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2023-03-31-accounts

Registered Company Number: 03508706 Charity Registration Number: 1070013

Mahogany Opera Group

(Company Limited by Guarantee)

Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP CONTENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Reference and Administration Details 1
Trustees’ Report 2
Independent Examiner’s Report 13
Statement of Financial Activities 14
Balance Sheet 15
Notes to the Financial Statements 16 - 27

MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Constitution

The Company is incorporated under the Companies Acts 1985-2006, Company number 03508706 and its governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Company is a charity registered in England & Wales, number 1070013.

Directors and trustees

The directors of the Company are its trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the trustees. As set out in the Articles of Association, the trustees are appointed by the trustees or by the Company’s members at a general meeting.

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees are ongoing and incorporated into the regular trustee meetings.

The trustees during the year were: Katie Bradford David Bernstein (resigned 8 December 2022) Amy Challen Ian Hamilton Penny Jonas (Chair up to resignation on 22 June 2023) Mary Miller (appointed 8 December 2022; Chair from 22 June 2023) Florence Okoye (appointed 8 December 2022) Dwight Pile-Gray Ava Podgorski Helen Thomas (appointed 8 December 2022)

Company Secretary

Bridget Rennie

Artistic Director

Frederic Wake-Walker

Executive Director

Bridget Rennie

Independent Examiner

Caroline Clarke, Clarke + Wells, 99 Western Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1RS

Bankers

Lloyds Bank Plc, Villiers House, 48-49 Strand, London WC2N 5LL.

Solicitors

Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP, 110 Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1AY.

Registered office

Rosehill Theatre, Moresby, Whitehaven, CA28 6SE.

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the Company’s governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “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, including the adoption of the amendments issued in December 2017 (FRS 102).

The trustees confirm that they complied with the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit “Charities and Public Benefit”. The Trustees’ Report clearly sets out the charitable objectives, current activities and how they benefit the public.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY

The charitable objects of Mahogany Opera Group are:

to promote, maintain, improve and advance education, by the encouragement of the arts, but particularly the arts of drama, music, singing, mime, and dance and to formulate, prepare and establish schemes thereof provided that all objects of the company shall be of a charitable nature.

Mahogany Opera Group is a leading commissioner and producer of new opera and music theatre. Our vision of opera as an inclusive, collaborative and dynamic art form informs our aim to stretch the boundaries of what opera can be and who it is for.

We believe that music and theatre can create a space where everyone is equal, where everyone is free to express themselves and to dream. The communal experience of performance is at the heart of what we do: bringing people together to spark a shared imagination.

Through our work, we aim to:

We achieve our aims through three programmes of work which intersect:

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

As a registered charity, Mahogany Opera is immensely grateful for the generous contributions of trusts & foundations and individuals, without whose support its work would not be possible.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

In 2022-23 Mahogany Opera was able to deliver a rich and substantial programme of work across its three strands:

Snappy Operas

A Snappy Opera is a short opera for children to perform which introduces all the essential elements of opera – singing, acting and making – in fun, colourful and bite-sized chunks. Mahogany Opera has commissioned 13 Snappy Operas, written by some of the UK’s top composers and writers who worked with groups of young people to develop stories and characters that connect directly to the young people who will perform them. Since we began the programme in 2016, we have engaged 4,500 primary school children from state schools across the UK with Snappy Operas, working in over 130 schools.

Year of Snappy Operas

The start of 2022-23 saw the end of our ‘Year of Snappy Operas’, the programme we adapted from the originally planned Snappy Opera Festival 2021 which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ongoing pandemic restrictions in Edinburgh limited our teacher training delivery, but otherwise we were able to deliver the final phase of the project as planned, with successful performances in Leicester and Edinburgh, and a grand finale at Whitley Bay Playhouse.

In Leicester, working with Leicestershire Music Hub , we were able to present three public performances across two days in April, allowing all of the schools to share their hard work with their families and friends. The second performance included the public premiere of our new Snappy Opera by Raymond Yiu and Russell Plows, Teacups & Tentacles .

We were delighted to partner with Edinburgh International Festival to bring Snappy Operas to Scotland for the first time. The bespoke activity in Edinburgh allowed us to work with our largest single region delivery team – 16 artists in total – allowing us to make diverse connections in the region for future activity. The team worked with four schools, engaging 155 children in the creation of six Snappy Opera performances. Restrictions on public gatherings in Edinburgh were lifted just weeks before the end of the activity, but in time to allow us to present our first gala performance of the year, bringing together all of the schools for a special performance at The Queen’s Hall on 24 May 2022.

The final phase in the Year of Snappy Operas took place in North Tyneside, where we collaborated with our partner North Tyneside Music Education Hub to engage 174 children from five schools. Activity in the region had been long in the making, beginning after the Snappy Opera Festival in 2019, so an extended preparation period began in February 2022. Teachers worked with their children (after a remote introduction from the delivery team) over 3 months to introduce them to the arts, opera and Snappy Operas, using specially created resources and links to the wider curriculum. Our teams then began in-school activity in April 2022, including working towards the English premiere of Smiles Better – a new Snappy Opera created by Pippa Murphy and Karine Polwart with children from one of the participating schools. The young people performed this with four other Snappy Operas in a joyful event with over 500 in the audience at Whitley Bay Playhouse on 11 July 2022.

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Project evaluation showed that:

A new Snappy Opera commission

Through 2022-23, we began developing a new Snappy Opera commission in partnership with Sandgate School, an SLD (severe learning difficulty) school in Kendal, Cumbria. This was launched with an open call in April 2022 to find the creative team to co-create a new opera with the young people at Sandgate. We looked for artists who valued and understood the nature of inclusive arts practice, could adapt their approaches for children of all abilities and would be able to transform the children’s ideas into a meaningful multi-sensory participatory opera work.

We understood that a more intensive and longer-term programme was necessary for a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school than is typically delivered in a mainstream school. (Typically a Snappy Opera commission has involved a composer-writer team doing two in-school workshops in the process of making the piece, followed by four rehearsals ahead of a performance.)

We were delighted that this process enabled us to appoint Kendal-based composer and clarinettist Jack McNeill and Glasgow-based theatre-maker Claire Willoughby (a Jerwood fellow with significant experience in SEND settings), who worked with music lead at the school Annie Ruscillo to devise a programme that would enable the participation of the whole school across the school year.

“It is really important for us, as a school for young people with a range of communication difficulties and SEND, to focus on what we CAN do and not what we can’t. We are excited beyond words to be embarking on a whole school immersive project, which will give our young people a broad range of creative experiences.”

Annie Ruscillo – Music Lead, Sandgate School

Following an initial school visit in June 2022, the co-creation process began with a week-long residency in school in November 2022, with Jack and Claire spending time in 20 sessions with children across the primary school site. They started the non-verbal classes, with creative workshops built out of their vestibular movement sessions, devising musical and dramatic ideas inspired by the young people. Following this, the creative team developed these themes into a work inspired by contemporary circus.

Roll Up! was further developed and performed in two in-school residencies after the year-end.

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Here we share some staff feedback from the initial residency week in November 2022:

“I didn’t expect it to be so good. I also didn’t expect the pupils to join in so soon if at all.”

“I think the way that Jack and Claire made the pupils feel in control of the music was brilliant. The pupils really engaged with this. I noticed the pupils who engaged most with this are the pupils who don’t engage in class as much.”

“The sessions engaged all students, the class were really enjoying the music, everyone was involved, the atmosphere was calm.”

Commissions

During 2022-23, we developed four commissions:

Hildegard: Visions is an immersive mystery opera by Nwando Ebizie , inspired by the works and life of Hildegard von Bingen. A multisensory experience of sound, movement, scent and taste, it will combine song, electronic soundscapes and ritual traditions from across cultures and eras. The project was developed as part of Mahogany Opera’s Various Stages festival in 2019-20 and this research and development (R&D) phase helped to develop an installation (Extreme Unction Vol.2) which was exhibited at East Street Arts, Leeds in June 2021.

In 2022-23, we fully commissioned the work, developed plans and secured funds for a further R&D phase which took place after the year-end in 2023 in partnership with Britten-Pears Arts, Artsadmin and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. We now plan to co-produce the piece for full premiere in summer 2025.

Sky in a Small Cage is conceived as a contemporary staged oratorio by composer Rolf Hind – telling the story of the extraordinary life of Sufi poet, Rumi – and focussing on his relationship with his master, muse and beloved, Shams who was (it is suspected) murdered at the hands of Rumi’s brothers. The story will be told with words written specifically by award-winning poet, Dante Micheaux together with translations of Rumi’s own poetry. Directed by Mahogany’s Artistic Director Frederic Wake-Walker , an exceptional multi-disciplinary cast and mixed ensemble will bring each dramatic tableau to life using song, musical interludes and dance .

This work was initially supported through Various Stages 2019-20 and given a seed commission in 2020-21. In 2022-23 we fully commissioned the work, fundraised and secured partnerships with the Barbican and Copenhagen Opera Festival for premiere performances in 2024.

Out of Her Mouth is our co-production with Dunedin Consort and Hera , staging three of Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre’s Cantates Bibliques in new English translations by Toria Banks . In 2022-23, we commissioned the translation and managed an open call process to recruit three artists to the team. This had a phenomenal response with a total of 211 applications. Through this we were delighted to appoint director Mathilde Lopez , harpsichordist Katarzyna Kowalik , and soprano Alys Mererid Roberts who completed a stellar cast alongside Anna Dennis , Carolyn Sampson , and three Dunedin Consort players. The piece was premiered and toured after the year-end in June-July 2023.

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The Great Learning is a participatory, collaboratively composed choral work, inspired by the Cornelius Cardew work of the same name. In 2022-23 we delivered two participatory R&D workshops with a total of 79 people in Edinburgh (July 2022) and Whitehaven at Rosehill Theatre (January 2023), in which participants reflected on their experiences of the pandemic through creative improvisation, facilitated by director Frederic Wake-Walker , writers Elspeth Murray (Edinburgh) and Emma McGordon (Whitehaven) and music directors Stephen Deazley (Edinburgh) and Dave Camlin (Whitehaven).

Feedback from participants on these initial R&D workshops included:

“I felt that together we had achieved something I would never have imagined possible — the idea of actually creating the outlines of a performance in just one day, with a group of people who didn’t know each other previously is incredible. I had such a great feeling of achievement. And it was huge fun along the way too.”

“I loved being surrounded by so many creative and open-minded people, all willing to expose their emotions and vulnerabilities, made possible I’m sure because it felt like a very safe space.”

Various Stages

Various Stages is Mahogany Opera’s pioneering Research & Development programme involving open calls, workshops, public showcases, discussions, and mentoring support, through which we support artists, explore new ideas and challenge conventions.

During 2022-23 we provided significant support to Ukrainian/British collective Hooligan Art Community in the context of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We had secured British Council funding for a partnership project to take place in Dnipro, Ukraine as part of the planned UK-Ukraine Season 2022. The company worked quickly with their colleagues to support the relocation of the project to Germany, where eight female artists from the company were able to gather. They connected remotely with two male colleagues who, unable to leave Ukraine due to wartime restrictions, worked from a bunker in Kyiv. The women artists undertook a residency in Ponderosa, followed by rehearsals and a performance which brought together Ukrainian refugees and local Germans as participants in a performance of Hooligan at WUK Theater in Halle, Germany in May 2022.

Following this, the company was able to reunite in the UK in autumn 2022, where they developed a new production inspired by their experiences of the invasion entitled Bunker Cabaret. Mahogany Opera was able to fundraise for and co-produce a tour of the piece from JanuaryMarch 2023, with 16 performances across England, Germany and Ireland to audiences of over 1,000 people. These included two powerful events at Somerset House in London on 24 and 25 February 2023, marking the first anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

During the year Mahogany Opera continued to develop its online series of discussion events ‘Meet Me @ Mahogany’ , a format developed during the pandemic which is now evolving as an accessible opportunity for artists, producers, supporters and audiences to explore diverse themes, connect people to our creative practice and open up the process of opera-making. In 2022-23 we delivered three ‘Meet Me @ Mahogany’ events:

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

VALUES

In 2022-23 we took the opportunity to revisit our company values as a team, and integrated a new value centred on care. Our values underpin our vision of opera as an inclusive, collaborative and dynamic art form and sustain us in our mission to stretch the boundaries of what opera can be and who it is for. They stem from both the working practices we’ve developed over the years and our aspirations for the future:

We are artist-led

We are guided by artists, by their ideas and their lines of enquiry. We consider everyone who actively participates in our work to be an artist. We create structures that are flexible and responsive to meet the ambitions of our artists while operating on a scale that connects us meaningfully to the communities and contexts within which we work. We aim to be a creative space for sharing knowledge and experiences.

We are people-centred

Care and inclusivity are key principles for the way we work. We aim to create safe and supportive working environments which enable trust, creativity and fun. We recruit as much as possible by open call and we try to remove barriers for disabled and minoritised artists, as well as making our performances and events as accessible as possible for audiences. We value the process as much as the product. We are transparent about fees and pay people promptly.

Our work is a collaborative process

We are continually exploring new ways of working and searching for new creative relationships while striving to enrich our existing knowledge and collaborations. We test ourselves with a thoughtful and considered approach, learning from others and sharing our research and discoveries with both rigour and playfulness.

We actively seek to break down barriers

We push against traditional norms, often working outside conventional constructs, opening up access to our work, offering space for diverse perspectives and a multiplicity of voices and collaborating across borders. We stand up against racism and all forms of discrimination.

We are committed to sustainability

Awareness of and efforts to reduce our environmental impact is embedded in everything we do. We take an ethical stance on our income streams, favour purpose-based relationships over transactional ones and develop on-going relationships with our partners. We strive to take a long view on our collaborations, outcomes and impact.

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Our values are open and responsive

We stay true to ourselves, while being open to challenge and change. We question ourselves, listen to others and reflect on our experiences in order to improve our practice and stay connected with the most recent developments. We are in a continual state of renewal, always full of potential, searching for new means of expression and new visions of the future.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We believe that opera is a form of culture that can challenge rather than uphold systemic injustices. We are committed to eliminating discrimination and aim to diversify who makes, performs and sees opera. Since 2017 we have encouraged diversity across all areas of our work through inclusive open calls for artists, staff and board recruitment; training; and improving accessibility to our activities and opportunities (British Sign Language interpretation & captioning are now standard at our events and we offer tailored support for disabled artists). Our partnerships in areas not typically well-served by opera companies enable us to reach people from a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds. We aim for at least 50% of our commissioned artists to be women, which we have achieved through our Snappy Opera programme and our current commissioning activity, and we are developing our expertise in supporting disabled creatives through two of our current commissions.

We acknowledge that there is more we can do, starting with more detailed diversity monitoring of the artists we engage in order to set targets from a benchmark. In 2022-23 we asked all the artists we engaged to complete a diversity monitoring survey. This was only completed by six artists (of c.60 artists engaged; c.10% response rate). The data is therefore not statistically significant and we are considering ways in which we can encourage more artists to complete the survey.

We did get better levels of response to the diversity monitoring surveys attached to our open calls, and can report the following results:

Out of Her Mouth open call

114 responses out of 211 applicants (54% response rate)

NB the most popular role advertised through this call was for a soprano so the gender / sexuality results reflect this

Ethnicity: 50% white British Sexual 47% heterosexual/straight
33% other white background orientation: 18% bisexual
5% mixed Asian/white 11% queer
2% Black British 8% gay woman/lesbian
1% Latin American 2% gay man
5% any other ethnic background 14% other/prefer not to say
3 % prefer not to say
Age: 17% 18-25
Sex: 77% female 61% 26-34
16% male 16% 35-49
7% prefer not to say 1% 50-64
5% prefer not to say
Gender 74% women
identity: 13% men Disability 77% not Deaf or disabled
6% non-binary status: 12% Deaf or disabled
7% other/prefer not to say 11% prefer not to say
Neuro- 25% neurodivergent
divergence: 62% neurotypical
12% prefer not to say

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Trustee recruitment open call

5 of 7 applicants completed the diversity monitoring survey (71% response rate). The number of respondents therefore did not generate statistically significant data. There was proportionately more ethnic diversity than in the Out of Her Mouth open call, but less representation of disabled people.

Conclusions

The data from our main open call in the year shows we are reaching a diverse range of artists in terms of gender, sexual orientation, disability and neurodivergence. However on ethnicity, we are reaching a less diverse range of candidates than we would like, and we are also reaching very few older candidates.

Ensuring that our recruitment reaches a wider range of people will be a key focus as we redevelop our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy over the coming year.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account), Balance Sheet, together with the notes thereon are set out on pages 14 to 27.

The Statement covers the 12 months from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Total income for the year amounted to £259,940 (2021/22 £216,217) of which £112,848 (2021/22 £138,636) was restricted. Total expenditure for the year was £274,195 (2021/22 £197,828), of which £123,347 (2021/22 £114,652) was restricted.

The charity’s income for the 2022/23 financial year was higher than the previous year, which had continued to be impacted by a reduction in funding due to the impacts and delays of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Expenditure was also significantly higher, due to increased delivery. This resulted in an overall deficit in 2022/23 of £14,255 (2021/22 surplus of £18,389). The charity maintains a strong reserves position, with unrestricted funds of £356,491 at 31 March 2023 (2021/22 £360,247).

The charity also continued to enjoy strong support from a number of trusts and foundations, including core cost grants from Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and Vaulkhard Douglas-Hume Music Trust; grants from the British Council, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Foyle Foundation towards our co-produced tour of Bunker Cabaret with Hooligan Art Community; a grant from Cockayne Grants for the Arts towards Sky in a Small Cage , and multiple smaller grants to support Out of Her Mouth , our SEND Snappy Opera and Hildegard: Visions . Mahogany Opera continues to focus on increasing its philanthropic fundraising, cultivating individual donors and regional trusts in the UK areas where it works. The charity was also able to take advantage of the Theatre Tax Relief scheme.

The charity generated income of £1,136 (2021/22 £62) from bank interest; in 2022/23 the trustees invested some of its cash reserves in fixed term deposit accounts to benefit from increasing interest rates.

Having streamlined core costs substantially in 2018/19 and 2019/20, the charity maintains a lean operating model, with one employee supported by a core team of three freelancers who all work remotely. Despite this, fundraising for core costs remains challenging year-on-year, and the company was unsuccessful in applying to become an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2022. Coupled with the broader economic outlook, there are few certainties in planning for the coming years, but given the charity’s strong balance sheet and

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

with the ongoing support of a range of organisations and individuals, the trustees are confident in the charity’s future ability to continue to meet its artistic goals.

Reserves

The unrestricted reserves of the Charity comprise a General Fund and two Designated Funds. The trustees consider it prudent to maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves in the General Fund to meet a minimum of six months’ core operating costs. This reflects the challenge of funding within the present economic climate, together with the need to deliver on future commitments.

In response to the variable pattern of expenditure, the Charity maintains two Designated Funds. One is for funds that have been received and have been allocated by the trustees to existing projects which are underway. The level of this reserve fluctuates according to the pattern of funding and the Charity’s production schedules. This flexibility allows the Charity to respond to performance opportunities, the scheduling of which may be beyond the Charity’s control.

The second is the John Hughes Innovation Fund, which is the combination of a legacy received in 2017/18 and the previous Future Commissions Fund. This is used for future commissions, the funding of which may be required two to three years before production; for the development of new ideas across the Charity's artistic programme; and to support Various Stages.

Investments

The Charity maintains three savings accounts for managing cash reserves and any grants awarded for future projects. These funds are split between 32-day and 95-day notice accounts and a 12-month fixed term deposit account. The remaining funds are kept in a current account with Lloyds Bank.

RISK MANAGEMENT

All significant activities undertaken are subject to a risk review as part of the initial project assessment and implementation. Major risks are identified and ranked in terms of their potential impact and likelihood. Major risks, for this purpose, are those that may have a significant effect on:

The trustees review these risks on an ongoing basis and satisfy themselves that adequate systems and procedures are in place to manage the risks identified. Where appropriate, risks are covered by insurance. The following framework is central to ensuring adequate risk management:

In assessing risk, the trustees recognise that some areas of work require the acceptance and management of risk if key objectives are to be achieved. The trustees have reviewed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed and identified control and mitigation procedures, under the headings of:

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MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

At year end, there were nine trustees (directors) on the board, who have overall fiduciary responsibility for the supervision of the activities of the Charity.

Day-to-day management of the charity is delegated to the Executive Director, Bridget Rennie, and Artistic Director, Frederic Wake-Walker, who works internationally as a freelance director alongside his work with Mahogany Opera. They are supported by a freelance core team comprising an Associate Producer, Fundraising Manager and Finance Manager each working part-time. In addition, the Charity works with a range of specialist freelance staff to deliver on additional functions when appropriate.

Mahogany Opera’s trustees and staff reflect and champion the communities and artists with whom they work. Registered in West Cumbria, we deliver work across the country, with strong relationships and partnerships in key areas across the North of England and Scotland.

. The trustees meet at least four times a year and are available for consultation and advice on an ad hoc basis. The Finance Committee meets in advance of each quarterly Board meeting to monitor the Charity’s financial position and management.

Statement of trustees' responsibilities

The trustees (who are directors of Mahogany Opera Group for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements 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:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are 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.

11

MAHOGANY OPERA GROUP NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Icontlnuod FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Dlselo$ur• of infixTrMtion to th• Ind•wndènt •xamin•r Each of the persons are trusl88s 8t the time thls InJsto9s' rewrt is approved has confim)ed that.. so far as Ihal trustee K8 aware. there is rn) r8knnt inf(ma1￿1 af thM"ch Ihe charitab c￿Pan￿S indeperHJent examiner is unaware Ihat trustee has taken all the steps that ought lo have beon tsken as a trustee in order to b8 aware of any infcThab"on need￿1 by the charitstAe u)mpanys Inde￿ndent examiner in connectKn vAlh prewirKJ their repKKt and to establish that the charitsile companls independent examinw is aware of that Informat￿1 In wepariThJ this rewt. the trustees have taken ayvanlage of the small (X)mpan￿$ exempb'on$ provKled by section 415A of the cCrfnpan￿s Act 2006. Thrs reF(Yt was aFwved by the Board of trust8e5 on 12 December 2023 arwj s￿ned its behalf Mary Allll•r Chalr

Mohogany Opor• Group Ind•p•nd•nt Eximln•r8 R•port to th• Tru•t••• For th• y•ar •nd•d 31 March 2023 I r•wrt ￿ lh• t￿￿1 OD my •￿MInlk￿ ol th• o(xwnl ol tho chbrff8blw ¢xryony Iw It￿ yo8r end•(t 31 Mwch ￿23. R••p•MMlll•B ￿ b•Bl• alrnport A$ tho Lh¥ffy'B Iwstv8 ol the Comp•ny ltht) org Ihe dliKlurB (rf the G(wnpany IthT th& purpose¥ ol c￿￿PanY lawl. you are ol lh• •wx)nlO in accordAnc• ￿1h Ihg rtythrÈmenlv ol the C(xnpani&s AM 2(rf￿ I"Iho ?0￿ Acri. sthfi•d thal Oc￿u￿18 ol I￿ Cryony ftr• Th)1 rewirod to bB audited Part 16of 20￿ knt arKI aro el91b￿ ly ￿e￿id￿l tyAxminahon. I re￿ Iti ul rny ex8miiialion ol your chanlY% w¢¢x)unts Carr￿d out under ioctkn 14501 tho Ch•rtl•ts Acl 2011 {Ih• ￿11 A¢VI. ID carrying oul my examInal￿n I have lolhiwod Ditoctiorls 9￿￿n by • Chty CunftthK)n und8r ectk)n 145ISMbl of th& 2011 Act. Sincxry tho Ch8rit&No Cx)mpany's gro85 Inrfjm? exc6lÉd £250.000, your 8X8min8r mvst bo a member of a bcYy listed sv.cith 14501 the 2Q11 Aca. I tonfirn Ihal l am qualified to undBrfake the 8xafflin31ion ty ¥irfu6 of my membBr5hp In8thtuolCh•iièr•d A¢ctyJntBnl$ Ir ErwJlaTrJ 8nd Wal8$. ¥thlch is ono of thè Ilsted bthJ8. I hav• my 0¥ar￿nd1￿m. I ￿n￿rnI Ihat rKJ m8ttorn hov• c•ma fv ry att8nlh)n In rmnectm ￿ th& exam)alion IYJ mo uuse 10 beI￿ve thai ￿ 4ny mal8ri81 r05pect.' 1. rocords k•pt IN respedolthe Company #¥ required by secbon 386 ofthe 21KJ6 ACL or 2. the •xtyJnts do noi atsxjrd wlth tr¥Jsg record8.' or 3. the (k) not comKfywrfh requirements 3 oflhe 2rJJ6 Act otherthan any rt4uireThnl Ihat the ac¢LKmts fv a Itue and falrvlp¥f whlch l& rw)l a matter (￿￿Idered a5 P8rt ¢fan ￿￿epen¢yfrnt 6xaminati(>n.' cr 4. the accwnls h8V• rn)I been kY8pared in acixjrdancè with the mèlhuth and printhKAes of the Ststement ol R8commend•J Pra(ak and rewrury by ch?ribe5 app1k￿e lo Cha￿tiEs preparfry their ￿coUnts In 8ccordance ￿1th Ihe Financ1￿ R•wDrKJ star￿ard 8Pt4itétrlo ITr tha UK and R8putrAic of Ir8land IFRS 1021. I have t4wns have r00th￿rn￿r8 In £onnectkJn the ox8mlnatth towthkh atteNknrTr 5houkl ¢￿1￿ in Ihi% réwt in L¥thr lo enable a prwr Ur￿￿￿￿ing ofthe occwnts to be reached. East SJsEex BN71RS 13

Mahogany Opera Group

Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 March 2023

Notes Unrestricted Restricted 2023 2022
funds funds
£ £ £ £
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies 2 85,363 112,848 198,211 178,491
Charitable activities 3 30,652 - 30,652 27,241
Investments 4 1,136 - 1,136 62
Other income 5 29,941 - 29,941 10,423
Total 147,092 112,848 259,940 216,217
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 6 (14,688) - (14,688) (16,645)
Charitable activities 7/8 (136,160) (123,347) (259,507) (181,183)
Total (150,848) (123,347) (274,195) (197,828)
Net income/expenditure (3,756) (10,499) (14,255) 18,389
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 360,247 23,984 384,231 365,842
Total funds carried forward 356,491 13,485 369,976 384,231

14

R•J8twod Nurnt'. 035087L Maho9ony Opera Group Statem•nt of Flnanclal Poiltlon A• •1 31 March 2023 Not•• 2022 14 42.492 353.163 20.527 394.339 414.810 130,6351 C¥h at In hid 395,655 125.6791 crnd￿.. 11ounts tslllng du• lthln on• ymr 15 9.976 384.231 Total •M•ts l•M curr•nt fi•b11#6•• J69,976 384.231 384,231 Th• hjndb ofth• ¢h•rlty Resiriuod I￿x)rr fvndts 16 13.485 16 356.491 0.247 J19,978 For the ended 31 Marth 20231he cwny was enbded to exempbm frL¥n under seckn 477 of the Compaih?8 Act 2(K76 r8latiNJ tQ Sffl8n c)rrwnN8S. mbe¥s h•ve not roquived fv compgry lo £JWn aTr aud# of at¢<wnts for lJ* year Sn question In act￿rdanc• th sectiM 476. 3N231 The tnJst088 th•ir respons￿)i11b&s for c0ftwy1r￿ rwukements ol Ih• Act vAth rfjsrrtt to aco)untirYJ i?￿rdS arvj the preparalhx ol accounts. Thest arAwnts have ￿en wepwed in accordance with tha WD￿5￿ apt4icabfe to (￿mPanieS subJ8Ct to th8 smo11 rtffjP8nias' tegina. d autho fcf [￿u0 by th8 Bowd and ￿9r￿j ot) ts t4haV by: Mary MiU8r Chw"

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

1. Accounting Policies

Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, except for investments which are included at market value and the revaluation of certain fixed assets and 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 (FRS 102), and the Companies Act 2006.

Mahogany Opera Group meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

Going concern

The financial statements are prepared, on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention.

Funds

The charity maintains a general unrestricted fund which represents funds which are expendable at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. Such funds may be held in order to finance both working capital and capital investment.

Designated funds comprise of unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes.

Restricted funds have been provided to the charity for particular purposes, and it is the policy of the board of trustees to carefully monitor the application of those funds in accordance with the restrictions placed upon them.

There is no formal policy of transfer between funds or on the allocation of funds to designated funds, other than that described above.

Incoming resources

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable certainty. Income is not shown net of expenditure. The following specific policies are applied to categories of income.

Resources expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and is stated net of VAT. Costs of generating funds are those costs incurred in attracting voluntary income.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs which can be directly allocated to activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Governance costs are those incurred in connection with compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements. Costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the SOFA based on usage of the resource. Where costs cannot be directly allocated they are apportioned on an appropriate basis and recognised in SOFA.

Allocation and appointment of costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs may include any back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity's' programmes and activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities where applicable.

16

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Taxation

As a registered charity, the company is exempt from income and corporation tax to the extent that its income and gains are applicable to charitable purposes only.

Pensions

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme in respect of its employees. The scheme and its assets are held by independent managers. Pension costs are allocated to restricted funds as part of gross salary costs where funds cover salaried posts.

2. Income from donations and legacies

Unrestricted Restricted 2023 2022
funds funds
£ £ £ £
Donations received 5,363 4,383 9,746 9,855
Grants received 80,000 108,465 188,465 168,636
85,363 112,848 198,211 178,491

17

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

Analysis of grants received

Ambache Charitable Trust
Arts Council England
Arts Council England (Culture Recovery Fund)
Arts Council England (Snappy Opera Festival)
British Council Ukraine
Chapman Trust
Didymus Trust
D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
Fidelio Charitable Trust
Finn Family Fund
Frieda Scott Charitable Trust
Garfield Weston Foundation
Granada Foundation
Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
HMRC - Job Retention Scheme
John Ellerman Foundation
John S Cohen Foundation
Katie Bradford Arts Trust
London Community Foundation: Cockayne - Grants for the Arts
Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
PRS Foundation
Scops Arts Trust
The Foyle Foundation
The Golsoncott Foundation
The Marchus Trust
The Radcliffe Trust
The Vaulkhard Douglas-Home Music Trust
Three Monkies Trust
Victoria Wood Foundation		 2023
£
1,500
2,580
-
-
24,172
-
-
-
3,000
3,000
7,713
25,000
1,000
2,500
-
-
-
1,000
15,000
-
20,000
5,000
-
35,000
2,000
5,000
5,000
30,000
-
-
188,465		 2022
£
-
-
30,912
23,218
23,984
2,000
5,000
5,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,022
30,000
2,500
-
-
5,000
-
-
5,000
25,000
-
-
-
-
5,000
5,000
168,636

3. Income from charitable activities

2023 2022
£ £
Unrestricted funds
Artists / production / touring /
preparation / education
Income from charitable 30,652 27,241
activities

18

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

4. Investment income

2023 2022
£ £
Unrestricted funds
Bank interest receivable 1,136 62
1,136 62
5. Other income
2023 2022
£ £
Unrestricted funds
Other income - 1
Theatre Tax Relief 29,941 10,422
29,941 10,423
6. Expenditure on generating donations and legacies
2023 2022
£ £
Unrestricted funds
Donations 13,696 14,899
Support costs 992 1,746
14,688 16,645
7. Costs of charitable activities by fund type
Unrestricted Restricted 2023 2022
funds funds
£ £ £ £
Artists / production / touring / 114,544 123,347 237,891 152,917
preparation / education
Marketing 4,256 - 4,256 9,262
Support costs 17,360 - 17,360 19,004
136,160 123,347 259,507 181,183

19

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

8. Costs of charitable activities by activity type

Support costs
Artists / production / touring /
preparation / education
Marketing		 2022
2023
Support
costs
Activities
undertaken
directly
£
£
£
£
254,956
17,065
237,891
170,836
4,551
295
4,256
10,347
242,147
17,360
259,507
181,183

9. Analysis of support costs

nalysis of support costs
Raising Artists / Marketing 2023 2022
funds production /
touring /
preparation /
education
£ £ £ £ £
Office Costs 659 11,441 204 12,304 16,116
Finance and 189 3,296 59 3,544 3,180
Bookkeeping
Bank Charges 13 225 4 242 470
Governance costs 131 2,103 28 2,262 984
992 17,065 295 18,352 20,750

10. Net income/(expenditure) for the year

This is stated after charging/(crediting):

Accountancy fees

2023 2022
£ £
1,500 825

20

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

11. Staff costs and emoluments

Total staff costs for the year ended 31 March 2023 were:

Total staff costs for the year ended 31 March 2023 were:
Salaries and wages
Pension costs
Production Staff		 2023
£
40,753
1,013
41,766
2023
1		 2022
£
40,692
1,172
41,864
2022
2
2
1

There were no employees (2022: Nil) who received emoluments (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000.

The key management personnel of the Charity, comprise the trustees, Executive Director and Artistic Director (freelance). The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £68,257 (2022: £72,547).

12. Trustee remuneration and related party transactions

The Charity trustees were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the Charity or its subsidiary in the year (2022: £nil). Two trustees were reimbursed expenses totalling £423.29 during the year (2022: One trustee £184.23). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2022: £nil).

There were no related party transactions requiring disclosure during the year.

21

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

13. Comparative for the Statement of Financial Activities

Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities
Investments
Other income
Total
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Charitable activities
Total
Net income/expenditure
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Debtors
Amounts due within one year:
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Accruals and deferred income		 Unrestricted
funds
£
39,855
27,241
62
10,423
77,581
(16,563)
(66,531)
(83,094)
(5,513)
365,842
360,329		 Restricted
funds
£
138,636
-
-
-
138,636
-
(114,652)
(114,652)
23,984
-
23,984
2023
£
4,332
35,307
2,853
42,492
2023
£
17,304
8,375
25,679		 2022
£
178,491
27,241
62
10,423
216,217
(16,563)
(181,183)
(197,746)
18,471
365,842
384,313
2022
£
12,000
8,110
417
20,527
2022
£
16,543
14,092
30,635

14. Debtors

15. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

22

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

16. Movement in funds

Unrestricted Funds

Balance at Incoming Outgoing Transfers Balance at
01/04/2022 resources resources 31/03/2023
£ £ £ £ £
Designated
Following Year 49,953 - (49,953) 47,620 47,620
Projects Designation
John Hughes 249,767 - - (4,238) 245,529
Innovation Fund
General
General 60,527 147,092 (100,895) (43,382) 63,342
360,247 147,092 (150,848) - 356,491
Unrestricted Funds - Previous year
Balance at Incoming Outgoing Transfers Balance at
31/03/2021 resources resources 31/03/2022
£ £ £ £ £
Designated
Following Year 3,379 - - 46,574 49,953
Projects Designation
John Hughes 120,000 - - 129,767 249,767
Innovation Fund
General
General 242,463 77,581 (83,176) (176,341) 60,527
365,842 77,581 (83,176) - 360,247

23

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

Purpose of unrestricted Funds

John Hughes Innovation Fund

The trustees have brought together the legacy received in 2017/2018 with the Future commissions fund to create the John Hughes Innovation Fund. This will be used for future commissions, the funding of which may be required two to three years before its production; development of new ideas across the Company's artistic programme; and to support Various Stages.

Following Year Projects Designation

This designated fund is allocated by the trustees for existing projects which are underway and which the Charity wants to support with its own resources. The level of this reserve fluctuates according to the pattern of funding and the Charity's production schedules. This flexibility allows the Charity to respond to opportunities, the scheduling of which may be beyond the Charity's control. In 2022-23 this designation was to support costs for Hildegard: Visions, Snappy Operas, Various Stages and some core costs.

General

The trustees consider it prudent to maintain sufficient unrestricted reserves in the General Fund to meet a minimum of six months' core operating costs. This reflects the challenge of funding within the present economic climate, together with the need to deliver on future commitments.

Restricted Funds

Balance at Incoming Outgoing Balance at
01/04/2022 resources resources 31/03/2023
£ £ £ £
Hildegard: Visions - 10,000 (10,000) -
Hooligan Art 23,984 6,161 (30,145) -
Community
Hooligan Art - 49,894 (47,814) 2,080
Community Bunker
Cabaret tour
Out of Her Mouth - 6,500 (6,500) -
SEND Snappy Opera - 22,713 (22,713) -
commission
Sky in a Small Cage - 15,000 (3,595) 11,405
Year of Snappy - 2,580 (2,580) -
Operas
23,984 112,848 (123,347) 13,485

24

Mahogany Opera Group

Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

Restricted Funds - Previous year

Arts Council CRF
HMRC - Job Retention
Scheme
Hooligan Art
Community
Rolf Hind commission
Year of Snappy
Operas		 Balance at
31/03/2021
£
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Incoming
resources
£
30,912
1,022
23,984
5,000
77,718
138,636		 Outgoing
resources
£
(30,912)
(1,022)
-
(5,000)
(77,718)
(114,652)		 Balance at
31/03/2022
£
-
-
23,984
-
-
23,984

25

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

Purpose of restricted funds

Hooligan Art Community

British Council Ukraine awarded a grant through their UK/Ukraine Season of Culture programme to support a partnership project with Hooligan Art Community.

Arts Council CRF

Arts Council England awarded a grant through their Cultural Recovery Fund programme to sustain core costs in the context of reduced income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year of Snappy Operas

Arts Council England paid the final instalment of their grant in support of the Year of Snappy Operas.

Rolf Hind commission

Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust awarded a grant to support the development of a new commission from Rolf Hind.

HMRC - Job Retention Scheme

Between February and April 2021 we received flexible furlough support for 20% of the then Executive Manager's time.

SEND Snappy Opera commission

Finn Family Fund, Frieda Scott Charitable Foundation, Granada Foundation, Katie Bradford Arts Trust, The Radcliffe Trust and Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation supported the creation of a new Snappy Opera in a SEND school. Year of Snappy Operas

Arts Council England paid the final instalment of their grant in support of the Year of Snappy Operas.

Hildegard: Visions

Grants from The Marchus Trust and PRS Foundation supported the commission and development of this work by Nwando Ebizie.

Hooligan Art Community Bunker Cabaret tour

A further grant from British Council Ukraine and emergency support from The Foyle Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation supported Mahogany Opera to co-produce a tour of the Ukrainian company's piece Bunker Cabaret. Sky in a Small Cage

A grant from London Community Foundation: Cockayne - Grants for the Arts supported the early production of our Rolf Hind commission, Sky in a Small Cage.

Out of Her Mouth

Grants from Fidelio Charitable Trust, The Golsoncott Foundation and Ambache Charitable Trust supported the production of Out of Her Mouth.

26

Mahogany Opera Group Notes to the Financial Statements Continued For the year ended 31 March 2023

17. Analysis of net assets between funds

Unrestricted funds
General
General
Designated
Following Year Projects
Designation
John Hughes Innovation
Fund
Restricted funds
Hooligan Art Community
Bunker Cabaret tour
Sky in a Small Cage
Previous year
Unrestricted funds
General
General
Designated
Following Year Projects
Designation
John Hughes Innovation
Fund
Restricted funds
Hooligan Art Community		 Net current
assets /
(liabilities)
Net Assets
£
£
63,342
63,342
47,620
47,620
245,529
245,529
2,080
2,080
11,405
11,405
369,976
369,976
Net current
assets /
(liabilities)
Net Assets
£
£
60,527
60,527
49,953
49,953
249,767
249,767
23,984
23,984
384,231
384,231

27