Les Azuriales Opera Trust 1077210
Trustees report for the year ended 31 October 2020
Reference and Administration details
Trustees
Sarah Holford – Chair Fiona Brannon George Gluck Mark Holford Thomas Holford Katharine Price Richard Salter
Bankers
Messrs Coutts and Co
440 Strand London WC2 0QR
Independent Examiner:
Mr S C Davies Dyke Ruscoe & Hayes Ltd 110 Corve Street Ludlow SY8 1DJ
Trust Registration Number:
1077210
1. Structure Governance and Management
Les Azuriales Opera Trust was formed in May 1997. It is an unincorporated charity and is constituted by a Trust Deed. The day-to-day business is conducted by Sarah and Mark Holford in consultation, as necessary, with the other Trustees.
The appointment of the Charity Trustees is governed by the Trust Deed. There should be at least three trustees. Charity Trustees are elected upon recommendation of the Board and it is the Board’s aim to ensure there is a mix of skills appropriate for the effective operation of the Trust.
2. Objectives and Activities
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i) The trust was formed with the objects of advancing the education of the public in the arts particularly by:
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a) Facilitating and improving accessibility of the arts particularly music, more specifically opera;
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b) Improving standards of execution and appreciation of the arts, particularly music, more specifically opera;
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c) Encouraging assisting and supporting young performers and composers of music and more specifically opera;
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d) Educating the public in the art and science of music and more specifically opera.
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ii) Furthering such other charitable purposes as the Charity Trustees may from time to time in their discretion decide, including through the provision of grants aimed at preserving and restoring buildings and places of historic importance.
3. Main achievements and Review of Activities
In view of the extraordinary nature of this year and in particular its devasting effects on the performing arts
a. Activities Planned
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Young artists’ showcase at Mansfield Street in May
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Choral Evensong at St Michaels in Beaulieu-sur-Mer
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And a live stream performance of Il Segreto Di Susanna by Wolf Ferrara from the Villa Ephrussi in early September
The first had to be postponed because of lockdown and the other two because of the quarantine introduced by the British government on returnees from France. Every effort was made to preserve expenses incurred (travel etc) for future.
b. Alternative Activities supported
During the lockdown and beyond we supported a number of initiatives that showed creativity
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To Elizabeth Karani who commissioned and performed a comic piece about Covid - link =
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v BVwtzCNXTWg
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To Virtual Opera in support their production of L’Enfant et les Sortilege by Ravel. Les Azuriales supported all their alumni (about 6 singers) employed in this creative venture, which was eventually shown on Marquee TV to much acclaim.
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To Njabulo Madlala’s Voices of Africa online singing competition – initially conceived as a means of raising morale amongst South African opera singers as well as by means of many small prizes, helping them to buy food which they were struggling to do (all performance work had disappeared). The funds for this came out of the money raised for our Hardship fund. In the end the final standard was so high that Les Azuriales awarded an “alumni prize” – which meant that we took on a singer (selected by our usual panel of Bryan Evans, Sarah-Jane Davies and Sarah Holford) as an honorary alumnus, which means giving the ongoing support in career development to a singer with genuine potential and commitment. The prize went to Kamohelo Tsotetsi, a 30-year-old bass baritone with a great voice and musicality. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zk7n0VtYrwBtWkGxNXfc0QedYI24kAn2/view?usp=sharin
g
This has since been recognised by his being awarded a place at the National Opera Studio (supported by all UK’s major opera houses).
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Lastly, we were fortunate enough to visit the New Generation festival in Florence at the end of August. Alumna Anush Hovhannisyan is part of the creative team and appeared in a wonderful concert in the Boboli Gardens. Les Azuriales has supported this young festival in the past and this year we supported their new opera studio Mascarade, which offers bespoke coaching and career training to exceptionally talented singers, as well as exposure and introduction to a Europe wide set of opportunities. Sadly, our 2019 alumnus Thando Zwane who was selected for 2020 – 2021 let everyone down badly by not turning up or telling anyone why, after we had helped with his flights and visa costs of £690. A loss that had to be written off.
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c. Hardship Fund
In response to the sudden and complete collapse of all planned opera work Les Azuriales set up a Hardship Fund for our alumni that was boosted by Mark Holford’s sponsored Bike Ride and which raised £7,536 (excluding Gift Aid of £1,382). This was used to help cover immediate urgencies such as rent and other regular expenses by way of:
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Loans until the self-employed income support payments started, or
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Grants in cases where the applicant did not qualify for such support to tide them over until they could find a longer-term solution.
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Support for other schemes which provided paid work for our Alumni
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i) VOpera’s online production of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges - £600.
ii) Supporting Voices of South Africa on-line Singing Competition run by alumnus Njabulo Madlala by giving a small prize and providing technical IT and other assistance - £1,018.
iii) Opera in Lockdown - a specially commissioned piece by Richard Barnard featuring Elizabeth Karani and Thomas Atkins - £650.
We also gave practical advice and found non-monetary solutions. We were gratified by the reaction of many of our alumni who told us that just knowing that someone was looking out for them made a huge difference.
At the end of this accounting year, we had spent £9,375 on hardship payments.
d. Normal ongoing support
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Anna Staruskevich (Les Azuriales 2011) a Ukrainian mezzo soprano– contribution to fee for indefinite leave to remain - £1,000. She was the first mezzo to win the Handel Singing Competition in 2012.
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Elizabeth Karani - (pre lockdown) travel bursary for auditions - £234.
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Thando Zwane - a travel bursary for flight to attend Mascarade Opera Studio - £690.
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Glen Cunningham - voice and music coaching - £660.
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Monica McGhee - voice therapy following treatment for thyroid cancer (prior to joining the National Opera Studio) - £622.
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Chum Sijeqa – scholarship to cover living costs while attending the Guildhall School Opera course of which half was transferred in this year accounts and the remainder will be paid in December 2020 -£2,400.
4. Meetings
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a) The trustees met on the 1st November 2019
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i. To reappoint Dyke Ruscoe and Hayes as accountants for a further 12 months
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ii. To re-elect Mark Holford for a further terms of 3 years
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iii. To announce the plans for 2020 by 25th December
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iv. To consider a legacy campaign
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b) The trustees met again on 10[th] June 2020 They resolved
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i. To approve the draft accounts for 2018/ 2019
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ii. To approve the criteria of the Hardship fund (previously discussed by email and the support in various degrees of the first 12 applicants
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iii. To support the application of Elizabeth Karani for 50% of the cost of the Opera in Lockdown project
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iv. To approve the application of Monica McGhee for payment of medical expenses
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v. To approve the support of Chuma Sijeqa for living expense while at GSMD in the sum of £4,800 to be paid in two tranches of £2,400 six months apart
5.1. Income received
In the year ending October 2020, the Trust received funds of £29,872 made up as follows:
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Donations to Young Artists programme £16,963
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Hardship and Voices of South Africa donations £7, 536 Tax refunds on Gift Aided donations £2,873 Hardship loans repaid £2,500
5.2. Activities
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a) Awards and bursaries totalling £5,606 were awarded to:
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A Ukrainian mezzo soprano towards the fee for ILR application - £1,000
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A British Tenor - £660 for voice and music coaching
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A South African Bass Baritone - to cover living expenses for six months at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama - £2,400
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A Scottish soprano for vocal rehabilitation - £622
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A South African baritone for travel to Italy to attend the Mascarade Studio - £690
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A British soprano for travel expenses - £234
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b) An advance of £3,295 was paid to Les Azuriales Opera’s Festival account to cover production costs for the planned live stream Il Segreto di Susanna travel costs, and general admin expenses
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c) The Trust’s other expenses were:
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d) £122 for data protection and bank charges,
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e) £980 for accountancy
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f) £365 for insurance
6. Other sources of income: Sponsorship and tickets
In addition to the individual donations made to the Trust, Les Azuriales Opera made £1,325 from ticket sales for the London Concert on 16[th] April 2019, which was postponed due to Covid and remained, in the festival account
7. Financial review and Reserves Policy
The accounts cover all the activities of the Trust during the year. A profit of £9,629 was made this year which added to the sum of £5,449 brought forward from last year left the Trust with a balance of £15,078 cash funds to carry forward. To the extent that certain donations are given for a specific activity, we have ensured that these are used for that activity. The loan outstanding from Mark Holford of £3,000 could not be repaid this year and has therefore to be carried over to next year. The Trust must continue to keep its outgoings to a minimum though there should be enough after a further round of fundraising to continue to support Les Azuriales Opera’s planned activities in 2021.
8. Public Benefit
The Charity’s trustees acknowledge the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s published general and relevant sub-sector guidance on public benefit. They have referred to the Guidance when reviewing the Trust’s aims and strategy and in planning its future activities. The review of activities referred to above highlights the achievements made in the year. The Trust’s links with the community have continued to be developed throughout the year. Through activities and events held throughout the year, the Trust’s donations have provided support, education and training for young performers. It has also facilitated and improved accessibility to the events. The Trust continues to promote awareness and availability of assistance across the broadest possible range of social groups. Through its events it gives the public an understanding of the processes involved in educating singers in their technique and in the creation of opera, thereby encouraging the wider appreciation and attendance of opera.
| Les Azuriales Opera Trust | Les Azuriales Opera Trust | Les Azuriales Opera Trust | 1077210 | 1077210 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
01-Nov-19 | To | 31-Oct-20 | |||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 400 400 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ 16,963 7,536 2,873 2,500 - - - - - - 29,872 - - - 29,872 365 5,606 - 3,295 - 500 980 87 35 9,375 - - - - 20,243 - - - 20,243 9,629 - 5,049 14,678 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 16,963 7,536 2,873 2,500 - - - - - - 29,872 - - - 29,872 365 5,606 - 3,295 - 500 980 87 35 9,375 - - - - 20,243 - - - 20,243 9,629 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| Donations | - | 48,802 | ||||
| Donations - HardshipFund | - | - | ||||
| Tax refunds | - | 7,999 | ||||
| HardshipFund repayments | - | - | ||||
| Other income(tickets) | - | 400 | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
- | 57,201 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
||||||
| 57,201 | ||||||
| Insurance | - | 1,197 | ||||
| Awards,bursaries and sponsorship | - | 1,364 | ||||
| Payment to Villa Ephrussi | - | 8,907 | ||||
| Transfer to Festival account | - | 10,500 | ||||
| Transfer to Association account | - | 10,000 | ||||
| Fee for music director and coaching | - | 17,006 | ||||
| Accountancy | - | 1,120 | ||||
| Bank charges | - | 170 | ||||
| Dataprotection | - | 35 | ||||
| HardshipFund | - | - | ||||
| Prize money | - | 9,895 | ||||
| Sundryexpenses | - | 2,952 | ||||
| Loan repayment | - | 1,000 | ||||
| - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 64,146 | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||
| - | ||||||
| - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | ||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
||||||
| 64,146 | ||||||
| - | 9,629 | 9,629 |
- 6,945 | |||
| - | - | - |
- | |||
| 400 | 5,049 | 5,449 |
12,394 | |||
| 400 | 14,678 | 15,078 | 5,449 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
25/08/2021
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature Owed to Mark Holford Accountancy - 2020 Details Details Opera Trust current account Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 400 14,678 - - - - 400 14,678 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) Unrestricted 3,000 Restricted 1,000 - - - Print Name Sarah Holford |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| Sarah Holford | |||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
25/08/2021
2
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Les Azurial8s Opera Trust On accounts for the year ended 31 October 2020 Charlty no (if any) 1077210 Set out on pages 1and2 I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounls of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 31 October 2019. Responsibllities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Yh8 Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinalion. I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5){bl of the Act. I have completed my examination. l confirm that no material matters have come lo my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were nol kept in accordance with section 130 of the Acl or Ihe accounts do not acGord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connaction with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 26 Ru9 Name.. Stuart Carl Davies Relevant professional qualificationls) or body (if any): FCCA Address: Dyke Ruscoe & Hayes Ltd 110 Corve Street. Ludlow, Shropshire SY81DJ IER October 2018