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## **TABLE OF CONTENTS** ## **CHAIR’S STATEMENT 3** ## **ABOUT US 6 OUR WORK 7 YEAR AT A GLANCE: KEY DATA 8** ## **TOURING & COMMUNITY CINEMA 9** **PRODUCTIONS & PROJECTS 16 DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS 21 LOOKING FORWARD 22 TRUSTEES & TEAM 23 FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS 24** ## **CHAIR’S STATEMENT** **----- Start of picture text -----**
TIM RUSHBY
Chair
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## **The beginning of a new era for Black Country Touring** **2023/24 marked a transformative year for Black Country Touring, as we proudly celebrated 25 years of bringing the arts to life across the region. It was a year not only of reflection but of remarkable growth and success, expanding our reach and deepening our impact. Thanks to the support of our funders, we are now able to work with more community partners, artists, and volunteers than ever before, strengthening our role at the heart of the Black Country’s cultural landscape, fostering lasting connections, and broadening access to the arts in exciting new ways.** In times like these, when the arts are often seen as a luxury, we want to emphasise that they are far from it. The arts are not just a ‘nice to have’—they are a necessity. Participation in the arts enhances people's lives, wellbeing, and outlook, contributing to a healthier, more empathetic society. We remain committed to ensuring everyone has access to the arts regardless of socio-economic barriers. During the run-up to the new National Portfolio Organisation round of Arts Council funding, we developed our **Unbordered** strategy for 2023-26, reaffirming BCT’s mission to bring people and communities together through theatre, dance, and film. As we moved from concept to delivery, this programme has only become more relevant to the world we live in today. Our programme addresses the pressing challenges of increasingly polarised politics, divisions within and between communities, and a cost of living crisis that weighs heavily on the already underfunded and deprived areas of the country in which we work. We want to unite people, foster empathy, and celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures that make the Black Country a vibrant and dynamic region. We were thrilled to receive a 110% uplift in funding from Arts Council England (ACE) and rejoin their portfolio for 2023-2027. This significant increase allows the charity to work more deeply with community groups, partners, artists, and community champions. It also puts it on firmer financial ground, allowing us to cover core costs better and strengthen our team. This uplift was further supported by the **Esmée Fairbairn Foundation** , which has provided core funding over the past three years, including a **What’s in Store** project grant and digital work during the pandemic. ## We also acknowledge the incredible backing ## of **The Players of the People’s Postcode** **Lottery** , whose three-year flexible funding has been transformative. Their support has enhanced our work with communities and helped us buffer against the rising costs due to the cost of living crisis. This unprecedented financial support from three organisations has released untapped potential within BCT, enhancing our impact, fundraising capacity, and artistic ambition after years of standstill funding. It helped us realise what could be possible with greater long-term investment in the charity. It has also allowed us to trial new initiatives, such as Pay What You Can ticketing, which has enabled people to attend BCT events during a time when many are forced to make difficult financial decisions. ACE’s funding uplift recognises the value of our ambitious plans in, and for, the Black Country. We are delighted to see many other Black Country-based arts organisations benefiting from increased investment in the region. From our work in communities, we know there is no shortage of appetite or enthusiasm for the arts here - there is an abundance. For too long, our communities have been underserved, overlooked, or excluded due to a lack of investment, discrimination, and elitism. The Arts Council’s **Let’s Create** strategy gave us renewed optimism as it aligns so closely with the mission and values that BCT has embodied for the past 25 years, emphasising creativity at all stages of life and expanding access across England. In October 2023, we celebrated our quartercentury milestone with a performance at one of our most beloved and successful venues— Thimblemill Library, which we now proudly call home. Rather than hosting a closed event, we invited friends of the company, supporters, and local audiences to join us in experiencing the joyous **Mountain Music** by Little Bulb Theatre and Farnham Maltings, accompanied by a samosa or two. It was a fitting celebration of our journey and the community that has supported us. I want to express my sincere gratitude to **Sandwell Council** and **Wolverhampton City Council** for their continued support of Black Country Touring, even amidst the increasing financial pressures faced by local authorities. Their commitment to the transformative impact of the arts is vital in making their boroughs better places to live. This year, we also undertook a successful board recruitment drive, which led to the addition of five new members to our management committee. These new appointments bring a wealth of skills, diverse perspectives, and fresh ideas to ensure Black Country Touring continues to be guided and supported in its mission. Their varied backgrounds reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, and their expertise will be invaluable as we work to achieve our strategic aims and navigate the challenges ahead. I would like to use this opportunity to thank members of the board, new and established, for their continued commitment to BCT, and their energy, passion and enthusiasm for all we do. However, my greatest thanks must go to our hugely dedicated and highly skilled team, our promoters - the essential local champions and heroes that without whom we wouldn’t be able to deliver large parts of our programme, and our brilliantly talented associate artists. Thank you for delivering a programme of such quality, reach and excellence over the past 12 months. The strong artistic and financial position we find ourselves in today is a testament to your brilliance and hard work. I firmly believe that the Black Country and its people would be poorer without BCT, and each of you should be proud of the thousands of experiences we help make happen each year right across the region. **TIMOTHY RUSHBY Chair, Black Country Touring** ## **ABOUT US** **Black Country Touring (BCT) produces and promotes high-quality 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 age, background 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. ## **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 two strands:** ## **TOURING** - **Community Promoters** : Supporting local volunteers working in their community to select and promote touring theatre, dance and film in accessible and friendly neighbourhood venues such as community centres and libraries - **Young Promoters:** Schoolchildren and young people aged from 5 – 18 in mainstream and SEN education transform their school or college into a venue for a touring production, learning the skills required to run a theatre venue - **Community Cinema:** We support local people and venues to bring an immersive cinema experience to their community. The focus is on bringing people together to enjoy the magic of film, programming everything from sing-alongs to documentaries ## **PRODUCING** - **Original Productions:** Site-specific theatre productions that reflect the cultural diversity and the lived experiences of Black Country people - their histories, origins, memories, interests, hopes and aspirations - **Digital projects:** Podcasts and film projects that amplify the voices of Black Country people and shine a light on their stories and lived experiences ## **YEAR AT A GLANCE: KEY DATA** BCT’s commitment to inclusion and engagement has been at the heart of our work throughout 2023-24. We exceeded all of our demographic targets, with over 29.1% of our audience from ethnically diverse backgrounds and 61.9% from the most deprived areas of the Black Country. 23.9% identified as having a disability. Initiatives such as Pay What You Can ticketing and accessible programming in libraries and community spaces ensure that our work reaches those who might otherwise face barriers to cultural participation. ## **15,313 Total Audiences** **240 Total Events** **29.1% Ethnically Diverse Audience** **23.9% D/deaf and Disabled Audiences** ## **61.9%** **of audiences are from the most deprived third of postcodes** **£421,000 of investment secured for our work across the Black Country** ## **TOURING & COMMUNITY CINEMA** ## **TOURING HIGHLIGHTS** This year BCT's touring programmes expanded, reaching new audiences across the Black Country with thought-provoking and entertaining performances. As the cost of living crisis deepened, we worked closely with our Community Promoters and partners to ensure the arts remained affordable and accessible to all. **“Absolutely cracking show. Beautifully written, performed, executed and the design had loads of delights and suprises.”** **“A great show, very funny and a lovely way to spend an hour during half term. Thanks for the laughs!”** **“Lovely performance! My children loved it and got involved. The educational message was well done. Thank you!”** ## **REKINDLE LIBRARIES PROJECT** ## **Rekindle, a three-year project funded by Arts Council England and led by Creative Arts East, is a nationwide initiative pairing five arts organisations with their local library services** . As a part of Rekindle, BCT are collaborating with Sandwell Library Service to bring more creativity and culture into five Sandwell Libraries: **Smethwick Library, Central Library, Wednesbury Library, Tipton Library** and **Blackheath Library** . As well as programming more performances and workshops into libraries, we are working with library staff to build their skills and confidence in making exciting events happen in their library. In 2023-24, Rekindle delivered 10 shows and workshops across multiple libraries, with performances aimed at both adult and family audiences. Key highlights included LGBTQ+ themed shows and family performances during the October half-term. Library staff have been supported with marketing and event management training, building their capacity to continue programming diverse and engaging cultural events. The project not only brought arts into community spaces but also fostered longterm relationships between libraries and their audiences. ## **COMMUNITY CINEMA** The Community Cinema project remains crucial in bringing independent and international cinema to local communities. At the beginning of 2023, we entered into a three-year strategic partnership with **Film Hub Midlands** to expand the reach of the project in the Black Country, to establish 4-5 new community cinema groups in the Black Country. This year, venues such as **Brushstrokes (Smethwick), Wesley Centre (Wednesbury)** and **Rowley Regis Disability Centre** continued to host regular screenings, offering films from diverse cultural perspectives, including Iranian, Japanese, Bhutanese and Ukrainian cinema. Rowley Regis Disability Centre secured additional funding to continue its programme reflecting the growing demand for communityled cinema events. These screenings provided more than just entertainment; they became focal points for community cohesion, offering a space for dialogue and reflection through post-film discussions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers. We also initiated new community cinema programmes with **Gatis Community Space** and **Beacon Centre for the Blind** in Wolverhampton. ## **WEDNESBURY DAY** In June 2023, BCT, Multistory, and We Are Wednesbury transformed Wednesbury with two lively Saturdays of Wednesbury Day festivities. Families enjoyed interactive street games by **Autin Dance Theatre** , comedic walkabouts from **Curious Cargo’s “Lollipop Ladies”** and **Crow’s Nest Theatre** ’s heartwarming family show, “Is That a Yeti, Hetty?” On June 17th, the town centre buzzed with excitement as a 13-foot sea giant puppet led a community parade, concluding in **Autin Dance Theatre's** spectacular **Out of the Deep Blue** . Market Square and High Street came alive with playful puppet shows, mischievous **“Pigeons” by Circii,** and the vibrant beats of the **Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band** . Wednesbury Day was part of the We Are Wednesbury programme, supported by Sandwell Council and Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones scheme. ## **SMETHWICK PUPPETRY FESTIVAL** In February 2024, BCT launched the first Smethwick Puppetry Festival, a week-long celebration of puppet theatre. Spread across seven community venues, the festival featured 15 performances, including shows for families and adults, and several participatory workshops. The festival's unique approach combined traditional puppetry with modern themes, such as environmental sustainability, the impact of dementia on families and families and even space exploration, in performances like **SeedHeart, I’m Glad I Asked,** and **Laika the Space Dog.** One of the festival's key successes was its commitment to accessibility. All events were paywhat-you-can, making the festival affordable for all, with a suggested donation of just £3 per ticket. We also launched our ‘access kits’ for venues, which feature a variety of tools to make performances more relaxed and enjoyable for all. In all, over 1,000 people attended shows and many sold out in advance; the festival also garnered significant community support, raising over £1,500 from donations and receiving an additional £4,500 in partner contributions. We are grateful to T **he Players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, Arts Council England** and **Sandwell Council** , including **West Smethwick Park Pavillion** and **Sandwell Libraries,** for their support of the programme. The overwhelmingly positive response from audiences, partners, and promoters makes it likely that this event will become a regular feature of BCT’s calendar and reinforces the importance of providing diverse cultural experiences within accessible community settings. Plans are already in place to expand the festival for 2025, ensuring that it becomes a key cultural event that Smethwick can be proud of. **“Great having local events and making good use of community spaces, especially during half term!”** **“Educational, uplifting and fun! Such a treat for the whole family. Opportunities like this are so very important for all adults and children.”** **“Pay What You Can was useful due to current job issues and not being sure if we'd make it. We were able to donate on the door.”** ## **PRODUCTIONS & PROJECTS** ## **WHERE WE GROW** Our production Where We Grow celebrated community gardens and the people who maintain them. This project spanned three months and culminated in four performance days in September 2023, bringing live performances to four community gardens across the Black Country: **Caldmore Community Gardens** , the **Dorothy Parkes Centre plot at Bearwood Allotments** , **Hawbush Gardens** in Brierley Hill, and **Gatis Community Space** in Wolverhampton. The performances explored nature, community, and resilience themes through theatre, poetry, storytelling, and music. The collaboration between eight local artists, musician Katy Rose Bennett and the communities that inspired them made this project particularly impactful. The artists paired up and spent time in the gardens, gathering stories from volunteers and visitors, and created bespoke performances that were deeply connected to the unique characteristics of each space. Importantly, all performances were BSLinterpreted, ensuring accessibility for D/deaf audiences. With over 670 attendees, the project received glowing feedback, especially from audience members who had not previously engaged with live theatre. Audience comments such as **"It grounded me today, which I needed"** and **"Absolutely mesmerising"** reflect the emotional and personal resonance of the performances. This project exemplifies BCT’s ethos of creating big ideas in small spaces, fostering local pride and connection through the arts. The process and spaces have informed the development of Wild, BCT’s 2024 touring production. a: **“Excellent** ‘- Cf tt . **show. Something for** wa **everyone. Lots of local** —«SamiFrankie_3 Foxm 4 **stories and accessibility** =a7 fe4 **for those who need it (hearing impaired)”** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Rochi Rampal
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**“The space, the variety and the subject was perfect. It grounded me today which I needed.”** **“Absolutely mesmerising. Every performance was wonderful and made me emotional.”** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Vimal Korpal & Jack Trow
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## **A SPANNER IN THE WORKS at Black Country Living Museum** Black Country Touring created a new short production called A Spanner in the Works as part of the Black Country Living Museum’s Summer Lates programme in August 2023. It featured 25 performances over 5 Fridays in August and the first week of September. It continues our longstanding partnership with the museum, where we use the incredible historical settings to explore the region’s heritage in a way that connects with contemporary audiences. A Spanner in the Works was based on original research undertaken by Vimal Korpal for Black Country Touring. It was inspired by the stories given to us in interviews with bus drivers and conductors who worked on local buses in the 1960s and by the events of the time, including the Wolverhampton bus drivers' turban dispute, the Enoch Powell rivers of blood speech and West Bromwich Albion winning the FA cup. Two of the performers - Vimal Korpal and Jack Trow - also had strong personal connections to the subject matter. Vimal’s dad moved to the region from Punjab and spent many years driving local buses here, and Jack’s grandad worked in the bus garage for West Bromwich Corporation. **“Well performed, very enjoyable. Brought back memories of the 60s”** **“I didn’t expect it to be so political. I’m glad it was. Issues need to be addressed. Well presented. Well done.”** **“Thank you for representing my family’s history!”** ## **WHERE ARE YOU?** ## **Schools Tour** **Where Are You?** was developed in collaboration with **Accra Theatre Workshop** in Ghana, is a hybrid theatre production for families, featuring a mix of live performance, pre-recorded performance and animation. It tells the story of two penpals, Rochi in Bearwood (UK) and Abena in Dzorwulu (Ghana), who embark on a perilous journey across land, mountains and sea, courting danger and adventure in order to meet each other in the middle. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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**Where Are You?** was originally presented by the **Birmingham 2022 Festival** , and debuted in June 2022 at Bear Bookshop in Bearwood and J- CLU School of Arts in Accra, Ghana as a part of our **What’s In Store** project. From November to December 2023, the production toured to five schools across Sandwell, Dudley, Wolverhampton and Walsall. Each school in the UK was paired with a school or children’s centre in Accra, Ghana, with the performances taking place simultaneously at both locations, connected via a live stream. 480 children across both countries attended the show and had the opportunity to learn about each other’s country and culture. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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_**“‘Where Are You?’ was such a unique piece of work. The children seemed to love all elements. The way they talked about the story book alone; the animated gasps when elements of that story burst into life on screen in front of them in their own school hall; their fizzy-pop excitement when they got to meet and talk with children they’d never met before, thousands of miles away on another continent - that was all brilliant and a privilege to be a part of!”**_ _**— Rochi Rampal, performer**_ ## **DIGITAL DEVELOPMENTS** BCT continued its journey into creating immersive and inclusive digital media this year, particularly through the Blathering with SVI Podcast and the Sanctuary in Sandwell short films. These projects were released in Spring/ Summer 2024, with much of the development in this financial year. ## **BLATHERING WITH SVI** This podcast series, a collaboration with Sandwell Visually Impaired (SVI) and artist Graeme Rose, delves into topics relevant to the visually impaired community, exploring their daily experiences - the highs and the lows - in their own words. Over several months, SVI members discussed everyday subjects with Graeme Rose, reflecting on how vision impacts their perception of colour, dreams, and water. How does sight loss reshape these relationships? What if you've never seen at all? These conversations are captured in three engaging episodes, each enriched with an evocative soundscape by Think/Write/Fly (Adrian B. Earle). ## **Listen via the QR code below:** ## **SANCTUARY IN SANDWELL** Black Country Touring, Bearwood Community Hub, and Borough of Sanctuary Sandwell have created four short films to counter negative migration narratives and inspire empathy by sharing real stories from sanctuary seekers who’ve made Sandwell their home. The films feature Forward Poetry Prize-winner Bohdan Piasecki as he talks with four locals— Sozan, Jose, Ali, and Lazo—about their journeys to the UK. Within 24 hours, Bohdan crafts and performs a poem inspired by each story. The project resulted in four powerful films and poems. Thanks to The Space for their support. ## **Watch via the QR code below:** ## **LOOKING FORWARD** The future holds exciting opportunities for BCT. With the successful launch of new projects like the Smethwick Puppetry Festival, the ongoing success of our productions, and expanding partnerships in the digital sphere, we are poised to continue making a meaningful impact in 2024 and beyond. We will remain focused on ensuring the arts are accessible, inclusive, and relevant to all communities in the Black Country. ## **WILD** Sprouting from Where We Grow is **Wild** - a new theatre production celebrating what Wild means to us: in the natural world, in our cities and within ourselves. With an ensemble cast, community choir, rich soundscapes and live music it invites the audience to reflect on their own definitions of ‘wild’, fostering a deeper appreciation of both nature and human nature. Following a deep engagement period with community gardens and groups, the show toured the Black Country in October 2024. ## **THE SLEEPING SEEDS** Another development from Where We Grow is **The Sleeping Seeds** by Smethwick-based artists **Fox & Rocha** . Originally devised as a family friendly, 15 minute musical performance as part of our Summer production, in 2024 it was expanded into a full touring production courtesy of the artists and Curiosity Productions, with support from BCT and Director Steve Johnstone. ## **SMETHWICK ARTS** In 2024, BCT will work with a consortium of 10 community venues and local arts organisations **The Parakeet** and **Spectra** to pilot a pioneering new approach to collective arts programming. Based on the idea of devolving an arts centre offer across multiple venues in a town, it will expand and amplify arts programming across Smethwick, encourage people to travel to venues they’ve not been to before and deliver a well-rounded, accessible and intensive programme of performances, workshops,, creative stay and play for families and opportunities to be creative. ## **TRUSTEES & TEAM** ## **TRUSTEES** **Timothy Rushby** Chair **Imtiaz Dungarwalla** Vice Chair **Akila McLean Anna Webster Carla Priddon Emma Worrall Julie McKirdy Michelle Bould Rachael Magson Rupinder Sandhu** ## **BLACK COUNTRY TOURING TEAM** **Frances Land Steve Johnstone Matt Andrews Corinne Morris Natalie Kidman Sampira Al-Fihri Amrit Kaur Juss Donna Clarkson Laura Leech Olivia James Suki Sohi** Co-Artistic Director Co-Artistic Director Development Director General Manager Promoter Manager Creative Producer Marketing & Communications Coordinator Community Programme Coordinator Administration & Projects Assistant Community Cinema Coordinator (Freelance) Community Cinema Coordinator (joined June 2024) ## **FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS** Black Country Touring relies on the dedication of our local volunteers and venues. Without their endless enthusiasm for their communities and the arts, our work would not be possible. We are also grateful to all of the individual donors who have supported our work this year. **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. **www.bctouring.org.uk** Company registration number: 3446320 Charity registration number: 1080608 Black County Touring {A company limited by guarantee) Annual Report and Financial Statsments for the Yegr Ended 31 Ma￿￿ 2024 Bissell & Brown BirtniDgbam Limited 12 Portman Rd. Kings Heath Birniingham B13 OSL Black Country Touring Contents T￿ste¢S, Report Ito3 Statement of Responsibilities Accountants, Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the Financial Statements 8t0 13 Black Country Touring Trustees, Report The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report together with the fmancial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2024. Structure9 governance and management Nature ofgovernlng document The company is limited by guarantee and does not have a share capitsl. It is governed by Memorandum and Articles of Association and was incoryorated on 8th October 1997. It was registered as a Charity on 8th May 2000. Orgqnlsallonol slructure Chief Executives & Co-ArtiStic directors . Steve Johnstone & Frances Johnstone Company Se¢retary: Frances Johnstone Developm¢nt Director.. Matthew Andrews General Manager.. Corinne Morris Promotion Manager: Natalie Kidman Creative Producer.. Satnpira Al-Fihri Marketing Co-ordinator.. Amrit Kaur Juss Community Programme Coordinators.. Donna Clarkson, Suki Sohi Administrator: Laura Leech Recrullmenl and appolntment oftruslees Recruitment and Appointment of New Trustees l Members of the Committee will be invited on the ba515 of their working expertise and experience, andlor th¢ir background and other experiences and skills. The committee as a whole will aim to reflect the broad make-up and cultural diversity of the Black County and the West Midlands. 2 As a general rule, there should be a r¢l81ionship behveen the Company and a person proposed for Committee membership. The person proposed should know somethtng of Black County Touring's work. This crlterion does not apply to people offering specific skills. 3 The time limits for membership laid down in the constitution should be applied consciously, rather than renewing automatically. 4 There should be & provision for new members to be brought on for a fixed tenn of one or two years in the first instance, with the possibility of extension to full membership, after revi¢w. (Co-options for specific projects or developments are alrcady laid down in the constitution) In applyino these crit¢ria Black County Touring will take a pro-active approach in fully operating its policy of equal opportunities. Indu¢¢lon and Iralnlng of Irus¢ees All propK)sed new members must be provided with an induction pack and have a fonnal discussion with a member of the Company's staff, before their fmal approval by the Committee. These guideline5 run alongside the tenns of Black County Touring's Articles of Association. Page I Black Country Touring Trustees, Report Objectives and aetivities Public beneflÈ In the exercise of their powers as charity trustees, they have had due regard to the published guidance from the Charity Commission on the operation of the public benefit requiremenL and the aims of the charity are carried out for the public benefit. The trustees confuin that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 201 I to have due regard to the public benefit guidan¢¢ published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Objects and alms The objects of the Company are to promote, maintain. impmve and advance the education of the public by the encouragement and practi¢¢ of the arts, by fostering and promoting for the benefit of the public the improvement and d¢velopment of artistic knowledge, taste, understanding, and application of the arts and in particular but not exclusively, to provide arts based activities and encourage participation by all sections of the ommunity in such activit1¢5 in the Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell Metropolitan Boroughs and their environs. Trustees and officers The trustees and otyicers serving during tbe year and since the year end were as follows: Trustees.. Timothy Rushby Imtiaz Dungarwalla Carla Priddon Julie McKirdy Akila Mclean Rachael Mag50n (appointed 18 April 2023) Rupinder Sandhu (appointsd l O April 2023) Michelle Bould (appointed 10 October 2023) Anna Webster (appointed 10 October 2023) Emma Worrall (appointed 10 October 2023) Paul Reece (Resi￿ed l June 2023) Aehievements and performance Pl¢ase refer to the att￿hed Annual Review for 202312024 FAngn¢ial revleiv Please refer to the attached Annual Review for 202312024 Page 2 Black Country Touring Trustees, Report Policy on reserves The income and expenditure of the charity fluctuates according to the pattern of grant and project income secured. As the Charity employs a number of staff, the Management Committee (Tn￿tees) consider that reserves are needed to provide for an orderly w1nd￿Own in the event of an unexpected reduction in the ￿ndS secured. The Charity is also required on occasion to incur the costs of developing and researching work before the grants which have been awardel and other income. are acmally received. The Charity therefore needs a level of reserves for cash flow r￿SonS. In the opinion of the Management Committee th¢ reserves of the Charity are appropriate for its scal¢ of operation. Reference and Adminlstrative Detalls Charity Registration Number: Company Registration Number: 1080608 3446320 The charity is incorporated in England and Wales. Thimblemill Library Thimblemill Rd Smethwick B67 5RJ Registered Office". Principal oifice: Thimblemill Library Thirnblemill Rd Smelhwick B67 5RJ Independent Examiner: Bissell & Brown Binningham LimTted 12 Portman Rd, Kings Heath Birmingham B13 OSL Bankers". The Co-operative Bank The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on .. }.::.) L*... and Si￿ed on its behalf by: Timothy Rushby Trustee Page 3 Black Country Touring Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities The tn￿teeS (who are also the directors of Black County Touring for the pury)oses of company law) are responsible for preparing the lJiJstees' report and the fmancial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" Company law requires the tnjstees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law the trustees must not approve the fmancial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a twe and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources. including its income and expenditure. of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trnste¢s are required to: select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently* observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and p￿denl state whether applicable accounting standards, comprising FRS 102 have been followed, subject to any material departures dis¢losed and explained in the fmancial statements. and prepare the fmancial statements on the going concern basis unless it Is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that can disc105e with Teasonable accuracy at any time the fmancial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the fmancial 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 I￿egular1tIe5. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corpordfy and financial inforniation included on the charitable company's website. Legislation governing the preparation and disseTnination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdlctions. IL Approved by the truslees of the charity on .... L* . and Si￿ed on its behalf by: Timothy Trustee ushby Page 4 Black Country Touring Independent Examinerls Report to the trustees of Black Country Touring ('the Company,) I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the y¢ar ended 31 March 2024. Responslbllities and bgsis of report As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordanc¢ with the requircm¢nts of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act,). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I r¢port in r¢spect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('th¢ 2011 Act,). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of th¢ 2011 Act. Independent examlner's statement Since the Company's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in 5e¢tion 145 of the 201 l Act. I confllm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of Bissell & Brown Birniingham Ltd, which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirni that no matters have come to my attention in connection with thè examination giving me cause to believe: l. accounting records were not kept in respect of Black Country Tourlng as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records: or 3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. or 4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)]. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should b¢ drawn in this report in ord¢r to enable a proper und¢rstanding of th¢. accounts to be reached. (ff LLO I ( (_ B J Matthews, FCA Bissell & Brown Binningham Ltd 12 Portman Rd, Kings Heath Birniingharn B13 OSL 12 November 2024 Page 5 Black Country Touring Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 ncluding Income and Expenditure Aecount and Statement of Total Recognised GaRns and Losses) Total 2024 Tot21 2023 Unrestricted Restrleted Note Ineome and Endowments from: Donations and legacies ch￿Itable activities Other inGom¢ 659 474,163 754 659 549,163 754 196 474.366 146 15 75,000 Totsl tncome 475,576 75,000 550,576 474.708 Expenditure on: Choritsbl¢ artivities 13 (452,627) 103,634 556 261 (474,059) Total Expenditure Net incomel(expenditure) Net movement in ft]nds 452,62 103.634 (556,261 474.059) 22,949 (28,634 5,685 649 22,949 (28,634) d. (5,685) 649 Reconcillation of funds Total fund5 brought forward Total fimd5 carried forward 92,806 98,634 191,440 190,790 115,755 70,000 185,755 191,439 All of the charity's actLVlties derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The notes on pages 8 to 13 forn) an integral part of th¢se f￿anCIal statements. Page 6 Black Country Touring (Registration number: 3446320) Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024 2024 2023 Note Fixed assets Tangible assets 882 Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand 16,651 176,319 192,970 21,391 175.307 196,698, (6.141) Credltors: Amounts falling due withln one year Net current assets 7,215 185,755 190,557 Net assets 185,755 191,439 Funds of the eharlty: Restricted income funds Restricted funds 70,000 98,634 Unrestricted income funds Unrestricted ￿ndS L15,755 92,805 Total funds 185,755 191,439 For the fInancial year ending 31 March 2024 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. Directors, responsibilities.. The members have not required the charity to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476. and The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirement5 of the Act with respect to accounting records and th¢ preparation of accounts. ancial statements on pages tfj 13 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on . and signed on their behalf by.. Timo Trustee The note5 on pagei g to 13 fomi an integral part of these financial statements. Page 7 Black Country Touring Notes to tbe Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 l Accountlng policies Summary of significant aecounting policies and key accounting estimates The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these fmancial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated. Statement oleompllance The fmancial statements have been prepar¢d in accordance WAth Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (applicable to Charities preparing their accounts in a¢¢ordan¢¢ with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republi¢ of Ireland (FRS 102)) (issued in October 2019) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. B8s15 of preparation Black County Touring meets the def￿ltiOn 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 notes. Going concern The Trustees have considered budgets and cash flow forecasts tI￿ough to November 2025, and the level of post year-end support received from Arts Council England. On thi5 basis, the trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's abAlity to continue as a going concern nor any significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the charity. Income and endowmeuts All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of the income receivable can be measured reliably. Donadons and legacles Donations are recogni5ed when the charity has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. En the ev¢nt that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of perfonnance by the charity before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not re¢ognised until either those conditions are ￿llY meL or the fulfiIrnent of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that th¢se conditions will b¢ fulfilled in the reporting pcriod. Expendlture All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlen]¢nt is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All ¢05t5 are allocated to the applicable expenditure he8ding that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed io particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with th¢ use of resources, with central staff costs allocated on the basis of titne spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset's use. Other support costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs. Charllable acllvllles Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. Page 8 Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Taxation The charity is considered to pass the tests Set out in Parawh I Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the defmition of a charitable company for UK coryoration tax purposes. Accordingly* the charity is Potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories vered by Chapter 3 Part I l of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that su¢h income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes. TgngIble fixed assets Individual fixed assets costing £500.00 or more are initially recorded at Cost, less any subsequent a¢cumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impainn¢nt losses. Depreclatlon and amortlsatlon D¢preciation is provided on tangible f￿ed assets so a5 to WTite off the c05t or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful ¢¢onomic life as follows: Asset ela$$ Equipment Depreci&tlon method and rate 33.330/0 straigbt-line Fund strueture Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the tru5tees' discretion in furtberance of the objectives of the charity. Restricted income funds are those donated for use in a partAcular area or for specifi¢ purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose. Page 9 Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 Mareb 2024 2 Income from donations fdnd legacies Unrestrlcted funds General Total 2024 Total 2023 Donations and legacies; Donations fron] individuals Trusts and foundations 259 400 259 400 196 659 659 196 Total 2024 Note 4 Tanglbl¢ fixed assets Furnlture and equlpment Total Cost At l April 2023 At 31 March 2024 24,105 24.105 24,105 24,105. Depreclatlon At l April 2023 Charge for the year At 31 March 2024 23,223 882 23.223 882 24,105 24.105 Net book value At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2023 882 882 S Debtors 2024 2023 Trade debtors Other debtors 16,651 13,391 8,OOD 16,651 21,391 6 Cash and cash equivalents 2024 2023 Cash at bank 176,319 175.307 Page 10 Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 7 Creditor5: gmounts falling due wlthin one year 2024 2023 Other taxation and Social security Accruals 5,515 1,700 4.441 1,700 7,215 6,141 8 Charlty status The charity is limited by guarantee. incorporated io England and Wales, and consequently doe5 not have share capital. Each of the trustees is liable to contribute an omount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the clwity ill the event of liquidation. The principal place of business is: Thimblemill Library Thimblemill Rd Smethwirk B67 5RJ 9 Funds Balance at 31 March 2024 Balance at I Aprll 2023 IncomiDg resources Resources expended Transfers Unrestrleted funds General General unrestricted 77,633 475,576 (452,626) (4,828) 95.755 Dcslgnated D¢velopment roserve Arts Council NPO Projects 15,172 (15,172) 20,000 20,000 15,172 4,828 20.000 Total unrestrleted funds 92,805 475.576 (452,626) 115,755 Restrleted funds Esmee Fairbairn D'oyly Carte Saintbury The Postcode Lottery Total restricted funds 30,134 3,500 3,000 62,000 (30,134) (3,500) (3,000) (67,000) 75,000 70,000 98.634 75.000 103,634) 70,000 Total funds 191,439 550.576 556,260 185.755 Pagell Black Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 10 Net incomlngloutgolng resources Net (outgoingyincoming r¢S0u￿¢S for the year include". 2024 11 Stsff Costs The monthly average number of persons (including senior management / leadership team) employed by the charity during the year expressed &s ￿11 time equivalents was as follows.. 2024 2023 Staff No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000 during the yeer. 12 Trustees remuneration and expeD8es No trustees, nor any persons connected with tbem, have received any retnunerntion from the charity during th No trustees have received any reimbursed expenses from the clwlty during the year. 13 Expendlturc on ehlrltable activltleg 2024 2023 Unrestricted funds General Restrlcted funds Total 2024 Total 2023 Black County Cinema cost Productions & perforniances Artistic directors Marketing & publicity Travelling & subsistence Salaries & employer5 Nl & pension Doubtfid debts Training Insuranr¢ Rent Computer/ network 20,349 97,867 48.252 15,194 2.979 196,092 12,976 3,886 1.162 9.000 784 3.300 54,200 23,649 152,067 48,252 15,194 2,979 242.226 12,976 3.886 1,162 9,000 784 29,488 115,729 45,317 7,863 1.956 169.804 46,134 3.149 1.763 7,042 2,309 Page 12 Blaek Country Touring Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Unrestricted funds General Restricted funds Total 2024 Total 2023 Printing, postage & stationery Shows & perfornwices Telephone Independent examination Subscriptions Equipment & replacements Other costs Bank charges Removal costs Depreciation 2.030 73,832 300 1,766 2,174 19,701 19,701 1,700 2,103 10,760 8.855 85 1,700 2,103 10,760 8,855 85 7,238 67 1.791 441 882 882 452,627 103,634 556,261 474.059 14 TaxAtlon The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxatLOn. 15 Income from eharltAble 8ctivitles Unreslricted runds General Restricted funds Total 2024 Total 2023 Arts Council core gr8J]t Local authorities project incom¢ Programme projects and production illcome Fees and shows BFI - Black County Community Cinema Esmee Fairbairn Post Code Lottery Black County Living Museum Saintbury Trust D'oyly Carte Other income A & H Pilkington The Feeney Trust 307,225 24,224 307,225 24.224 146,137 26,332 20,057 99.709 20.057 99.709 143.002 26.902 44,000 75.000 75,000 75,000 22.948 22.948 3,000 3.500 1.093 1,000 4.400 474.163 75,000 549,163 474.366 Page 13