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2023-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2022/23 BIACK TOUIUNG

Funders & Supporters

Many thanks to our 2022/23 funders and partners:

What’s in Store Wednesbury was part of We Are Wednesbury, a cultural programme produced by Multistory for the High Streets Heritage Action Zone initiative, funded by Sandwell Council and Historic England.

About Us

Black Country Touring (BCT) produces and promotes highquality theatre, dance and film in the Black Country, putting local communities at the heart of everything we do.

Vision

Our vision is of a Black Country where everyone has the opportunity to experience captivating, inspiring and diverse performances in their community, regardless of their background, age or income.

Mission

We believe the arts have the potential to change lives by allowing us to see new possibilities, develop new skills and provide opportunities to reflect on our own lives, communities and the wider world.

We work with people across the Black Country to select and present the very best available artists and companies to our local communities.

We endeavour to make our work accessible to, and reflective of, the diverse communities that make up the Black Country.

We collaborate with artists and local people to create new work born out of contemporary Black Country stories for both local and national audiences.

Curious Cargo perform at What’s In Store Bearwood

Our Work

All of BCT’s work is focused on creating opportunities for local people to experience theatre, dance and film. They are actively involved in programming, promoting and creating performances, events and festivals. We achieve this through four strands:

Rupinder Kaur performs in Al-Raqib Modest Fashion in What’s in Store Bearwood. Photo by Anand Chhabra.

Chair’s Statement

Rekindling Performing Arts in the Black Country

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I am delighted to present this Chair's Statement for our Annual Report, reflecting on the remarkable strides our organisation has made during the 2022/23 year. This period has witnessed transformative change, continued resilience and new collaborations.

Reconnecting Communities Through Culture

The past year was exceptional for Black Country Touring as we observed the enthusiasm of our audiences across the wider Black Country in returning to events following the pandemic. After a period of isolation, these opportunities to come together in welcoming community spaces felt particularly special and essential, significantly contributing to our collective well-being and sense of togetherness.

The role of culture in connecting communities and reducing isolation cannot be overstated. We swiftly transitioned from the challenges posed by the pandemic to addressing the economic difficulties faced by our communities due to the rising cost of living. Our mission was clear: to ensure that residents across the Black Country could still afford to enjoy outstanding theatre, dance, and film experiences in their neighbourhoods.

A community cinema screening at the Wesley Centre for All in Wednesbury

Breaking Down Barriers

Much of our work centres on challenging and removing barriers and welcoming people into new places, ideas, and experiences. The primary hurdle is often the belief that "it's not for me”. In the Black Country, many individuals lack access to arts and culture due to profound inequalities in arts provision across all age groups.

We firmly believe that everyone in the Black Country should have the opportunity to experience the arts, regardless of income, education, or background. This year, much of our site-specific work was focused on taking performances into everyday spaces to engage people where they live, work and shop. Art should be part of the fabric of our lives, something unexpected, happened-upon and exciting, not always confined to a venue with the expectation that the audience will travel for it.

What’s in Store Wednesbury. Photo by Philip Parnell.

Enriching Our High Streets

In the heart of the Black Country, we animated high streets and town centres with captivating storytelling, poetry, and performances. What’s In Store breathed life into these areas, celebrating the unique stories of local shops, their proprietors, and customers, all crafted in collaboration with local artists. The streets resonated with the sounds of the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, and families delighted in the wordless adventures of a Yeti, staged inside Bearwood Indoor Market.

We were proud to present What’s In Store Bearwood as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival , enriching the cultural tapestry of Sandwell during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. What’s In Store Wednesbury, delivered as part of a three-year partnership with Multistory, was another milestone in our commitment to promoting community engagement and cultural diversity throughout the region. Although both towns are within the same borough, they have very different and distinctive identities and environments, so the project was adapted to suit each locale.

Pushing Artistic Boundaries

We furthered the bold experimentation that defined the company's work throughout the pandemic. We embraced the lessons learned during this time, where our company continued to connect with audiences and create immersive and accessible performances. Collaborating with Ghana’s Accra Theatre Workshop, we produced Where Are You? , a live theatre production for families simultaneously staged in the Black Country and Accra, connected through a live Zoom link.

This endeavour pushed the boundaries of our work within physical spaces and celebrated the power of technology to bridge geographical divides. I particularly enjoyed seeing children from different continents connect through theatre, greeting one another from over 3,000 miles away. The project was made possible thanks to support from the British Council and Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Chair’s Statement

Circus Bezerkus at Friar Park Millennium Centre, Sandwell

Rebuilding with Communities

In 2022/23, providing ongoing support and subsidy to our Community Promoters in the Black Country was a top priority. We minimised the risks our Promoters faced during these challenging times by providing additional subsidies and support for their events, thanks to generous financial support from Arts Council England , Esmée Fairbairn Foundation , Postcode Culture Trust, British Council and many more. We are hugely grateful to our funders for the flexibility they have allowed us as we rebuilt our programme, which allowed us to meet the needs of our communities, partners and promoters as we navigated difficult times.

A Sustainable Future

Our focus this year was on laying the groundwork for a sustainable future. The challenges of sustaining our levels of activity in the Black Country have been apparent for years, with little increase in our core funding from Arts Council England in over a decade. Fortuitously, we have received support from local authorities, trusts, and individuals, which significantly boosted our capacity in recent years. However, we recognised that substantial, long-term investment was needed at the core of our organisation to achieve true sustainability and fulfil our potential for impact.

In November, we received the welcome news that Arts Council England would increase our annual funding by 51% from 2023 to 2026. This increase will allow us to reach more people than ever in the Black Country, bringing outstanding performances to people's doorsteps and engaging individuals in areas with limited access to the arts. We were delighted to see a vital increase in funding across the Black Country, with a number of brilliant organisations receiving increases or joining the portfolio.

Securing grants of this scale was only possible with the continued financial support of Sandwell Council and Wolverhampton City Council . Their funding enables us to leverage significantly more income into the boroughs, resulting in a substantial return on investment for the Black Country's communities, venues, and artists.

Enhancing Arts Provision in Libraries

We were delighted to learn that Rekindle , a national project to enhance arts provision in libraries, had secured funding for three years from 2023 to 2026 from Arts Council England. Our partnership with Sandwell Libraries will create a culturally relevant, accessible, and inclusive arts programme across five libraries, with training provided to library staff, making these libraries even greater cultural hubs for their local communities.

As we look back on this year of challenges, ambition, and new ways of working, we take pride in the dedication of our Community Promoters, volunteers, and venues in the Black Country. They have proven to be resilient in the face of adversity and passionate and excited about bringing outstanding performances back to Black Country audiences. Together, we understand that the arts have the power to unite and enrich our community, and we continue to strive for a brighter and more culturally vibrant Black Country.

Timothy Rushby Chair, Black Country Touring

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Is That a Yeti Hetty? by Crow‘s Nest Theatre at What‘s in Store Wednesbury
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2022/23 In Stats

35,249 people attended events, performances and productions supported, or produced, by Black Country Touring. This is over double our audience for 2021/22!

Community & Young Promoters featured 92 performances of 36 individual touring productions or acts, in 35 venues across the Black Country. This is a 26% increase in performances on last year.

What’s in Store took place in two towns in Sandwell, featured 32 artists, 10 performances and was attended by 5,923 people in total.

1,199 people attended Community Cinema screenings A 116% increase on last year.

730 people engaged with our digital projects, including the Black Country Stories podcast and short films for What’s In Store and Where Are You?

For every £1 granted to Black Country Touring by Arts Council England, Sandwell Council & Wolverhampton Arts & Heritage, we raised a further £1.83 to invest in the performing arts across the Black Country.

2022/23 Our audiences

20% of our audience identified as having their daily activities limited by a disability.

Data is taken from audience surveys conducted between April 2022 and March 2023.

2022/23 Our audiences

21% of audiences were from ethnically diverse backgrounds. This is a small drop from prepandemic levels, potentially due to the range of active promoters and the areas of the Black Country where performances took place.

Our 2023-26 business plan and programme aims to further engage under-served and under-represented communities, including people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

62.3% of Black Country Touring's audiences live in the 30% most deprived areas in the UK , based on postcode data. Many have been hit hard by Covid-19 and the cost of living crisis, which is why we are providing additional support to promoters, keeping ticket prices low and trialling pay-what-you-can ticketing.

60% of our audiences travelled less than 2 miles to attend an event. 82% of our audience travel less than 5 miles, demonstrating the localised focus and impact of our work, in an area with few dedicated arts venues.

2022/23 Our audiences

90% of audiences rated the performance they attended as Very Good, 9% as Good and 0% as poor .

91% of audiences rated the performance they attended as Very Good value for money.

Pleasant evening out, joyful & thought provoking subject matter

It was a wonderful show, I haven't laughed that much in years. well done, excellent!!

It was so original and funny. Something very different, loved it

It's an important event bringing people together. The years of the pandemic have been awful and we need more events like this please.

This event has been perfect for us. As a big family (8) we struggle to find events in our price range and that will be appropriate for all the children's ages. We will definitely be looking for more.

I loved the creativity. The sets were beautiful. My youngest gasped when the big book was opened. It's brilliant to have something like this on our doorstep, very accessible.

It was a magical experience with my close & extended family and made me feel connected to this community. The fact it took place in a library felt like the books came alive!

A chance to really see in a new way, my local high street. Thank you!

Great for lifting people's spirits, community building, educational, fun and imaginative.

Audience data is based on 514 audience surveys and 597 postcodes collected between April 2022 and March 2023

2022/23 Highlights

The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band perform in Bearwood Indoor Market as a part of What's In Store Bearwood.

Lorna Meehan performs in Allsorts as a part of What's In Store Wednesbury.

2 4 towns days

46%

of commissioning fees were paid to artists from ethnically diverse backgrounds

19 32 microartists productions 110 5805 performances people attended

47.5%

of audiences were from the lowest 3 deciles for multiple deprivation ( 32% in Bearwood, 69% in Wednesbury)

Celebrating Our High Streets

What’s In Store has seen Black Country Touring develop a unique approach to presenting performances in town centres and on high streets; invigorating, animating and celebrating the independent spirit of shops, cafes and businesses in Bearwood and Wednesbury. It built on developmental projects in West Bromwich and Wolverhampton in 2019 piloting the work in partnership with the local Business Improvement Districts. The project embodied the organisation’s ethos of Big Ideas in Small Spaces - presenting high-quality and accessible work, with emotional depth and rich storytelling in everyday but unexpected spaces where audiences don’t expect to find theatre, poetry and live music.

What’s In Store celebrated the positive impact multiculturalism has on our high streets - the vibrancy of culture and cuisine from around the world and the stories of the people that have settled in Black Country towns; shaping the sights, smells and signage of these bustling thoroughfares. At a time when society often feels fragmented and divided, it’s more important than ever that we encourage local people to step over thresholds that they usually pass by, to hear the stories of the people within and walk away with new, positive perspectives of the people and places where they live.

A chance to really see, in a new way, my local high street. Thank you!

Great for lifting people's spirits, community bulding, educative, fun and imaginative.

Brilliantly presented, fun & funny. Great combination of story & music and a window into people's lives & local shopkeepers you'd never be aware of otherwise.

Sam Frankie Fox, Ricardo Santos

Audience members speak to the staff at

Rocha and Katie Stevens, perform Great event! So lovely to see live & local theatre & poetry in such a Wednesbury Food Bazaar during Vimal's Walking A Mesa Da Mãe during What's In Tour for What's In Store Wednesbury. different space! Store Bearwood.

What's In Store Bearwood

17 & 18 June 2022

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20 11 54 11 3,200
artists & micro- individual participating people
performers productions performances shops attended
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What’s In Store brought two days of live poetry, music and theatre performances to independent shops and cafes along Bearwood Road, Smethwick. Part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival , it helped to bolster Sandwell’s representation within the festivities and spotlight its rich cultural diversity. The high street is reflective of the many communities that have settled in the area, with cuisine, culture and groceries from Brazil, Mexico, India, the Caribbean and many more.

The project was made possible with funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s Reinvent Performing Arts Fund , which allowed BCT to invest greater resources into a production than ever before and unprecedented creative freedom and capacity to develop the project at a hugely challenging time, as we emerged from the disruption of Covid-19.

It made me realise how important it is to write about lived local experiences and lives. Storytelling is a very powerful medium and sometimes we do overlook it.

- Artist feedback

20 freelance artists were employed in total, the majority of whom are residents of Sandwell and the wider West Midlands. At the heart of the project were a team of 7 local artists who were in residence in shops along the high street. They developed new performances based on stories gathered from business owners and customers and inspired by the Bearwood Road. Examples include Auden Allen, who celebrated the crackle of vinyl in RPM Audio, while Rupinder Kaur’s The Never Ending Journey was inspired by the clothing store Ar-Raqib Modest Fashion and the story of its owner. Bohdan Piasecki’s The Shop of Poems popped up Bearwood Indoor Market in the run-up to What's In Store and saw Bohdan write and perform poems based on stories gathered from local people who visited.

There were two special shows for children and families - BCT's original production Where Are You? at Bear Bookshop, and Is That A Yeti, Hetty? by Crow's Nest Theatre in Bearwood Indoor Market. Poet Dreadlockalien created freestyle poems together with members of the public, while Jake Oldershaw performed Coffee & Tea , a warm-hearted performance inspired by tales from Black Country cafés that finds the extraordinary in the everyday. High street spaces came to life with Curious Cargo's mischievous Lollipop Ladies and the incredible Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band .

Where Are You?

17 & 18 June 2022, presented as part of What's In Store Bearwood

Where Are You? is a hybrid theatre production for families produced by Black Country Touring in collaboration with Accra Theatre Workshop in Ghana, commissioned by Birmingham 2022 Festival and funded by the British Council . It tells the story of two penpals, Rochi in Bearwood and Abena in Dzorwulu, who embark on a perilous journey courting danger and adventure in order to meet each other in the middle.

Because of COVID, we couldn't travel and be in the same place, but to have the opportunity to explore a new way of working was really what we needed at the time.

Emelia Asiedu, Artistic Director - Accra Theatre Workshop

The creative team crossed both locations and never met in person, collaborating entirely over Zoom and Whatsapp. The show, featuring a mix of live performance, pre-recorded performance and animation, was staged simultaneously in Bear Bookshop (Bearwood) and J-CLU School of Arts (Accra) and was connected through a live stream. It was accompanied by a beautifully illustrated children’s book and a standalone film.

A wonderful feelgood show with an excellent use of digital technology. Made me feel more connected to my community and people in Ghana. Brilliant to take place in a local bookshop.

Audience member

What's In Store Wednesbury 23 & 24 September 2022

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12 8 56 9 2,605
artists & micro- individual participating people
performers productions performances shops attended
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Black Country Touring were commissioned by fellow Sandwell arts charity Multistory to produce a version of What's in Store bespoke to Wednesbury, as part of We Are Wednesbury , a three year programme of cultural activity in Wednesbury led by Multistory for the Wednesbury Heritage Action Zone . The aim of We Are Wednesbury is to enable local people to express the pride they feel for their town, celebrate the role and importance of the high street as a hub of the community and enable people to understand the history of their town and share their memories and stories.

The project was built on the learnings of the Bearwood iteration and responded to the unique identity of Wednesbury town centre and its communities. The We Are Wednesbury steering group were engaged throughout the project and the programme was tailored towards families and people with limited opportunity to engage with the arts. New market stalls in the heart of the town were transformed into performance spaces, welcoming passers-by with Is That a Yeti, Hetty by Crow's Nest Theatre, stilt performers Top Bananas and a stall hosted by Wednesbury Poet Laureate Brendan Hawthorne .

Actor Vimal Korpal and musician Derek Nisbet led audiences on a journey to some of the fantastic independent businesses throughout the town, uncovering their stories and giving a new insight into the people at the heart of the local community. Lorna Meehan wove stories of her crafty past with that of the Allsorts wool shop and its loyal customers, giving insight into what makes it an integral part of the Wednesbury community and how important it is to let the world see what you've made. Poet and actor Suzan Spence welcomed audience into Mama L’s coffee shop, with tales of an often overlooked gem on the high street.

Wonderful to have activities in [the] town centre for everyone.

Good quality theatre in the heart of the community. Bringing people to participate in the arts in the heart of the community is important connecting people and place.

Interesting to find out who the people are behind the shops. It was nice to hear their stories.

This event is so beautiful, it meant a lot to me since I was able to learn more about Wednesbury and had a lot of fun.

Smethwick Celebrates The Queen’s Jubilee

A New Creative Consortium for Smethwick

In Spring 2022, a consortium of four venues in Smethwick, Sandwell, joined forces to create a vibrant arts project funded by Arts Council England's Let's Create Jubilee Fund. With Black Country Touring’s support, Bearwood Community Hub, CAP Centre, The Dorothy Parkes Centre, and Thimblemill Library secured £10,000 via the Heart of England Community Foundation to organise four community events featuring live theatre, uniting the diverse communities of Smethwick in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The primary goal of this project was to bring Smethwick's communities together after enduring the hardships of the pandemic. Prolonged loneliness, isolation, rising living costs, and the emotional trauma of Covid-19 had taken a toll. Furthermore, limited arts opportunities exacerbated social inequality and deprivation, particularly for low-income families. According to the Active Lives Survey, Sandwell had the lowest arts engagement in the Midlands.

BCT supported the consortium in selecting and promoting professional touring theatre companies. We also assisted in organising creative workshops, booking and contracting theatre companies, event logistics, and marketing.

Community Engagement:

Reaching Underserved Communities:

This partnership between the consortium venues and BCT not only brought live theatre to Smethwick but also fostered community, alleviated the effects of the pandemic and addressed inequalities in arts access. Our future aim is to support and expand this creative consortium to bring more cohesive and collaborative projects to Smethwick, bringing its community assets to life in with arts and creativity.

"These opportunities are vital for the wellbeing of our community. We had vulnerable adults and children attending workshops and a show free of charge. We were able to utilise the power of the arts and link it with a historical event, and it will have created lasting memories for all attendees. We also learnt more about the impact of partnership working as the offer we provided overall for the Smethwick community was a lot more than we could have ever done on our own.”

-Robert Bruce, Chief Executive, Dorothy Parkes Community Centre

The Head Gardener by Untied Artists

In recent years and for obvious reasons, the nation has collectively embraced the joys of gardening, from tending windowsill herb gardens to embarking on ambitious horticultural projects. Amid this green revolution, Black Country Touring played a pivotal role in bringing a transformative theatre production to life.

Seed Funding

When The Head Gardener faced uncertainty due to funding challenges, Black Country Touring stepped in to help Untied Artists bring the project to fruition, as Jake Oldershaw explains:

“Without the support of Black Country Touring, our touring performance ’The Head Gardener’ simply would not exist. After two unsuccessful Arts Council grant bids, the first tour in 2022 was in serious jeopardy. As an artist and producer, this was deeply worrying as we had a tour of over 20 dates booked.

It was at this stage that BCT offered not only enough money for us to finish creating it, but also suggested that visiting various community gardens in the region might also provide inspirational material for the work. This was a process that directly informed the material, and it was a moving and humbling experience to then perform the show in those venues.”

The result has been 2 tours, over 40 shows, to venues across the country. We also have a good deal of interest for touring in 2024, including several Rekindle library venues, thanks to the pilot scheme we conducted with BCT in Black Country libraries in July 2023”

We believed that this production that celebrated community, growing and mental health needed to be seen by audiences in The Black Country and beyond. Jake and Warren Oldershaw combined storytelling with live music to create an immersive experience, while their heartfelt songs added depth and resonance. As Warren’s garden thrived, it served as a metaphor for the growth and transformation experienced by Warren, Jake and many other people as they connect with nature.

A Breath of Fresh Air

"A joyful, courageous, and inspiring piece of theatre, just what Riverside House stands for. The living garden on stage mirrored the growth we all aspire to.”

"A spectacular live performance, touching and skillfully delivered. It felt like stepping into a world where the boundaries between the stage and the audience dissolved.”

"Your story touched me deeply, promoting nature's healing power. Your brotherly bond was heartwarming and added a layer of authenticity to the narrative.”

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Trustees & Team

Trustees

Timothy Rushby, Chair Imtiaz Dungarwalla, Vice Chair Akila McLean Julie McKirdy Hitesh Patel (resigned November 2022) Carla Priddon Paul Reece

Black Country Touring Team

Frances Land, Co-Artistic Director Steve Johnstone, Co-Artistic Director Matt Andrews, Development Director Corinne Morris, General Manager (joined June 2022) Deb Justice, Company Manager (resigned June 2022) Natalie Kidman, Promoter Manager Sampira Al-Fihri, Creative Producer Bobby Tiwana, Development Producer (Freelance) Amrit Kaur Juss, Marketing & Communications Coordinator Olivia James, Community Cinema Coordinator (Freelance) Donna Clarkson, Community Programme Coordinator (from April 2023) Laura Leech, Administration & Projects Assistant

www.bctouring.org.uk

Black Country Touring c/o Thimblemill Library Thimblemill Road Smethwick West Midlands B67 5RJ Charity No: 1080608 Company No: 3446320

Black Country Touring is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

Company registration Dumber.. 3446320 Charity tegistraiion tsumber: 1080608 Black County Touring (A ¢ompAny limited by guarantee) Annugl Report Jnd Fin8n¢ial S¢a¢em¢nts for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 Bissell & Biowt) Birmingham Limited 12 Portman Rd. Kitsgs Heath Bimiinghwn B130SL

Black Country Touring Contents Tru5tees' Report to3 Statement of Responsibiliii¢s Independent ExamineR5 Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Shcet Notes to the Financial Statein¢nls 81014

Black Country Touring Trustees, Report The tNstees. who ar¢ dir¢ctors for the purposc5 of company law, present the 8nnual report togcther with the financial statement5 of the ¢haTitable ¢ompaE)y for the year ¢nded 31 Mar¢h 2023. Structure. govtrn#nte and mgnagement Nrtiiire olgoverwing documeht The COL))piny is limited by guarantee and does not have a Share Capitsl. It is governed by Memtsrandum and Arti¢1¢s of As50Giation and was incorporaied on 8th October 1997. It was registered as a Charity on 8th May 2000. 0rgovlst71iofttslslr￿C1mre Chief Exe¢utive$ Stcvc John5tone & Frances Johnstone Company Secretary.. Fran¢¢s Johnsione G¢n¢ral Manager.. Corinne Morris ( appointed duTin¥ the year I Company Manager.. Deb Jusii¢e { re5i8ned duri21g year I Récrultmtnl ¢TppOln¢me￿t oltruslee Re¢rLlltment and Appointment of New Trustees l M¢inb¢n of the Committcc will be invited on ihe basis of their working expertis¢ ond experience, andlor their background and other experiences and skills. The committee as h whole will aim ¢0 r¢fle¢t th¢ broad make•UP and ciiltural diversity of the Black Covnlry and the West Midldndg. 2 As a general twle, there should be a relationship between the Company and a per50n proposed for CoMmiite¢ membership. The person proposed sliould know somethinB of Black Country Tollrins's work. This criterion does not apply to people offering spe¢ifi¢ skills. 3 The time limits for membership IAid down in til¢ Constitution should be applied consciou51y, rather than renewing automatically. 4 There should be a provision for new mcmbcTS to be brou8ht on for a fixed lemi ofone or year5 in the first ii?stan¢¢, with the possibility of exrension to full membership. after review. {CowOPtions for 5PCCLfrc proj¢ets or developments are already laid down in the consiitutionl In applying these eriteri4 Black Country Tourin8 WLII take a pro-4Ctive approach in fijlly operating Lts policy of ¢qual opportunities. llldmctloll ondlrulnlmg ofir4st All proposed new members must be provided wilh an indiiction pack #nd have a formal discussion with & member of the Company's Slaff, before their fjnal appiowal by th¢ Committee. These guideline5 run alongside the terms of Bl&ck Country Touring's Artirles (Trf Association. ObJ£¢tlves and activities Public benefil In the exercise of their powers as ¢harity trustees. they have had due regard to the published guidance from the Charity Commission on the op¢ration of the public benefit r¢quirem¢nt, and the aims of the charity are carried out for the public bcnefjt. The trustees confirm that they have Complied with the reqiiirem¢nts of s¢ciion 17 of ihe Charitie5 Act 2011 to have due regard to the public b¢nefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Page I

Black Country Tourillg Trnstees, Report Objtds 4inY The objects of the CoMp￿Y are to promote, maintain, imT>rove and advance the education of the public by the ¢ncoura8ement and practice of the atts, by fostering and promoting for the benefit of the public the improvcment and development of &rtlS(i¢ knowledge. iaste. understaNding. and application of the arts and in particular but not exclusively. to provid¢ art5 bascd aGtivitie& and encourage participation by all sections of the community in such A¢tiviiies in the Wolverbampton. W&15411. Dudl¢y ynd Sandwell M¢tropolitan Borou8h5 8nd their environ5. Tryit¢¢B Bnd oifiters The tru5tccs and officers 5crvin8 during thc ycar and since the year end were as follows.. Trnste¢s'. Timothy RLL4hby Imtiaz Dung&rwAlla Carla Priddon Julie McKirdy Paul Reece Akila Mclean Achlevernents #Dd performAnte S¢¢ attached Annual Report FinArt¢l*l review Se¢ Attached Annual Report Polity reservej The income and expendi￿re of the charity flucrnaies according to the pattern of grant and project income secuT¢d. As the Charity employs a number of staff. the Management Committce (Trusleesl consider that rcserves are needed to provide for n orderly win&down in the event of an unexpected rediiction in the funds Secured. The Charity is also requ2red on O¢Ca3ion to in¢uT th¢ ¢osts of d¢v¢loping and reseaKhing work before the grants whi¢h have been 8W8rd¢d, and other in¢om¢, are aciually received. The Charity therefore needs a level of reserves for CAsh flow ￿aSonS. fn the opinion of the MaThag¢ment Commit￿¢ the reserves of the Charity are appropriate for its scil• of operatLOn. Page 2

Blfdek Country Touring Trustees, Report Ref•r•n¢¢ AdmlhtstrAdve Det#lls Charity Regi$tralion Number: 1080608 Company Registrntion Number= 3446320 The chotity is incorporated in EnglaDd gnd Wal¢8. Thimbl¢mill Library Thimbl¢mill Rd Smethwick B67 5RJ Registered Office.. Principal Offict.. Thimbl¢mill Library Thimblemill Rd Smethwick B67 51U lrtdependent Exarnin¢r: Bissell & Brown Birniingham Limited 12 Portman Rd, Kings Heath Birmingham B13 OSL Bank¢rs'. The CowoperAtive Bank The aThnll￿ rèport approved by th¢ trustets of the charity on...... 2lnd 518ned on Its behalf by.. Timothy Rushby Trnsieè Pag¢ 3

Black Country Touring Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities The trustees (who are also the directors of Black County Touring for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trnstees. report and the financial $ratements in accordance with the United Kingdom ACCO￿nting Standards (United Kingdom Generally A¢¢epted A¢¢ounting Pra¢tice) and applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the trn5tees to prepare financial statem￿lts for each flnancial year. Undcr Gornpanylow the trustees must not approve tlJe finan¢Éal stat¢m¢nts uThlcu th¢y are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Ch￿*table company and of its incoming resources application of resources, including its in¢ome and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements. the tru5tee5 are requhrtd to: selec¢ suitabl¢ aKounting poli¢i¢s and apply th¢m ¢onsi3t¢ntly' observe the rnethod3 and priDcip5¢5 in the Charitie5 SORP. make judgem¢nis and estimatcs that are reago#able and P¢ud¢nt; state wheth¢T appSi¢able UK A¢¢ounting StsDdards hav¢ be¢n followed, subject to sny Materi￿ departures di8e105ed and explained in The financia] statements; and prepare the financial 5tatementB on the 80in8 concern ba5LS unless it is in#ppropri&te to presume that the charitable ompony will continue in business. The trustees arc responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sutTi¢iettt to show and explain th¢ ¢haritable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial posltion of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that ihe finoncial statements ¢omply with th¢ Comp&ni¢5 Act 2006. They are also rcspon5ible for safeguarding the assets of ihe ¢harii&bl¢ compatjy and henc¢ for iaking reasonabl¢ yteps for the prevention and detection of fraud And other irregularities. Approved by the tru5tee5 of the charity on . and Signed on it5 behalf by.. Tirnoiliy Rusliby Tnjstee P8ge 4

Black Country Touring Independent Examiner'g Report to the tru51ees of Black Country Touring ("the Compydny") I reportto the charity tnLStees on my examination of the accounts of thc Company for the year ended 31 March 2023. Responsibilities And bo$5s of report As the rhaiity'5 trLL5tees of the Cornpany {and also its dire¢tors for the PUTP05es of company lawl you llre responsible for the prepAration of the accounts in accordatlce with the rrquiremenis of the Companies Act 2006 {'the 2006 Aet,). Having satisfied myself ihhl the accounts of Black County Touring are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for indep¢nd¢nt ¢xamination, I report in res￿¢1 of my txaminatÈon of yoiir Charity's aceounts as carried out under section 145 of the Cliariiies Act 2011 ('tlie 2011 Act,). In carying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Comrnission under section 145(5)Ibl of the 2011 Act. Independent exArnlner'J st•tem¢nt Since the Company's gr055 income eKceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a m¢mb¢r of a body listed ifb section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confitm that I ain qiialified to und¢nake the examination because l Y4 member of Bisstll & Brown Birtnin¥ham Ltd. which is one of the listed bodie5. I hgv¢ ¢ompleted my examination. l Gtsnfirni that no matter5 have come to my attention in connection with the exominv4tion giving me Cause to believe: l. a¢￿unting records were not kept in respect of Bla¢k Country Touring as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act,. or 2. the a¢¢ounts do not accord wirh those records: or 3. thr acrounts do not comply with the ?¢¢ountin¥ requirements of section J96 of the 2006 Act otheT than any requircment that the a￿OU11t$ give a 'true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an ind¢p¢nd¢nt ¢X8mination' or 4. the #ecounts have not been prepared in a¢cordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Prictic¢ for a¢¢oiinting and L'epor1ing by charities [applicable to charities preparing Iheir aCCOLinL8 in accordance with th¢ Financial Rcportin8 Standard applicable in the UK and R¢pvbli¢ of Ir¢land IFRS 102)]. I have no conc¢m5 and have come across no other matter5 in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn iii this report in order ro cn74ble a proper uiideT5tanding of the accounts to b¢ r¢a¢hed. B J Matthews. FCA Bis5ell & Brown Birniingham Ltd 12 Portman Rd, Kings Heath Bimingham B130SL Date.. Page 5

Black Country Touring Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 Oneluding Income and Expenditure Account and Statement of Total Recognised Gthinx and Losses) Total 2023 Total 2022 UnrestA¢ted Restrirttd Note lllcome and Endowmtnts from: Donations and l¢ga¢i¢s Charitable activities Other incolne 196 348,866 146 196 474,366 146 1,398 391.422 10 125.500 Totsl Income 349,208 125,500 474.708 392.820 Expenditur¢ on: Charitable activities 14 (349.208 124.851 474,059 (349.607} Total Expcnditure 349,208 124,851 474,059 1349,607 Net income 649 649 43,213 Net mov¢m¢nt in fiinds 649 649 43,213 Reeonclllxtlon of funds Total fund5 brought forward Total funds Carried forward 92,805 97,985 190,790 147,577 92.805 98.634 191,439 190,790 All of the chority'3 artivitj¢5 d¢riv¢ from ￿ntInuing operations during the above two period5. Thc note5 on pages 8 to 14 fonn an integral part of these financiY41 statements. Page 6

Black Country Touring {Registration number: 3446320). Balanee Sheet 95 at 31 March 2023 2023 21122 Note Fixed 8ssets Totsgible ass¢ts 882 Current •Sgets Debtors Cash at bank and in hond 21.391 175,307 16,437 204.266 196.698 220,703 Creditors: Amounts f8lllryg du¢ wltblD one y•ar N•t cyrreTht 8u¢ts (29,913) 19D.557 190.790 Net 8Jets 191.439 190.790 F￿ThdJ of the chqrity: Restrlcted Income tbn Restricted fund5 98,634 97,985 UnrtStrlcted IDCQrn¢ fwids Unrcslricted funds 92,805 92,805 Tot1 funds 191439 190,790 For the financial year endiiig 31 March 2023 the thaTity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Compani¢5 A¢1 2006 relating to small companies. Directors, responsibilitLes'. The member5 have not required the charity to obtsin an audit of its accA)unt5 for the year in question in aewrd&nce with section 476. and The directors acknowledge their respon5ibiltties for complyin8 Wlth the requirements of the Act with re5pe¢t to accounting record5 and the preparation of accounts. The fjnancial statements on pages 6 to 14 were approv¢d by th¢ twstees, and auihoristd for issue on signed on th¢ir b¢hAlf by.. Tinloihy Rushby Trustee The noles on pagc5 8 to 14 fomi an xntegral part of thcsc financial 5tstcrnents. Page 7

Black Country Touring Notes to the Finrdncial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 l Afcounting policies Summary of slgnifieant A¢COlltitlng pollcles and key Aeeounting estimates The principal accoiinting policies applied in the preparation of these fjnancial statements are set out below. These policies have be¢n ¢onsist¢nily applied to all the years present¢d, unless othetivis¢ slated. Stttment of eompliance The financial Statements hove been prepared in a¢¢ordan¢e with Accounting aDd R¢pDrtins by Charities.- Statement of Recommended Prhctiee (applicable to cliarities preparing their accounts in a¢cordaiice with the Financial Reporting Standard applicabl¢ in th¢ UK and RepLibli¢ of ITel￿d IFRS 1021) (issued in October 2019) - (Charitics SORP (FRS 102}), the Financiol R¢porring Siandard appli¢Abl¢ in th¢ UK 8nd R¢publi¢ of Ireland IFRS 1021 and the Cornpanie5 Act 2006. BASIS of prep4r4tlo Black Country Touring mtets the defiiiilion of 8 public benefit entity under FRS 102. A$se15 and liabilities are initially recognised at historical c05t or transaction valur unless otherwise stated in th¢ relevant accounting policy noteg. Golng ¢on¢¢rn The Trustees havc con5idercd bud¥els and cash flow foTccasts through to October 2021, and the level of post year.end support Teceived from Arts Council England. On this basis, Ihe trLl5tees Consider that ihere are no materi81 uncertainlÉes abou¢ Ih¢ ¢harity'5 ability lo continue A$ a goillg con¢¢rn nor any $ignifi¢ant are&% of uneertainty tliat affect the carrying value of asyets held by the Charity. Exemptlon from Prep￿ Tlng * csh flow JtAtement Tlie charity opted io early adopt Bulletin I published on 2 February 2016 and have ther¢for¢ not included a cash flow statement in these fJnanciHI stateJnent5. Income and endowrnents All ithcome is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the inrome. it is probable thar the income will be re¢eived and the amount ofthe income receivable cali be measured reliably. leg4cles DonalLOII5 are recognised when the eharity has been notiFied in WTiting of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a donation Is subject to conditiorhs that require a level of perfomance by the charity bcforc thc charity 15 entitled to th¢ funds, the incotne 15 dcfrrred and not rerognised until esther those conditions are fully met, or tlic fuifilment of those condiiions is wholly within the contToI ordi¢ cliarity and it is probable ihat these conditioiis will be ￿lfilled in the reporting period. Deferrerf irtcome Deferred income represents amount5 received for future periods and is released to incoming resources lil the period for which, it has been r¢c¢ived. Su¢h in¢om¢ is only d¢f¢rr¢d when.. Thr donor 5pecifJc5 that the grant or donation must only bc used in future Arcounting pcriods," or The donor has imposcd condition5 which must bc met before the charity ha5 unconditional entitlern¢nt. Page 8

Black Country Touring Notes to the FiDon¢ial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 Expeodlture All expenditure is recognised once th¢re 13 8 legal or Mnstru¢iive obligation to that expenditure, it 15 probable settlement is required And The wnount can b¢ m¢asured reliably. All costs are alloc8ted to the applicable exp¢ndiNr¢ headin8 that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings Ihey have been Ilocatcd on a basis COllSL5tcnt with the use of resources, with ¢entral staff Costs allocated on the basis of tim¢ spenL ond depreciation charges allocated on the portio￿ of the a55Ct'5 use. Other 5UPPOrt costs are allocated based on the spretd of stsff costs. Chrtrll&ble ucilviiles Cliarilable expenditure comprises ihos¢ costs incurred by ihe charity in the deliv¢ry of its aciivitie5 and services for its beiieficiaries. It includes both cO5ts dial Can be allocated dir￿tlY to such activiiies and those costs of an indirect iiature necessary to support them. Tixatlon The ¢hArity 15 con5ider¢d to pa3s the tests set out P#ra8raph I Schedule 6 of the FinAn¢e Act 2010 And therefore il me¢15 the definition of B charitnble ¢ompHny for UK cotporaiion tax purposes. Acrordingly. the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received wiihiii categorie5 covered by Chapter J Part I l of tht Corporation Tox A¢t 2010 or Section 256 of the faxaiion of Chargeable Gain5 Act 1992. to the extent that such income or gains Are applied exclusively to charitsble purposes. T4n¥lble flxed B3$ets Individual fixed assets ¢osting £500.00 or more are initially r¢¢orded At cost, less Afty Silbsequent accumulated depreciation and 5ubsequenl &¢cumulated impairnient loss￿. Depreel*tlon And ithort14Atlon Depreciation is provided oil taiigible flxed assets so gs to write off the cost or valuation, le5J any ¢stiinated residual value, over tjieir expected usefvl econoinic life as follows.. AssÈt class Equipment Depreclation method Alld rAte 33.33Yo Straight-line Fund styucture Unrestricted income funds are gen¢ral funds that are xvailable for use ai ihe trustees, discretion in furtherdThce of the objectives of the eharity. Reslri¢t¢d iiicome funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose. Pag¢ 9

Black Coutttry Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ende4131 Marrh 2023 2 Income from dontion$ And leEitAes Unrestricted fuJ)ds GenerAI Total 2023 TDtsI 2022 Donations and legA¢ies: Donations from individualj Trnsts and foundations 196 196 1,000 196 196 1.398 Totgl 2023 Not¢ 4 TAngible fixed ag$ets Furnltur¢ •nd equlpmertt Total Cost At l April 2022 Addiliorts 22.782 1,323 22,782 ,323 At 31 March 2023 24.105 Depreclatlon At l April 2022 Charge for the year 22,782 441 22,782 At 31 March 2023 23,223 23,223 Net book value Ai 31 March 2023 882 882 At 31 March 2022 5 Debtors 2023 2022 Trade debtors Other debÉor5 13,391 8,000 14,437 2,000 21.391 16,437 6 CAsh csh equivslents 2022 Cash at bank 175 307 204.266 Pog¢ 10

Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Yeydr Ended 31 March 2023 7 Creditors: Amounts filling due within one year 2023 2022 Other taxation And social Security A¢¢ruais Deferred In¢ome 4,441 1.700 3.102 9,505 I7.306 6,141 29.913 8 Ch#rity stat The ¢harity is limited by guarantee, incorporakd in England at)d W&les, and consequently does not have share ￿pItal. Each of the tsWStees is liable to contribute an amouthi not exceedin8 £1 towards the as5et8 of the charity in the event of liquidation. The principal place of busine58 IS: Thimblcmill LKbrnry Thimblemill Rd Sin¢thwi¢k B67 5RJ 9 Funth BAl•n¢¢ At I April 2022 Incomlng re80urees Reiources •xpend BlAnee #t 31 Mr£h 2023 Unresirleted fund5 GeKeral General unrestricted 77,633 349.208 (349,208) 77,633 Deslgmaled Development res¢rve 15,172 15,172 Total unrutrActtd fuDth 92,B05 349,208 349.208 Restricted funds SCVO Epi¢ Esmee Fairbairn D'oyly Cart¢ Sainibury Thc Post¢ode Lottery Tot41 restricted funth 4,985 93,000 (4.985) 1106,866) 44,000 3,500 3,000 30,134 3,500 3.000 62.000 13,000 125 500 124851 Trjtal funds 190,790 474 708 474 059 191,439 Page 11

BIY4ck Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 lil Intome frnm chgrltsble fiotivities Unrestrieted funds Gttternl Res¢rleted funds Total 2023 Totsl 2022 Arts Council Core grant Art5 Council Culturc Rccovery Fund Local outhoriti¢s proj¢¢t in¢ome ProgrAmme projects and production income Ftes and show5 BFI- Black County Community Cinem Esme¢ F4irbairn SAndwell Post Code Lottery scvo Saintbury Ttust D'oyly Carte Othcr income A & H Pilkin8¢on The Feeney Trust 146,137 146,137 146,137 5.016 26,335 22,875 48,254 14,000 90,000 13,374 26.332 26,332 143,002 26,902 143,002 26,902 44,000 44,000 75.000 75,000 18,508 3.000 3.500 3.000 3,500 1,093 1,000. 4,400 1,093 1,000 4,400 348,866 .6.923 125,500 474,366 391,422 Pa8¢ 12

Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for lh¢ Y¢ar Ended 31 Mar¢h 2023 11 Net incomiRgloutg•ing resources Net incoming resources for the year include.. 2(123 J2 St8ff costs The monthly average number of persons (including senior management I lead¢rship le8ml employed by the charity during the year cxpre5sed a5 fv11 time equivalents wa$ a8 follows￿4 2023 2022 Staff No employee re¢eiv¢d emolurnents of moT¢ than £60,000 during the ye&r. 13 Tru$tets rem￿ner￿(lon and expenses No trustees. nor ￿Y persons COnn￿ted with them, have re¢eived any remuneration from the charity durin8 the year. No trustees have received any reimbursed expenses from tlie chsrity durin8 th¢ year. . 14 Expendlture on ¢hgrlt*ble Ictlvltlts 2023 2022 Unrestricted runds CenerAI Res¢rl¢ted rundg Totsl 2023 TotAI 2022 B1￿k Country Cinema cost Produciions & perfomance5 Artistic director$ Marketing & publi¢ity Trnv¢lling & subslstcnce Salaries & employers penjion Development Trnining InsurAnce Rent Compul¢rl netsvork Printing, postag¢ & ststionery Shows & pcrfonnaThce5 Telephone Independent examination 29,488 30,878 45.317 7.863 1.956 129,804 29,488 115,729 45,J17 7.863 1,956 169,804 25.306 86,548 41,746 1.015 537 130.195 13.000 50 1,762 6,293 5,325 84,851 40,000 3,149 1.763 7.042 2,309 2.030 73,832 300 1,766 Pag¢ 13 3.149 .763 7,042 2,309 2,030 73.832 300 25,899 1,266 1,943 ,766

Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 Uttre$irieted fuNd5 GenerAI Re8trl¢ted funds Tot•1 2023 Tot*1 21122 Subs¢ription5 Repairs Oiher co.iist Bank charges Removal cos15 D¢pre¢iaiion 2,174 2,174 3,466 3.714 7,238 67 .791 441 7.238 67 1.791 441 244 3,275 349.208 124.851 474,059 351,584 15 Taxa¢loN The charity is a Te¥i5tered charity and is iherefore ex¢mpt from thxition. Pag¢ 14