the roles of Technical Manager and Social Media Manager on a freelance basis.

OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

Red Ladder Vision:

We make theatre about how we live now, and how we hope to live. The world has got to change, and the future is not yet written. The shared experience of theatre is about transformation and imagination, where we can collectively invent a better, kinder, fairer way to be.

Red Ladder Mission:

We make theatre that gives a platform to voices that are rarely heard, and stories that are overlooked. Plays that invite you to lean in, identify, punch the air, laugh with the stranger next to you, cry in the dark, and want to take action.

We make theatre in Northern England but our world is huge and we can soar across borders. We are forward-looking, but not forgetful. We are full of heart, humour and big ideas.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

We make new plays, empowering, supporting and inspiring writers and theatre artists to tell stories that start on their (often Northern, often working class) doorsteps and take radical leaps of imagination, challenging the systems that marginalise and oppress, and make inclusive, inquisitive, embracing, bracing, laughing, crying, thinking, drinking, dancing, singing theatre.

We will go wherever the audience is – to pubs and clubs, to housing estates and to theatres with velvet seats. We’ll meet you there, for a good night out that ends with you stepping back out into a world that now feels different, full of possibility, and capable of transformation. And has you singing all the way home.

These principles and aims are the lenses through which we see our entire programme of work and have driven all company activity for the year April 2022 – March 2023. They will continue to guide the direction of the company and inform our trajectory throughout this Arts Council National Portfolio funding period and beyond.

Strategies for achieving objectives

ARTISTIC PROGRAMME: ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Artist Development

Red Ladder supported a wide range of artists from emerging to established and mid-career in their funded research and development projects. This mentoring work is not necessarily aimed at reaching Red Ladder coproduction but is a service we have offered in an ad hoc way and to see it formalised raises the profile of the company both regionally and nationally. Some artists we offer one off or occasional support to (Rung 1); others, we have longer-standing development relationships with (Rung 2).

Rung 1 Support:

May 2023: Tempest Wisdom – Tempest is theatremaker and facilitator new to Leeds. We chatted about their work, and sign posted to some opportunities. We later asked Tempest to deliver a course in one of their specialisms, Clowning, on the Red Ladder Local (RLL) programme at the Cluntergate Centre, Horbury, Wakefield.

Sept 2023: Sarah Chapleo - a funding and touring advice session delivered for director Sarah Chapleo about ‘Eyes Like Mine’, a show focusing on male mental health looking to tour into similar settings as ‘The Parting Glass’ did in 2019. We offered in-kind support to look over her ACE bid, as well as advice about funding sources, budgeting advice and learning from ‘The Parting Glass’.

Sept 2023: Brave Words Theatre – meeting with Leeds-based company’s producer, giving advice about tour booking.

Oct 2023: Debbie Beeks – attending the script-in-hand sharing of ‘The Terms & Conditions’, whose successful R&D bid to ACE we supported last year. We then had a session with Debbie and the Director, to give dramaturgical feedback.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Oct 2023: Catherine Shonack – meeting with a writer new to Leeds; sign-posting to opportunities in the city, and how to arrange a reading of her work.

Oct 2023: Clementina Herrero and Katherine Noble – two mature female writers who approached us at a Queen’s Mill performance, about their adaptation of Clementina’s mother’s memoir about the Spanish Civil War and the family’s subsequent migration to Yorkshire. We gave advice about ACE funding, the R&D process, and some ideas for getting the project off the ground.

Jan 2024: Lizzy Cartwright – an emerging Leeds writer who attended Red Grit in Autumn 2023. Lizzy has written a script 'The Things We Left Unsaid', which we read through and gave some dramaturgical feedback, as well as sign-posting to places in the city to find opportunities to showcase her writing.

Jan 2024: Kalman Dean-Richards – a working class writer who came through In Good Company. Spoke to Kalman about how to approach theatres/companies for artist development support, and offered for him to come to We’re Not Going Back (WNGB) on RLL, to read the script, and share a complete ACE application with him for reference.

Jan 2024: Chris O’Connor, Dermot Daly & Terence Rae – support of artists with a relationship with RL to make an application to Bradford Producing Hub for their project 'Fire in the Blood' - looking at masculinity through the ages and the role of violence in shaping the world, asking how we treat them men who struggle to calm their biological violent instincts.

Jan 2024: Emily Lloyd – meeting an emerging producer from Otley to give advice about tour booking.

May 2024: JJ Cruickshank & Adam Briggs – theatremakers from Scarborough, forming a new company with queer and non-binary leadership. A sign-posting and advice session, and discussing non-traditional venues in relation to their audience development plans.

May 2024: Rachel Price – working class writer from Cumbria, looking for advice about the next stage of R&D for her show ‘Mill Girl’, and how to attract ACE funding.

July 2024: Chris Beck – writer and performer recently moved back to his home city of Leeds; advice session about attracting funding from ACE, and suggested plans to R&D his script.

July 2024: Tyler Pickles – writer and performer, Leeds local and recent Leeds Conservatoire graduate; producing advice about staging a rehearsed reading of his play ‘Family First’.

Rung 2 Support:

Rachel Thorn (from Aug 2023) – ACE bid-writing support for queer writer Rachel Thorn to stage her play about motherhood and the climate crisis ‘Me For You’. We were successful in securing funding, and the show toured to three Red Ladder Local venues before playing at the Pleasance at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024. Rachel commented, with regards to the funding: “There's absolutely no way I could have done this without your wisdom and insights. Thank you so much.”

Jaden Adams (from Oct 2023) – we saw ‘Transparency’ by Jaden Adams, a Northern working-class tale of transition. Jaden is a trans man and new to acting, having been a gas engineer for a decade. The show was put together on a shoestring but had huge potential; we are supporting Jaden to write a funding bid for his next show, ‘Unmask’.

Tina Firthlock (from Nov 2023) – Tina is a working-class writer from Leeds who won 8 hours of mentorship with us from imagine if's industry showcase of female writers. She has written a comedy inspired by her experiences as a hoarder, entitled ‘Gogh Angel’. Since our initial meeting, Tina has produced a full draft, and received an in-depth dramaturgical feedback session. We will continue to work with Tina to develop her script.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Productions

Taxi by Andrea Heaton – Old Woollen August 2023

Two teams of local people took part as the chorus in Taxi. We recruited a diverse range of community performers aged between 21 and 71 including some new graduates from Northern School of Contemporary Dance alongside people who had never ever performed. There was no obvious gap in performance ability because of the skilful choreography of the chorus.

The chorus and participation element were supported by an award from Leeds Inspired – a funding arm of Leeds City Council.

Rehearsals took place in City Exchange - a building in Leeds city centre - which included Sunday and evening work with a locally recruited community chorus, Rod Dixon and Douglas Thorpe of mad dogs dance theatre co-directed and choreographed an exceptionally talented cast of professional dancers and a physical theatre actor. Taxi was performed from August 10th to 20th 2023 at Old Woollen in Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley. Despite the show competing with audiences being away on holiday during August, or theatregoers visiting the Edinburgh Fringe, audience numbers were good, and ‘word of mouth’ recommended the show. Taxi was a highly successful collaboration and was a powerful exploration of how people connect and share the parameters of their lives. Unsurprisingly, the show explored ‘endings’, how we prepare for the end of life and the final chapters of our sometimes ‘messy’ stories.

We’re Not Going Back by Boff Whalley– toured in March 2024

This production, originally staged in 2014/15 to mark 30 years since the 1984/85 year long Miners’ Strike, was re-commissioned by Unite The Union. Remarkably we managed to cast the same actors from the first production to reprise their roles.

The new incarnation premiered on International Women’s Day at a Unite the Union conference at Wortley Hall just outside Sheffield and it then embarked on a short three-week tour culminating in two sold out performances at the historic City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds.

Reviews were excellent and audiences flocking to see the production which was, this time round, marking 40 years since that industrial struggle.

The show toured again in July 2024 notably at the Durham Miners’ Gala and is due back out on the road in October 2024.

Red Ladder Local

The company continued to promote and book shows onto our Wakefield, Barnsley and Leeds circuit of nontraditional venues. The circuit is proving to be popular with audiences across the region with a range of shows attracting regular returners to each venue as well as new attendees. In the financial year covered, the circuit saw 21 performances and 5 participation courses; from April – September 2023 it has seen a further 6 performances.

Summer 2023 saw the return of Wrongsemble with their third and final instalment of their ‘Not So’ trilogy, ‘The Not So Big Bad Wolf’, which was performed at 5 venues, outside on their travelling horse box. We then hosted a one-off performance of political solo show ‘The Keeper of the Flame’, before providing an alternative Christmas offer in ‘Santa Must Die’.

In Spring 2024, funding from Wakefield Culture Grants once again allowed the company to programme multiple performances in Wakefield district. This supported a vast range of shows covering a variety of topics: moving drama in ‘The Light House’, local interest in ‘A Good Neet Aht’, and Red Ladder’s own ‘We’re Not Going Back’. In Summer ‘24, an alternative programme brought three new artists to the circuit: Silent Uproar with their feminist punk musical ‘Dead Girls Rising’, Sam Danson with his solo show ‘Bi-topia’, and Red Ladder supported Rachel Thorn’s ‘Me For You’.

Audiences were surveyed, with 438 responses collected; the shows had drawn over 43% first time attendees at the venues across the whole programme, while 20% travelled to the venues on foot. Cost was most frequently cited as the main deterrent to seeing theatre, which validated the value of the scheme.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Participation and Engagement

Taxi:

Two teams of local people took part as the chorus in Taxi. We recruited a diverse range of people aged between 21 and 71 including some new graduates from Northern School of Contemporary Dance alongside people who had never ever performed. There was no obvious gap in performance ability because of the skilful way the chorus was choreographed.

Red Ladder Local:

Courses were run on Red Ladder Local as follows:

Courses each have a legacy WhatsApp group, so that participants can continue to support and encourage each other’s creativity. They have also been added to Red Ladder’s participation mailing list, giving them access to opportunities to develop their creativity further via their Artist Development programme.

Sanctuary:

Our production of ‘Sanctuary’, currently in rehearsals, will tour with a team of between 5 and 13 students from CAPA College in Wakefield. For many of these talented local students, this opportunity represents their first time as part of a professional production. They are performing shoulder to shoulder with professional actors, and learning on the job what a rehearsal room in the industry is like. There are also students taking behind-the-scenes roles, making meaningful contributions to the production as Assistant Producer, Assistant Director, Assistant Technician, Stage Manager and Assistant Choreographers.

Entry level Actor Training

The final Red Grit course was held between in October and November 2023, with the departure of Artistic Director Rod Dixon.

Cheryl Martin is experienced in performance, writing and directing, and in July 2024 we held four entry level courses in these disciplines – three in Leeds, and one online. These courses engaged 53 people, culminating in a sharing event where the new performers, directed by new directors, performed pieces of the new writers’ scripts. One of the writers who took part, Seeta Wrightson, will be commissioned as a co-writer to write Red Ladder’s 2025/26 show which has a working title of Not A Hallmark Christmas Movie.

Key Developments for Red Ladder Theatre Company

The company successfully re-entered the Arts Council’s group of National Portfolio Organisations, in addition receiving an uplift in funding to deliver additional strands of the Red Ladder Local scheme. This uplift will fund additional performances and courses at the pre-existing venues on the circuit, as well as giving support for the company to work with the Civic in Barnsley to recruit at least one new venue to the circuit in Barnsley district, as well as sharing our Artist Development support to artists in the area.

The democratising of the way the Red Ladder Local circuit is programmed has now been fully established, with two Red Ladder Local Working Group pitch meetings held each year. We have continued to work with new and established companies producing new work across a very broad range of themes.

With regards to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, the company has engaged an Access Consultant to advise the company how to remove barriers to engagement at both a practical and organisational level. A concerted effort has been made to engage with and employ artists from a range of lived experience, and methods for collecting and tracking data in this regard are in development via the Insight & Impact Toolkit.

The relationship with CAPA College, Wakefield is a key development for the 2024/25 financial year and one we hope will blossom even more over time.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Collaborations and Partnerships

The collaboration with another Leeds organisation, mad dogs dance theatre, Taxi, was artistically successful and fruitful.

The Red Ladder Local circuit has continued to cement excellent relations with two hub venues (Wakefield Theatre Royal and Barnsley Civic) which support the scheme through their marketing and box office departments. We have maintained relationships with our host venues on the circuit across West and South Yorkshire: The Grove Hall, The Cluntergate Centre, HOPS, BITMO, St. John’s Parish Hall and Queen’s Mill. The programming of so much work has kept lines of communication live, and allows us to continually review and improve our processes with regards to these relationships.

During the year the Company has continued to forge strong partnerships with leading educational establishments in the region including Leeds City College where we have held Red Grit training sessions and worked with their technical students to support Red Ladder Local performances plus Taxi.

The new partnership with CAPA College in Wakefield is extremely exciting and one we fully intend to continue beyond 2025.

This sits alongside existing relationships with the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University and conservatoires: Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Leeds Conservatoire. These links help support the progression routes for students and, hopefully, encourage more to stay in Leeds once they finish their studies.

Future Developments

Sanctuary by Sarah Woods and Boff Whalley

This new musical will be produced in Autumn 2024 in collaboration with CAPA College of Performing Arts Wakefield and The Wakefield Theatre Royal. CAPA College students will form the chorus for this five-hander professional show and the institution has offered their new studio theatre space for Red Ladder to rehearse the show alongside the students.

Sanctuary is highly relevant as a piece of theatre – examining the contentious issue of the ‘small boats’ and asking our audience whether we are a kind and welcoming nation or one with closed borders. A short extract was rehearsed with one professional actor and a chorus of CAPA College students to share to the Venues North network meeting at Sheffield Crucible Theatre in May 2023. The extract was well received, and several theatres have expressed an interest in programming the piece on Autumn 2024. In August 2023, we received £7,886 from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ‘Safer Communities Fund’ to support the involvement of CAPA students in Sanctuary and the social impact of the show across West Yorkshire to combat racerelated hate crime.

There is also a short tour of We’re Not Going Back in October 2024 to add to the dates in July 2024.

We are forging a relationship with a new Red Ladder Local venue in Leeds – St Bartholomew’s Church in Armley. Two performances will take place there in October 2024, as we begin to build an audience. The church has a track record holding Pay As You Feel cultural events, predominantly lunchtime concerts, and we have also made a connection with Armley’s local theatre company, Interplay, to join up our promotional efforts. We are also exploring potential relationships in Barnsley District, having made connections with a local artist who runs a Youth Theatre at Dearne Playhouse. Currently, the Playhouse hosts amateur dramatics performances, and is looking to host a wider range of theatre productions.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial Results

The net income for the year was £25,419, including net income of £19,253 on unrestricted funds and net income of £6,166 on restricted funds.

The budgeted deficit was £32,978.

Principal Funding

Following Red Ladder’s successful application to Arts Council England for continued financial support in the new National Portfolio the company not only maintained its funded level but achieved an uplift in grant aid to facilitate increased activity on the Red Ladder Local circuit – predominantly in the Barnsley District. In total the award for the year was £189,386, an increase of £21,350. This is a three-year package of funding to 31 March 2026.

Red Ladder was also funded as a core client of Leeds City Council - £5,000 the maximum permitted for new entrants to their core funding programme. This is a one-year programme. Red Ladder applied and has been successful in continued annual support with an increase to £13,500 per annum commencing in April 2024.

Project funding of £8,500 was awarded to support the community and participation element of the production, Taxi via Leeds Inspired – a parallel funding strand from Leeds City Council.

A summary of funding is set out in note 2 on page 20 to the financial statements.

Significant income was also generated by charitable occupation of leased spaces £34,183.13 plus storage rental of £3,000. Significant outlay on the Red Ladder Local circuit was supported by a grant award from Wakefield MDC for a collaborative project with the Millennium Community Hub CIC in South Kirkby.

The Ladderistas individual donation initiative realised £4,911 which was £1,250 higher than forecast mainly bolstered by collections after performances of We’re Not Going Back in March 2024. This production was also financially supported by Unite The Union without whom the re-staging of the successful 2024 production would never of happened.

Theatre Tax Relief for We’re Not Going Back and Taxi is estimated at £54,000.

Ticket income from the run of Taxi was under budget as the number of performances was reduced for a number of logistical reasons plus there was no financial support from the year of culture initiative, the Leeds 2023 year of culture initiative.

We’re Not Going Back was not budgeted for at the outset of the financial year but audiences and income was strong from the March 2024 tour.

Reductions in expenditure were achieved by the continued 60% salary of the outgoing Artistic Director but this was offset by expenditure on the recruitment process for their successor.

Reserves Policy

The reserves policy is to ensure there are sufficient reserves available to finance adequately, for at least three months, the operation of the company in the event of unforeseen circumstances. This reserve may be depleted to satisfy scheduled temporary liquidity deficiencies. Currently three months trading equates to £60,000 which is updated on a monthly basis and is calculated on a rolling annual timeline.

This level was reviewed in depth in November 2023 and the Finance & Risk Management Committee signed off that this was prudent and realistic – especially in the wake of the potential redundancy burden reduction due to the exit of the long-standing artistic director and the introduction of his replacement.

This is a minimum requirement to mitigate an unexpected financial emergency. The Management recognise that in times of particular funding uncertainty around our core funder, it is prudent to build reserves above this to enable the company to survive and deliver our mission in the event of loss of a major element of our grant income and it has therefore been a stated aim to rebuild company reserves over the current Arts Council funding period, to bring them to a level which would withstand such longer term changes to our business model. The ambition is to sustain reserves that allow the company to function fully for a one year period outside of the Arts Council of England's National Portfolio and this has been set at £115,000.

The charity's free reserves, excluding fixed assets at year-end were £160,069.

The budget for 2024/25 has been set as a break-even budget but the signs are that there will be a deficit generated by Sanctuary as this is proving to be more expensive than anticipated.

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Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Co-Chairs’ Statement

The Board of Trustees presents this report as an accurate representation of activity which has been delivered during the 2023-2024 financial year. The company is thankful to our independent examiners West Yorkshire Charities Accounting Service (WYCAS) for their prudent and consistent guidance in the presentation of management/year-end accounts, to ensure the company’s full compliance with statutory charitable accounting principles.

Our Co-Chairs’ statement covers the period April 2023 – October 2024.

The major company change the Board has managed this year is in our artistic leadership. After 17 years as Artistic Director, Rod Dixon left the company in December 2023, and we are incredibly grateful for his work. As the longest serving Artistic Director of the company, Rod inspired and impacted so many artists and creatives during his time leading the company, and his work stands as an important legacy in the company’s history. On behalf of the team and the Board, we wish him and his family all the very best for his future endeavours. After an extensive and intensive recruitment campaign, in January 2024 we welcomed our new Artistic Director, Cheryl Martin, to the company. Cheryl is an extraordinary practitioner with a great deal of experience and a wealth of ideas. Her first production as Artistic Director, Sanctuary (written by Sarah Woods and Boff Whalley), has just opened to strong audience reviews and critical acclaim. Taking over a production that was already in progress is a difficult thing to do at any time but doing so at the same time as getting to grips with a new job, new company and new city is a huge challenge, so we are extremely grateful to Cheryl for her professionalism, hard work and sheer determination in bringing Sanctuary to the stage. The incredible production team, cast and creatives have created a production that could not be timelier in the light of the racist, Islamophobic and anti-immigrant attacks and rioting that brought fear and destruction to UK streets this summer. As a theatre company with a rich tradition of amplifying voices that are often overlooked and marginalised by society and the media, such as refugees and asylum seekers, we continue to stand in solidarity with all those impacted by these shocking events and harmful rhetoric.

As well as Sanctuary, we have been touring, on and off since March. We’re Not Going Back was recommissioned by Unite the Union to mark the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike. This has been an extremely successful re-run and continues until the end of October. Our Red Ladder Local (RLL) programme continues to thrive. We take theatre to non-traditional venues bringing productions to audiences who might not want to travel, who might think theatre isn’t for them or who can’t afford mainstream theatre ticket prices. Our RLL shows cost a fiver and our audience surveys have shown that approximately half of our audiences for these shows are first time attenders.

As well as continuing to build on the work of our vision and mission, we are also regularly reviewing our governance structures to ensure they are fit for purpose. The Board consists of a 9 strong team and we are just about to embark on another recruitment drive for new Trustees. We aim to bring in new people who have expertise in fields not covered by existing members and who have fresh ideas. The Co-Chair model continues to work very well for us but there are some changes afoot. Co-Chair Emma McDowell is stepping down and leaving the Board after just over 3 years as Co-Chair and more than 7 years serving also as a Trustee, Vice – Chair and Acting Chair. Emma has led the company with great energy, wisdom, compassion and intelligence and we are so much stronger for her guidance. The Board and company wish Emma all the very best for the future and thank her for everything she has contributed. Fiona Gell continues as Co-Chair with Trustee Dick Bonham stepping into the vacant Co-Chair role.

As a National Portfolio Organisation for 2023-2026, we thank our core funders Arts Council England, as well as the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme and West Yorkshire Combined Authority for their support.

And finally, we thank the company’s dedicated and skilled core team of staff and freelancers, led by Cheryl Martin and Chris Lloyd including Alice Barber, Ruth Saxton, Tom Blackband and Chris O’Connor for everything that they have done, and continue to do, to contribute to the company’s great successes over the past year. We would also like to thank the talented teams of creative practitioners and artists who have collaborated with us this year. And of course, our audiences and supporters wherever you are and whomever you are. Let’s keep up the fight for social change and global justice!

Fiona Gell & Emma McDowell

Co-Chairs & Trustees October 2024

13

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Statement of trustees' responsibilities

The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with the applicable law and UK Accounting Standards.

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (Charities SORP (FRS102)), and in accordance with the special provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by the board of trustees on 6/12/2024

Fiona Gell (Trustee)

Richard Bonham (Trustee)

14

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 16 to 23.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charitable company's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a fellow of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act.

I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a fellow of ACIE which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Simon Bostrom FCIE

9/12/2024

West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO

Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW

15

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Statement of Financial Activities

(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Notes
2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
Income from:
Grants and donations
(2)
231,977
Theatre tax relief
54,419
Income from theatrical performances
50,827
Other earned income
11,565
Bank interest
800
Total income
349,588
Expenditure on:
Production costs
Performing and stage management fees
75,279
Sets props and costumes
4,416
Venue and rehearsal room hire
5,975
Creative fees
26,693
Technical equipment hires and consumables
1,200
Writers' fees, royalties and commissions
8,720
Accommodation, allowances and travel
11,428
Evaluation and monitoring
-
Production miscellaneous
3,588
Recruitment
11,167
Marketing and publicity
33,741
Overheads
Salaries, NI and pensions
(3)
106,036
Rent and rates
20,999
Insurance
1,881
Repairs and maintenance
89
Phone and internet
1,772
Computer software and maintenance
4,347
Printing, postage and stationery
127
Trade subscriptions
1,082
Sundry expenses
623
Motor expenses
-
Travel and subsistence
775
Consultancy fees
8,543
Training and conferences
262
Bank charges
24
Independent examination
1,575
Depreciation
436
Total expenditure
330,778
Net gains/(losses) on investments
443
Net income / (expenditure)
19,253
Fund balances brought forward
142,125
Fund balances carried forward
(4)
161,378		 2024
Restricted
funds
£
16,386
-
-
-
-
16,386
1,300
8,500
-
-
-
-
420
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10,220
-
6,166
-
6,166		 2024
Total
funds
£
248,363
54,419
50,827
11,565
800
365,974
76,579
12,916
5,975
26,693
1,200
8,720
11,848
-
3,588
11,167
33,741
106,036
20,999
1,881
89
1,772
4,347
127
1,082
623
-
775
8,543
262
24
1,575
436
340,998
443
25,419
142,125
167,544		 2023
Total
funds
£
203,047
1,626
26,325
18,471
306
249,775
40,763
5,675
3,770
6,310
70
1,041
9,291
1,115
1,060
-
23,643
103,209
18,752
1,765
31
1,899
4,846
151
2,332
624
-
1,301
22,744
933
32
1,575
665
253,597
(281)
(4,103)
146,228
142,125

All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

16

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Balance sheet

as at 31 March 2024
2024
Unrestricted
£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
(5)
1,309
Total fixed assets
1,309
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments
(6)
78,673
Current asset investments
(7)
10,355
Cash at bank and in hand
(8)
97,036
Total current assets
186,064
Current liabilities:
amounts falling due within one year
Creditors and accruals
(9)
25,995
Total current liabilities
25,995
Net current assets / (liabilities)
160,069
Net assets
161,378
Funds
Unrestricted funds
161,378
Restricted funds
-
Total funds
161,378		 2024
Restricted
£
-
-
-
-
6,166
6,166
-
-
6,166
6,166
-
6,166
6,166		 2024
Total
£
1,309
1,309
78,673
10,355
103,202
192,230
25,995
25,995
166,235
167,544
161,378
6,166
167,544		 2023
Total
£
1,682
1,682
19,718
9,913
132,360
161,991
21,548
21,548
140,443
142,125
142,125
-
142,125

For the year ending 31 March 2024 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476. The trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes of company law) acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime and with FRS 102 (effective January 2019).

The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 6/12/2024

Fiona Gell (Trustee)

Richard Bonham (Trustee)

17

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies

Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) and with the Charities Act 2011.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.

No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.

Going concern

The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, if it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Grants and donations

Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.

Where grants are related to performance and specific deliverables, they are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.

Investments

Investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. The SOFA includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the year.

Expenditure and liabilities

Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out the resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.

Taxation

As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.

Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are capitalised and included at cost including any incidental expenses of acquisition. Gifted assets are shown at the value to the charity on receipt.

Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost on a straight line basis over their expected useful economic lives as follows: Lighting, sound and visual equipment: at 25% reducing balance Motor vehicles: over 5 years, straight line Office equipment: at 25% reducing balance Computer equipment: written off in the year

18

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies continued

Pensions

The charity operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are recognised in the year they are payable.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.

Leases

Rents under operating leases are charged on a straight line basis over the lease term or to an earlier date if the lease can be determined without financial penalty.

19

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2024

2 Grants and donations
Arts Council England (ACE)
Albion Electrics re. vacant spaces
Land Securities Ltd re. vacant spaces
Leeds City Council (LCC)
LCC Leeds inspired
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA)
Other donations
3 Staff costs and numbers
Gross salaries
Social security costs
Employment allowance
Pensions		 2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
189,386
7,209
26,929
5,000
-
-
3,453
231,977		 2024
Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
8,500
7,886
-
16,386		 2024
Total
funds
£
189,386
7,209
26,929
5,000
8,500
7,886
3,453
248,363
2024
£
97,400
9,704
(5,000)
3,932
106,036		 2023
Total
funds
£
168,036
4,799
26,495
-
-
-
3,717
203,047
2023
£
93,613
9,838
(5,000)
4,758
103,209

The average number of employees during the year was 3, being an average of 2.6 full time equivalent (2023: 3.6, 2.7 FTE). There were no employees with emoluments above £60,000.

Defined contribution pension scheme Defined contribution pension scheme 2024
2023
Costs of the scheme to the charity for the year £
£
3,932
4,758
Amount of any contributions outstanding at the year end 1,487
565
**4 ** Restricted funds Balance b/f
Incoming		 Outgoing
Transfers
Balance c/f
WYCA £
£
-
7,886		 £
£
£
1,720
-
6,166
Leeds inspired -
8,500		 8,500
-
-
-
16,386		 10,220
-
6,166
Fund name Purpose of restriction
WYCA To support the involvement of CAPA students in the Sanctuary musical
production and the social impact of the show across West Yorkshire to
combat race-related hate crime.

Leeds inspired

To support the community and participation element of the production, Taxi.

20

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2024

5
6
7
8
**9 **		 Tangible assets
Cost
£
£
At 1 April 2023
10,055
3,281
Additions
-
63
At 31 March 2024
10,055
3,344
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
10,055
3,047
Charge for year
-
74
At 31 March 2024
10,055
3,121
Net book value
At 31 March 2024
-
223
At 31 March 2023
-
234
Debtors and prepayments
Debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
Other debtors
Current asset investments
Cash equivalents on deposit
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank
Cash in hand
Creditors and accruals
Creditors
Amounts received on account for contracts / performance related grants
Accruals
Deferred income
Taxation and social security
Other creditors
Office
equipment
Computer
equipment		 £
24,010
-
24,010
22,562
362
22,924
1,086
1,448
2024
£
21,951
16,943
39,419
360
78,673
2024
£
10,355
10,355
2024
£
102,313
889
103,202
2024
£
18,886
-
4,604
-
2,505
-
25,995
Lighting
and sound		 Total
£
37,346
63
37,409
35,664
436
36,100
1,309
1,682
2023
£
8,195
7,983
1,770
1,770
19,718
2023
£
9,913
9,913
2023
£
132,176
184
132,360
2023
£
7,859
7,650
1,575
2,250
1,524
690
21,548

21

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Notes to the accounts continued

for the year ended 31 March 2024

10 Related party transactions

Trustee expenses

No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.

Trustee expenses

During the year 5 trustees were paid a total of £304 in respect of travel (previous year: £nil).

Details of remuneration and benefits
Rebecca Owen
Payment for acting services
Emma McDowell
Honorarium
Fiona Gell
Honorarium		 2024
£
4,394
500
500
5,394		 2023
£
-
-
-
-

Legal authority for the payments

The legal authority for the payment is via a provision within the charity's governing document.

Remuneration and benefits received by key management personnel

The total employee benefits received by key management personnel were £88,340 (previous year: £90,241).

22

Red Ladder Theatre Company Limited (The)

Statement of Financial Activities including comparatives for all funds

(including summary income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2024

2024
2023
Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds
funds
£
£
Income
Grants and donations
231,977
203,047
Theatre tax relief
54,419
1,626
Income from theatrical performances
50,827
26,325
Other earned income
11,565
18,471
Bank interest
800
306
Total income
349,588
249,775
Expenditure
Production costs
Performing and stage management fees
75,279
40,763
Sets props and costumes
4,416
5,675
Venue and rehearsal room hire
5,975
3,770
Creative fees
26,693
6,310
Technical equip. hires and consumables
1,200
70
Writers' fees, royalties and commissions
8,720
1,041
Accommodation, allowances and travel
11,428
9,291
Evaluation and monitoring
-
1,115
Production miscellaneous
3,588
1,060
Recruitment
11,167
-
Marketing and publicity
33,741
23,643
Overheads
-
-
Salaries, NI and pensions
106,036
103,209
Rent and rates
20,999
18,752
Insurance
1,881
1,765
Repairs and maintenance
89
31
Phone and internet
1,772
1,899
Computer software and maintenance
4,347
4,846
Printing, postage and stationery
127
151
Trade subscriptions
1,082
2,332
Sundry expenses
623
624
Motor expenses
-
-
Travel and subsistence
775
1,301
Consultancy fees
8,543
22,744
Training and conferences
262
933
Bank charges
24
32
Independent examination
1,575
1,575
Depreciation
436
665
Total expenditure
330,778
253,597
Net gains/(losses) on investments
443
(281)
Net income / (expenditure)
19,253
(4,103)
Fund balances brought forward
142,125
146,228
Fund balances carried forward
161,378
142,125		 2024
Restricted
funds
£
16,386
-
-
-
-
16,386
1,300
8,500
-
-
-
-
420
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10,220
-
6,166
-
6,166		 2023
Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2024
Total
funds
£
248,363
54,419
50,827
11,565
800
365,974
76,579
12,916
5,975
26,693
1,200
8,720
11,848
-
3,588
11,167
33,741
-
106,036
20,999
1,881
89
1,772
4,347
127
1,082
623
-
775
8,543
262
24
1,575
436
340,998
443
25,419
142,125
167,544		 2023
Total
funds
£
203,047
1,626
26,325
18,471
306
249,775
40,763
5,675
3,770
6,310
70
1,041
9,291
1,115
1,060
-
23,643
-
103,209
18,752
1,765
31
1,899
4,846
151
2,332
624
-
1,301
22,744
933
32
1,575
665
253,597
(281)
(4,103)
146,228
142,125

23