REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 03513138 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1069055
Report of the Trustees and
Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
for
Tête à Tête Productions Limited
The Hughes Consultancy 1 Golden Court Richmond Surrey TW9 1EU
Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to 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).
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and aims
The charitable objects of Tête à Tête Productions Limited are - to promote, maintain, improve, and advance education by the encouragement of the arts, including the arts of drama, mime, dance, singing and music, and all other arts relating to the performance and presentation thereof and to formulate, prepare and establish schemes therefore provided that all objects of the company shall be of a charitable nature.
Mission
Our mission is to bring artists and audience together to explore the future of opera. Our vision is to make a future where the creation and consumption of opera is open to anyone. Our values are to treat everyone conscientiously, carefully, considerately and encourage our peers and partners to do the same, and keep the emphasis on integrity and emotional honesty through all work.
Staff and Volunteers
The trustees thank everyone who helps the company meet its mission and asks it be noted that in accordance with the company's Equality and Action Plan, the company ensures it pays everyone who works for the charity, thus keeping opportunities with Tête à Tête open to all.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities
This year was a wonderfully full year for the company, firing on all cylinders in Cornwall, the North East, and London.
The year's activity began with a week long workshop with a dozen composers in partnership with the Royal Northern Sinfonia based at the Glasshouse in Newcastle. We were delighted to have our hunch confirmed, that there is plenty of talent in the area.
The following month saw us in London bringing our trademark theatrical flair to our sixth collaboration with inspirational composers, singers, instrumentalists and production department of the Royal College of Music, where we created another rollercoaster evening of six short operas, for the first time as the College's official Summer Opera. The performance was also livestreamed to thousands around the world.
Meanwhile, we were working in the North East co-composing with local school children and rehearsing our North Shields Opera Chorus for performances with the full force of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia, North East based soloist singers, dance company Bee Enchanted and children from 4 local schools at the Parks Leisure Centre, North Shields.
August saw the start of Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2024 which presented 36 events taking place through to early October in London.
During that period we were also producing in Cornwall, bringing opera back to the Minack Theatre with Ethel Smyth's The Boatswain's Mate and then touring Madame Chandelier's Opera Party for Kids around rural communities in collaboration with Carn To Cove.
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Fundraising activities
Trust and Foundations
Thanks to The Marchus Trust & The Vaughn Williams Foundation for both supporting our work with composers.
Subsidy
We are extremely grateful to Arts Council England for our National Portfolio Organisation status. Without this, there would be no Tête à Tête nor any Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival.
Private Donations
We are incredibly grateful to all the individuals who supported our Big Give Arts for Impact campaign & the philanthropic champions that match funded the programme.
We are also indebted to the many new individual donors without whom we would not have been able to deliver a significant amount of this year's delivery, in our busiest year ever.
In Kind
It is important to reiterate the amount of In Kind support our partnerships depend on.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves policy
The Trustees believe that the charity should hold financial reserves. It has no endowment funding and is entirely dependent on income from grants, earned income, sponsorship and donors. Inevitably, these fluctuate.
The company also requires protection against unforeseen events and the ability to continue operating in spite of the unforeseen. It has been the policy of the Board to build up reserves that are equivalent of six months` operating costs.
The Trustees believe that the reserves should be built up to the desired level in stages consistent with the charity's overall financial position and its need to maintain and develop its charitable activities.
In general, the company funds its charitable activities on a project by project basis; an estimate of expenses is made and sufficient funding is sought.
FUTURE PLANS
Our Plans for year end 2026 include:
Taking Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival outside London for the first time collaborating with artists and partners based in the North East.
The London run of Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival Autumn performances in Cornwall at The Minack Theatre Another autumn tour in Cornwall in collaboration with Carn to Cove
Quest 2025, our North Shields New Opera Chorus intergenerational opera project.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
Tête à Tête Productions Limited ("the company") was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee (Company number: 03513138) on 18 February 1998 and registered as a charity (Charity number: 1069055) on 7 April 1998.
The governing documents of the charitable company are its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Appointment of trustees
The trustees, who act as Directors for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006 and Trustees in respect of the Charities Act 1993, are appointed by the Board in the first instance and then retire at each Annual General Meeting and, if they wish so, stand for re-election.
Potential candidates who act as new trustees are identified by the existing Board, as well as posts advertised, to fill vacancies or to provide additional skills or expertise. Candidates are invited to attend a series of board meetings to establish their suitability and to propose their appointment. The appointment of new trustees is ratified by a General Meeting of the members. Training is made available for new trustees if necessary, particularly with regard to the special responsibilities of trusteeship of a charity.
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Organisational structure
The Company structure now comprises a Board of Trustees who delegate day to day operations to a management team.
The Board represents a broad spectrum of skills: artistic, legal, accounting, education & training, management & administration.
The Board of Trustees meets quarterly to review the financial position and progress of projects and additionally ad hoc, when important milestone decisions need to be made. The day to day management of approved projects to agreed budgets is delegated to the Artistic and Administrative Directors. Every board meeting reviews those risks relevant to the next operational period as laid out in our existing risk assessment policy.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered Company number
03513138 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number
1069055
Registered office
Krowji West Park Redruth Cornwall TR15 3GE
Trustees
Katie Price Richard Ault Omar Shahryar Sarah Hard (resigned 10/3/2025) Greshauna Hannabiell Sanders Helen Isibor Epega (appointed 26/8/2024) Andrei Kazantsev Joanne Roughton-Arnold (appointed 26/8/2024) Dominic Robinson
Artistic Director
Bill Bankes-Jones
Administrative Director
Anna Gregg
Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by: 2nd December 2025
.............................................................................. Richard Ault - Trustee
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| Unrestricted fund Notes £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 166,932 Charitable activities Other income 17,428 Total 184,360 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds - Charitable activities Operatic productions 116,121 Support costs 56,952 Total 173,073 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 11,287 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 8,196 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 19,483 |
Period 1.10.22 Year Ended to 31.3.25 31.3.24 Restricted Total Total fund funds funds £ £ £ - 166,932 188,414 - 17,428 2,833 - 184,360 191,247 - - 2,600 - 116,121 129,936 - 56,952 72,124 - 173,073 204,660 - 11,287 (13,413) - 8,196 21,609 - 19,483 8,196 |
|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Balance Sheet 31 March 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total | |||
| fund | fund | funds | funds | |||
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| CURRENT ASSETS | ||||||
| Cash at bank | 36,853 | - | 36,853 | 18,339 | ||
| CREDITORS | ||||||
| Amounts falling due within one year | 4 | (17,370) | - | (17,370) | (10,143) | |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 19,483 | - | 19,483 | 8,196 | ||
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT | ||||||
| LIABILITIES | 19,483 | - | 19,483 | 8,196 | ||
| NET ASSETS | 19,483 | - | 19,483 | 8,196 | ||
| FUNDS | 5 | |||||
| Unrestricted funds | 19,483 | 8,196 | ||||
| TOTAL FUNDS | 19,483 | 8,196 |
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
-
(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
-
(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
2nd December 2025
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on ............................................. and were signed on its behalf by:
............................................. Richard Ault - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of accounting
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to 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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities' issued in March 2005 (SORP 2005).
Without limiting the information given, the financial statements meet the accounting and disclosure requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Sponsorship and grants
Sponsorship and grant income is recognised as incoming resources when the conditions for its receipt have been met and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
In kind
It is important to reiterate the amount of In Kind support the Charity's partnerships depend on, these are included at the value to the Charity where this can be quantified and a third party has bore the cost.
Third parties include Royal Northern Sinfonia, Parks Leisure Centre, Royal College of Music and Minack Theatre.
continued...
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
2. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the period ended 31 March 2024.
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the period ended 31 March 2024.
3.
| COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Unrestricted fund £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 188,414 Charitable activities Other income 2,833 Total 191,247 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 2,600 Charitable activities Operatic productions 129,936 Support costs 72,124 Total 204,660 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (13,413) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 21,609 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 8,196 |
Restricted fund £ - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds £ 188,414 2,833 191,247 2,600 129,936 72,124 204,660 (13,413) 21,609 8,196 |
|---|---|---|
continued...
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
4. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
| Trade creditors Deferred Income VAT Accrued expenses MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Unrestricted funds Unrestricted TOTAL FUNDS Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Unrestricted funds Unrestricted TOTAL FUNDS Comparatives for movement in funds Unrestricted funds Unrestricted TOTAL FUNDS |
At 1.4.24 £ 8,196 8,196 Incoming resources £ 184,360 184,360 At 1.10.22 £ 21,609 21,609 |
2025 2024 £ £ 180 4,813 16,400 2,673 40 1,907 750 750 17,370 10,143 Net movement At in funds 31.3.25 £ £ 11,287 19,483 11,287 19,483 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (173,073) 11,287 (173,073) 11,287 Net movement At in funds 31.3.24 £ £ (13,413) 8,196 (13,413) 8,196 |
|---|---|---|
5. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
continued...
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
5. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestricted funds Unrestricted TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming resources £ 191,247 191,247 |
Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (204,660) (13,413) (204,660) (13,413) |
|---|---|---|
6. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2025.
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| Period | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.10.22 | ||
| Year Ended | to | |
| 31.3.25 | 31.3.24 | |
| £ | £ | |
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS | ||
| Donations and legacies | ||
| Private donations individuals (including Gift Aid) | 40,765 | 4,536 |
| Arts Council England | 102,431 | 122,547 |
| Fedelio Trust | 2,500 | 2,000 |
| Performers fees | 1,000 | 3,000 |
| Cockayne Foundation | - | 15,000 |
| Embassy Netherlands | - | 5,181 |
| Countess of Munster | 5,000 | - |
| TLT | - | 3,650 |
| Plymouth University | - | 2,500 |
| Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | - | 30,000 |
| Creative Kernow | 1,000 | - |
| Vaughn Williams Trust | 3,752 | - |
| Finn Foundation | 2,484 | - |
| Scops Art Trust | 5,000 | - |
| Orbis SU Ltd | 3,000 | - |
| Charitable activities | 166,932 | 188,414 |
| Other income from charitable activities | 3,243 | 73 |
| Box office income | 14,185 | 2,760 |
| 17,428 | 2,833 | |
| Total incoming resources | 184,360 | 191,247 |
| EXPENDITURE | ||
| Other trading activities | ||
| Opening stock | - | 2,600 |
| Charitable activities | ||
| Operatic productions | 116,121 | 129,936 |
| Marketing activities | 19,571 | 20,071 |
| 135,692 | 150,007 | |
| Support costs | ||
| Management | ||
| Insurance | 737 | 698 |
| Telephone and internet | 1,096 | 1,217 |
| Postage and stationery | 60 | 521 |
| Carried forward | 1,893 | 2,436 |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| Period | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.10.22 | ||
| Year Ended | to | |
| 31.3.25 | 31.3.24 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Management | ||
| Brought forward | 1,893 | 2,436 |
| Subscriptions | 812 | 951 |
| Administration office expenses | - | 2,598 |
| Administration fees | 27,630 | 42,445 |
| Travel and subsistence | 5,551 | 1,552 |
| Computer costs | - | 199 |
| Finance | 35,886 | 50,181 |
| Bank charges | 370 | 362 |
| Governance costs | ||
| Sundries | - | 734 |
| Accountancy and legal fees | 1,125 | 776 |
| 1,125 | 1,510 | |
| Total resources expended | 173,073 | 204,660 |
| Net income/(expenditure) | 11,287 | (13,413) |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
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Tête à Tête Productions Limited
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025
| Page | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 | to | 3 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 4 | ||
| Balance Sheet | 5 | ||
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 6 | to | 9 |
| Detailed Statement of Financial Activities | 10 | to | 11 |