OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2022-03-31-accounts

The Common Players Ltd

Annual Accounts

For the year ended 31st March 2022

Contents
Page
Trustees' Report 2-5
Independent Examiner's Report 6
Statement of Financial Activities 7
Balance Sheet 8
Notes and Accounting Policies 9-10
Detailed Income and Expenditure Account 11
Company Number: 3294798
Registered Charity Number: 1061431

Page 1 of 14

Trustees & Director's Report

For the year ended 31st March 2022

The Company’s registered address is: 72 West End Road, Bradninch, Exeter EX5 4QS

Trustees: The members of the Trustee Board are listed below. Appointment of trustees is governed by the memorandum and articles of the charity.

Richard Feltham Janet Hookway Richard Jennings Keith Palmer

Structure, Governance and Management

The Common Players is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 19 December 1996 and registered as a charity on 20 March 1997.

The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

The trustees for the purpose of charity law are also directors of the company. Under the Articles of Association one third of the trustees retire from office at each Annual General Meeting at which they are eligible for re-election.

Trustee induction and Training

All new trustees are invited to attend short training sessions to familiarise themselves with the charity and the context within which it works. This induction is held by the Chair of Trustees and covers:

-The obligations of Trustee Board members as contained in the document ‘The Common Players – Trustee Board Responsibilities’

-The main documents which set out the operational framework for the charity, including the Memorandum and Articles.

-The current financial position as set out in the latest published accounts.

-Future plans and objectives

Objectives and activities

Purposes of the charity

To advance education for public benefit by the promotion of the arts, in particular but not exclusively, the art of drama.

Company overview

The Common Players was formed in 1989, setting out then to create accessible theatre and tour it outside, around the village greens of Devon during the summer months.

The intention was to tell stories that involved audiences on different levels so that there was something for everyone to enjoy, no matter their age or experience of theatre.

Since 1996, and when charitable incorporated, the company has developed numerous projects designed to engage wideranging rural communities in live performance.

These strands include a mix of participative activities, educational projects, semi-professional community projects and professional touring presentations. The company now also works in towns and larger centres as projects dictate.

Over 40 indoor and outdoor professional presentations have been created. These have variously involved commissioning writers or creative teams to respond to themes of rural and human interest, creating productions and then often touring them to up to 50 community venues such as fields, halls and community centres on a single tour

Skill-sharing and participatory work has taken numerous forms. These include summer youth theatre projects, workshops for amateur companies keen on building performance skills, collaborations with communities to develop celebratory guided walks and community play development.

Partnerships and Projects

Common Players has enjoyed positive relationships with a number of creative stakeholders. We now work on a project by project basis with other local and regional organisations, collaborating on mutually purposeful projects. Partners have included Exeter Northcott Theatre, Exeter Bikeshed Theatre, Devon Arts in Schools Initiative, Exmoor National Park, Prom Prom Productions, The National Trust, Cygnet Theatre, East Devon Museums and Devon Libraries.

Page 2 of 14

Trustees & Director's Report (continued)

For the year ended 31st March 2022

Here follows a summary of activity in the financial year ended 31st March 2022, followed by more detail of activity over previous years.

Activity 2021-2022

This year, beginning in April saw the UK coming out of a second period of lockdown to protect from Covid-19. Through the previous winter with so much uncertainty over the forthcoming year we had determined that a focus for Common Players would be to create and tour a new outdoor work to communities and their spaces over the next summer. We felt that enclosing an audience in our new Lifeboat Theatre would not yet be feasible.

We also believed that people sought a context for gathering together in a relatively safe space. We saw theatre as the medium and we hoped that Covid regulations for gathering would be sufficiently relaxed by the time we got to summer. Our winter research and development time had discovered a strong appetite for this amongst our community promoters and together with a local food charity, www.catch77.org.uk we developed a plan to create The Tuck Inn, a touring performance and community feasting event based on the robin hood story. Our plan submitted to the Arts Council for support demonstrated how we would manage the Covidsaftey of a 30 venue tour aas well as engaging an open-to-all local event.

Our application was approved in June and propelled us into a busy and creative time, with a tour beginning in July and ending in September.

A separate, externally commissioned eveluation document chronicles the many successes of this project. It is available here Trustees & Director's Report (continued) https://www.common-players.org.uk/cp-the-present A number of achievements are identified including the quality of the artwork, For the year ended 31st March 2022 the engagement of two young apprentices, the support gained through micro-grants from very local organisations, the re-vivication of our volunteer promoter network, the incorporation of local performance activity around our visit, and the successful collaboration with a food charity to provide a self-contained touring event incorporating food and drink.

This positive evaluation encouraged Common Players to consider a similar event for the following year. As autumn turned to winter and fears of Covid rose again we decided it prudent to once again delay the development of The Lifeboat Theatre project. The year ended with a plan to adapt Alice in Wonderland into an outdoor touring performance, starting earlier in the year to co-incide with Queen Elizabeths' Jubilee celebrations. "The Queen" would tour to Devon communities to enjoy a tea party. We were successful with a minor bid to the Arts Council to undertake the foundation work for this in November and December and by January we had a detailed plan, incorporating apprentices once again, which we submitted for support.

During the year Common Players continued to make equipment available to small local groups for their creative endeavours.

Activity before 2021

Examples of partnership projects include Keep Off The Path which was a national 3-year touring environmental site-specific collaboration with The National Trust. With Devon Arts In Schools Initiative we created Bloody Ambition , an education programme inspiring teachers and pupils to wrestle practically with Shakespeare’s Macbeth . In 2013, with Exeter Northcott we directed and produced a regional outdoor large-scale touring production of Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth. This was critically acclaimed and featured a unique blend of amateur and professional artists and support workers working together. A detailed evaluation of this project is accessible on our website.

We also explore other aspects of the region's rural culture through performance. An example of this is Cider with Roadies , which since 2006 has found different ways of creating theatrical and cultural events around the focus of a commissioned and practical sculpted apple press , Pomona . We have collaborated with Prom Prom productions to create The Devon Apple Fair , a day of apple related activities and performances touring the region.

In over 33 years of creating varied activity we have developed a significant network of volunteer promoters in many rural communities who work with us on promoting and supporting activites,connecting our work with people on the ground, who are not necessarily regular consumers of culture. We are proud to claim that we have successfully animated arts activity in rural communities not simply through our own work, but through sharing skills and enthusiasm with arts enthusiasts who go on to promote other activities in their locality.

Page 3 of 14

Uncommon Players

In 2011 we formed the Uncommon Players. We began this loose ensemble to address two identified needs: performances of established plays are difficult for audiences to see in our region and at the same time we recognise that there is an untapped pool of talented actors and theatre artists in the area. With these factors combined we began to experiment with economically viable ways of producing high quality theatre using local volunteer performers guided by our professional core. The first production, Speaking in Tongues in 2011 was produced in collaboration with Exeter Northcott Theatre , following a series of skill sharing workshops at Exeter College .

Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads and Samuel Beckett's Endgame in collaboration with Exeter Bikeshed theatre have followed. Other Uncommon Players Productions and tours of productions include Educating Rita and The Browning Version in collaboration with Cygnet Theatre, Exeter.

International Links

From 2015-2018 we evolved an international partnership between the Mid Devon Town of Crediton and it's German twin town Fulda to commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Great War. This project culminated in Echoes of Wartime an original and professional work combining artists from both locations performing in both languages. From research into the real stories of the people in the two towns during the war period, we worked with Theatre Mittendrin to create a structure and devise content for a bi-lingual and musical work, which told the stories of both communities during the time of shared conflict. Financial support was forthcoming from Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and the councils in Fulda and Crediton. A group of young people from each community were incorporated into the performances which took place in large community venues.

Living descendents of the characters that we featured were contacted through the research phases and invited to performances. Their attendance and postive reactions in both countries gave significant meaning to the event for the people living in both locations today and local media gave the initiative significant coverage. For those unable to attend a live performance, we created an adaptation for podcast which remains downloadable from iTunes.

The Lifeboat Theatre

In September 2019 we presented a pilot run of performances of The Ancient Mariner in our Lifeboat Theatre . Since 2014 we had been preparing our salvaged commercvial life-saving boat, and preparing a performance which would take place on board. The performance combines the narrative of Coleridges's Ancient Mariner with the theme of plastic pollution in the sea and is designed to work on beaches and in harbours for people who are not regular theatregoers. We secured the services of actor associates David Sterne (RSC, National Theatre and Pirates of the Carribbean) and Ben Tallamy ( Four of Swords and Wandering Tiger Theatre) to perform in the devised event.

September of 2019 saw us prove the logistics of sailing the vessel to a mooring location, setting up for performances at low tide, welcoming an audience to the beach and presenting them with the experience of the performance both on the beach and inside the boat. We developed an embryonic website www.thelifeboattheatre.org.uk.

Audience responses were tremendously positive towards the performance over the five days of the pilot; and we learned more about the operational requirements of the activity as a whole. All this resulted in detailed bids for further support for a substantial tour in summer 2020 which were submitted to the Arts Council and other Trust Funders in December 2019.

In February 2020, due to the Pandemic, we were told that our applications were being nullified, with funding being diverted to other priorities. In April an application to the Art Council for emergency support was declined. We took out an emergency loan to cover fixed costs of liability insurance for the moored lifeboat and other stored equipment. Applications local authority Covid-Support discretionery funds were successful, the loan was repaid.

Financial stakeholders

For some years, 2003-2007, we were in receipt of regular annual funding from Arts Council England. Since then we have gained from them a number of project grants. We were generously supported by local authorities at County and District level, until recent years saw their budgets for our sort of work disappear. For various and appropriate projects we have gained financial support from the EU through LEADER projects, Heritage Lottery Fund , Awards for All , and from private trusts including the Foyle Foundation , the Tubney Trust, Fulda City CounciThe Belacqua Trust, The Self Heal Association and the Sylvia Waddilove Foundation as well as the producing partners listed earlier.

Page 4 of 14

Trustees & Director's Report (continued)

For the year ended 31st March 2022

Financial Review

Company Structure and financial position at the end of 2021-22

Since 2012 we have morphed into a small and low-cost organisation. Reductions in the availability of general core funding have challenged the model of employing permanent staff and holding premises. Now Common Players retains the loyalty of core artists and associates by encouraging them to develop projects to further the company mission. Projects are selected and supported by the company and developed into project-funded activities. Administrative overheads are minimized thus affording the company financial robustness for leaner times and avoiding the need to produce generalised work, which commands questionable commitment from artists, participants and audiences. The trustees have reveiwed the financial position at the end of 2021-22and are pleased to note that through a period of significantly increased activity, finances were stable.

Reserves Policy

The Company aims to maximise the use of available funds to further its creative work as far as this is commensurate with a prudent level of reserves. In this regard our policy is to set aside funds only for known or probable liabilities. Reserves held are matched to projects underway at the balance sheet date and total £6818 (2021 £7041).

Risk Management

The major risks to which the charity is exposed, as identified by the trustees, have been reviewed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks.

Responsibilities of the Trustee Board

Company law requires the Trustee Board to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustee Board should follow best practice and:

-select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

-make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and

-prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis.

The Trustee Board is responsible for maintaining 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 statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustee Board is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees have had regard to guidance issued by the CHarity Commission on public benefit.

Conclusion

Through all the company developments, Common Players has striven to achieve its core mission: to create exciting, relevant and original theatre, both for and with communities who may otherwise lack local opportunity. We look forward to ongoing engagement with Devonshire and Westcountry Communities, as we continue to innovate artistically and organisationally. Our desire is that the administration costs of our work are kept to a minimum and that the artistic quality and content continues to bring new audiences and participants together to high quality and unique theatre experiences.

With Thanks

The Common Players most valuable resource continues to be the energies of our active and enthusiastic team who continue to find imaginative and creative solutions to meet the challenge of delivering artistic and efficacious work. I wish to express my thanks to the entire team; directors, administrators, trustees, actors, musicians, designers, sculptors, writers and the numerous volunteer community supporters who together help create our memorable theatre and events. Particular thanks go to the continued energy and creativity of our Artistic Director, Anthony Richards.

Richard Feltham, Trustee

on behalf of all the trustees

20th November 2022

Page 5 of 14

Page 6 of 14

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees and Directors

For the year ended 31st March 2022

as set out on pages 8-12.

Respective responsibilities of the trustees and examiner

The trustees ( who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law)are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charitiy's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning such any matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect:

I 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.

Signed by Hannah Reynolds

Name Hannah Reynolds Address 21 Lovelace Gardens, Exeter, EX2 8XQ Date 22nd December 2022

Page 7 of 14

Statement of Financial Activities

For the year ended 31st March 2022

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Notes Funds Funds 2022 2021
£ £ £ £
Incoming resources 3
Charitable Activities: 1477 83873 85350 5070
Other (Covid Grants) 500 500 10469
Total Income 1977 83873 85850 15539
Resources expended 6
Fundraising activities 0 0 0 0
Charitable activities: 2814 83259 86073 9917
Total Expenditure 2814 83259 86073 9917
Net income/ (expenditure) (837) 614 (223) 5622
Transfers between funds 0 0
Net movement in funds (837) 614 (223) 5622
Reconciliation of Funds:
Total Funds Brought Forward 4311 2730 7041 1419
Total Funds Carried Forward 3474 3344 6818 7041

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

Page 8 of 14

Balance Sheet For the year ended 31st March 2022

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2022 2021
Notes £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 8 0 0 0 0
Current assets
Debtors 9 1800 1800 3600 0
Cash at bank and in hand 5529 5529 7463
Total current assets 7329 1800 9129 7463
Creditors: amounts falling due within one yea 10 (422) (89) (511) (422)
Net current assets 6907 1711 8618 7041
Total assets less current liabilities 6907 1711 8618 7041
Creditors: amounts falling due after one year 10 0 0 0 0
Total net assets 6907 1711 8618 7041
Funds of the Charity
Restricted income funds 3344 3344 2730
Unrestricted funds 3474 3474 4311
Total funds 3474 3344 6818 7041

The company was entitled to the exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. relating to small companies.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP

The notes at pages 9 to 12 form part of these accounts

Signed by : Richard Feltham, trustee and director on behalf of all the trustees & directors

Richard Feltham 20th November 2022

Signature of director authenticating accounts being sent to Companies House

Richard Feltham Richard Feltham

………………………………………………………………

Page 9 of 14

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31st March 2022

1.1 Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transactional value unless otherwise stated.

The accounts 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) issued on 16 July 2014 <> the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) <> and the Companies Act 2011. The Common Players meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. 1.2 Going Concern The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. 1.3 Change of accounting policy The accounts present a true and fair view and there is no change in accounting policy. 1.4 Change to accounting estimates No changes to accounting estimates have occurred in the accounting period. 1.5 Material prior year errors No material prior year errors have been identified in the reporting period. 2.1 Accounting policies In preparing the accounts, the trustees have considered whether in applying the accounting policies required by FRS 102 and the Charities SORP FRS 102 the restatement of comparative items was required and decided that this was not applicable. 2.2 Income Recognition Incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the company becomes entitled to the income, it is more likely than not that it will be received by the trustees and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Grants Grants and donations are included when the conditions for receipt are met. The company has received Government grants in the year in relation to tangible fixed assets and these are credited to the income and expenditure account over the useful lives of the related assets. 2.3 Expenditure and liabilities Recognition Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis when a liability is incurred. Charitable activities include all expenditure associated with the production of theatrical performances including both direct and support costs. Governance Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory obligations of the charity. They are not shown separately from other support costs Creditors These are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount.

2.4 Assets

Tangible fixed assets These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year and cost at least £500

They are valued at cost and depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

<> Equipment - 25% straight line

<> Motor Vehicles - 25% straight line Debtors These are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount.

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
3. Analysis of Income Funds Funds 2022 2021
Charitable Activities: £ £ £ £
Government Grants(note 4) 500 3625 4125 10469
Other Grants & Sponsorship (note 4) 60950 60950 4320
Productions 18698 18698 0
Apple Press 300 300 250
Community Equipment Hire 600 600 500
Podcast & Video Fees 577 600 1177
Total Charitable Activites 1977 83873 85850 15539

Page 10 of 14

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

For the year ended 31st March 2022

of Grants
East Devon District Council - Routes for Routes
Mid Devon District Council - Grants re COVID
Total Government Grants
Arts Council
The Self Heal Association
Livewest Homes Ltd
Various Rural Parishes and Councils
Belacqua Charitable Trust
Total Other Grants
Total
Total
2022
2021
£
£
3625
500
10469
4125
10469
48641
4320
2000
1000
6809
2500
60950
4320

4. Analysis of Receipts of Grants

5. Donated goods, facilities or services

The charity has benefited from the work of volunteers on individual projects. This value has not been recognised in the accounts.

6. Expenditure Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2022 2021
£ £ £ £
Charitable activities:
Productions 80921 80921 4421
Apple Press 324 324 0
Community Equipment 872 872 641
Support Costs(note 7) 1618 2338 3956 2623
Depreciation 0 2232
Total Expenditure 2814 83259 86073 9917
7. Support costs Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds 2022 2021
£ £ £ £
Website & IT 286 286 186
Insurance 1332 776 2108 2109
Accountancy & Legal Fees 1393 1393 328
Printing,Postage & Stationery 169 169 0
Total Expenditure 1618 2338 3956 2623

8. Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 1st April 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 31st March 2022
Depreciation
At 1st April 2021
on Disposals
Charge for the year
At 31st March 2022
Plant, machinery and
motor vehicles
Fixtures,
fittings
and
equipme
nt
£
£
6500
57738
6500
57738
6500
57738
0
0
6500
57738
Total
£
64238
64238
64238
0
64238

Page 11 of 14

Net book values
At 31st March 2022
At 31st March 2021
0
0
0
0
0
0

Page 12 of 14

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

For the year ended 31st March 2022

9. Analysis of debtors
Trade Debtors
10.1 Analysis of creditors
Creditors : amounts falling due within one year
Trade Creditors
Accruals
2022
2021
£
£
1800
0
2022
2021
£
£
89
422
422
511
422

Detailed Income and Expenditure

For the year ended 31st March 2022

Unrestricted Restricted 2022 2021
Funds Funds £ £
Income £ £ Total Total
Grants East Devon District Council - Routes for Routes 3625 3625 0
Mid Devon District Council - Grants re COVID 500 500 10469
Arts Council 48641 48641 4320
The Self Heal Association 2000 2000 0
Livewest Homes Ltd 1000 1000
Various Rural Parishes and Councils 6809 6809
Belacqua Charitable Trust 2500 2500 0
Total Grants 500 64575 65075 14789
Other Box Office-The Tuck Inn 18698 18698 0
Video Fee for Villages in Action 600 600
Podcast for Fulda 577 577
Apple Press 300 300 250
Community Equipment Hire 600 600 500
Total Income 1977 83873 85850 15539
Expenditure
Productions Set, Costumes, Props inc Safety Kit & Certification 15011 15011 (432)
Set Infrastructure 0 777
Lighting & Sound 1640 1640 0
Marketing 7057 7057 0
Rehearsals 5211 5211 0
Touring 6188 6188 826
People 43664 43664 3250
Evaluation and other 2150 2150
Total production costs 0 80921 80921 4421
Apple Press 324 324 0
Community Equipment 872 872 641
Total other charitable activity costs 1196 0 1196 641
Website & IT 286 286 186
Insurance 1332 776 2108 2109
Accountancy & Legal Fees 1393 1393 328
Printing , Postage & Stationery 169 169 0
1618 2338 3956 2623
0
Total Expenditure 2814 83259 86073 7685
Depreciation 0 0 0 2232

Page 13 of 14

Surplus/ (Deficit) for the year (837) 614 (223) 5622
Funds Brought Forward 4311 2730 7041 1419
Transfer between funds
Funds Carried Forward 3474 3344 6818 7041

Page 14 of 14