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← Dark Horse Theatre

2025-03-31-accounts

Company registration number: 04015695 Charity registration number: 1082267

DARK HORSE THEATRE TRUSTEES' REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Dark Horse Theatre Contents

Page
Reference and Administrative Details 1
Trustees' Report 2—5
Independent Examiner's Report 6
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) 7
Comparative Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) 8
Balance Sheet 9—10
Notes to the Financial Statements 17—18
The following pages do not form part of the statutory accounts:
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) 19—20

Dark Horse Theatre Reference and Administrative Details For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Trustees Diane Cuthbertson
Suzanne Wynne
David Calvert - Chair
Renny Krupinski (appointed 08/08/2024)
Valerie Javin (resigned 22/10/2025)
Chloe Norton-Lamb (appointed 29/10/2025)
Linda-Ray Ndlovu (appointed 29/10/2025)
Claire Eden (appointed 29/10/2025)
Charity Number 1082267
Company Number 04015695
Registered Office Lawrence Batley Theatre
Queen Street
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD1 2SP
Independent Examiner Fran Haigh ACCA FMAAT ATT(fellow)
Birdsall & Armstrong
Chartered Certified Accountants
First Floor Offices
8 Cherry Tree Centre
Huddersfield
HD1 2ET

Page 1

Dark Horse Theatre Company No. 04015695

Chair’s Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

2024-25 was a year in which Dark Horse built bold and strong foundations for the future. The IGNITE workshops in Huddersfield and Dewsbury welcomed the next generation of learning disabled and neurodiverse talent, the students continued training and performing to the very highest standards, the actors developed groundbreaking approaches to both theatre-making and strategic leadership and the company established exciting new partnerships.

The management of Dark Horse was also strengthened with Amy Cunningham moving up to the role of Artistic Director and joining Executive Director Iain Bloomfield on the senior team. They have worked together with the whole company to shape ambitious plans, innovative projects and truly progressive working methods. This year saw the beginning of POV, an organisational development project to introduce more inclusive decision-making structures at all levels so that Dark Horse is genuinely led by learning disabled and neurodiverse people.

For the acting ensemble, 2024-25 was mostly spent thinking about love. They delivered When There Is Always Love, a new commission for Huddersfield Literature Festival, before starting research and development work on a new production, We’re In Love (Actually), scheduled for touring in 2026-27. The acting students were also busy with new work, presenting their end-of-year show The Rift: the Outcasts of Ashenmore to tremendous feedback, while their film I Belong continued to garner acclaim and awards at various film festivals.

The company also announced a new partnership with Leeds Conservatoire, building on the masterclasses that the ensemble has previously delivered there. This inspiring partnership, along with Dark Horse’s continuing relationship with the Collective Acting Studio and the ongoing masterclass program in Higher Education, allows Dark Horse to encourage and embed inclusive thinking and practice in the future of mainstream theatre and performance.

This is my final report as Chair of Dark Horse, and I would like to thank the trustees, staff, actors, students, freelancers, participants, and audiences that have shaped the company throughout my tenure. I wish the company, and my successor, the very best for the future: Dark Horse has never looked stronger, and I greatly look forward to seeing what it will achieve next.

David Calvert 15 December 2025

Page 2

Dark Horse Theatre Company No. 04015695 Trustees' Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Objectives and Activities

Introduction

Dark Horse Theatre inspires people through the creation and dissemination of innovative theatre and theatre related activities, demonstrating though its work that learning disabled and neurodivergent people can make brilliant and life changing art.

Through this the company promotes inclusion amongst people who have little or no access to the arts, often working with people in areas of high economic and social deprivation. The company encourages rather than cajoles, provides opportunities for life-long learning, training and employment and seeks, through making theatre and digital work in collaboration with a wide range of artists, to change the way that people both learning disabled and non-learning disabled perceive the world.

We were joined in January 2025 by Katie Huil on a one year internship, funded by The Rank Foundation, as a digital content cocreator to capitalise on the great strides the company has made on widening it’s digital footprint by ensuring that the content created came from a Learning Disabled perspective; was ‘valuable’ (not simply entertaining but opening up new perspectives); tracked and understood; and that that understanding fed into the creative and business choices the company makes.

Aims and Objectives

The objective of the charity is for people with learning disabilities to be given equal opportunities to train and work in live, digital and recorded arts.

Achievements and Performance

Main Achievements

#When There is Love

The company were commissioned by The Huddersfield Literature Festival to make a new piece of work to be shown in the Tepe in the Courtyard of Lawrence Batley Theatre as part of the broader Festival. The show was performed twice to a total audience of 200 and was greeted with standing ovations at both shows.

The company had begun a longer term project exploring love and romance from the perspective of Learning Disabled adults and this, the first iteration of that, was an interactive comedy/karaoke/dance experience for anyone who has been in or fallen out of love.

PoV: You’re a Learning Disabled Actor

Arts Council England awarded the company £56,601 towards the above project. With an organisational Development/R&D focus, the starting point was that we have a tested and proven model of co-creation with our actors in both the rehearsal room and via our digital outputs and we wanted to explore what lessons we could learn from them across all our outputs. Ensuring that everything the company does is co-created with and meaningfully originating in the Steering Committee - ensuring that those structures and processes which are traditionally inaccessible to Learning Disabled people truly and demonstrably centre Learning Disabled voices.

We concentrated on 5 areas:

Artistic

The Ensemble worked with 6 new collaborators cross discipline (Writer Beth Westbrook; Movement Director Jen Malarkey; Musician Alfie Whitby; Streamer and Technologist Dee Dixon; Filmmaker Katie Harriman; Dramaturg Adam Fenton) to seek new levels of agency during the rehearsal process/live performance, exploring how the form and making process of the show: - Creates richer meaning

Governance

We brought together the Steering Committee, The Board of Trustees and our Executive plus access consultant Nikkie White to: -Look at the strategic planning cycle and how to centre Learning Disabled decision making across the company

...CONTINUED

Page 3

Dark Horse Theatre Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Main Achievements - continued

Masterclasses

Having successfully piloted a silent approach masterclass offer over the last 5 years we worked with three institutions (Central School of Speech and Drama, Leeds Conservatoire and Creative Acting Studio) to refine feedback processes and create a film which we have used as a platform to:

Public-facing Profile (digital)

Having had some signal successes with our TikTok presence we wanted to explore how we could capitalise on our growing reputation, whilst understanding that TikTok and it’s algorithms can be quite chaotic. We wanted to see how we could: -Increase positive mainstream representation for people with LD

We were fortunate enough to obtain funding from The Rank Foundation to bring in (on a one year internship from January 2025) Katie Hull and a Digital Co-creator and Analyst. See separate section.

Evaluation & Reporting

Since 1998 we have created feedback loops from co-creators, audiences/participants, effectively & innovatively. Whilst informally the company are good at listening & responding to feedback, we took the time & space to formally address this, experimenting with how we captured data and how we fed it into our learning and planning.

Ultimately, the company have been using the project to seek new ways to empower and platform Learning Disabled artistry and world view with the aim of raising the status of artists with Learning Disabilities globally.

The Student Course

Matilda O’Grady has settled in exceptionally well and is contributing to a very high standard. The Students spent this year exploring shadow work and Storytelling. To support Tilda in this we brought in Shoshana Jones as a rehearsal assistant throughout the year, she was selected by the company and the students in tandem The majority of the year was spent embedding learning from previous years and in new skills acquisition but worked towards an end of year show that allowed the students to showcase their new skills.

They ended the year with a new show – The Rift – · this was an extremely complex and detailed piece of work which genuinely drew on all the skills that the students have been developing over the last 3 years. In addition to Matilda O’Grady, the students worked with Alice Corrigan – a visually impaired and neuro-diverse theatre maker whose work has played the Barbican Centre, Camden Peoples Theatre and the Octagon Theatre – on the creation of the piece, creating a multi-layered sound and visual accompaniment to the staging (with, it is worth adding a script written by one of the Students) utilising object manipulation, shadowplay and live performers. The Rift played to a full house in the Lawrence Batley Cellar Theatre (100 people) and to 90 students at Kirklees College. Both to a rapturous reception.

In the second half of the year the Students moved on to explore working for screens and the wider industry. All the students had professional headshots made; received visits from Acting Agent Cat Grose; Dan Cunningham from Coronation Street; Iain Bevitt from Emmerdale; began to work with Greenfingers Films on what will become showreels.

Ignite

Dan Cox has proved an excellent leader who, despite having some staffing troubles at the beginning of the project, performance managed them brilliantly and to a successful conclusion.

Attendance numbers at the Huddersfield sessions have been, and remain, buoyant and the quality of sessional work is now exactly as we would want it. Recruitment for the Dewsbury sessions has been much harder, and whilst we were aware that different approaches would be needed for two demographically different areas, the depth of the differences and consequently the thinking needed to work around those differences was profound.

There is a greater familiarity with and expectation of drama and theatre in Huddersfield than there is in Dewsbury, where understandings are far more rooted in popular culture (film and TV), and we have moved the curriculum in each area to reflect that. The end of term reflections at Huddersfield were performance based and those in Dewsbury were both films and performance. I think this flexibility has been a great strength - participant retention has been excellent across the board with members express pride in belonging to Ignite and showing a sense of loyalty to Dark Horse – seen in regular engagement with the company social media outputs and attendance at shows

...CONTINUED

Page 4

Dark Horse Theatre Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Main Achievements - continued

Dan worked exceptionally hard to maximise the word of mouth opportunities by creating a talking point campaign in Dewsbury town centre via shop windows which paid off and by the end of the year we were at about capacity for the Dewsbury sessions too.

Digital and Social Media

Following on from the successes we have had over the last few years year and based on the realisation that ‘content is king’ we have continued to populate our social media platforms as richly as possible.

As mentioned above we were very happy to have received funding from The Rank Foundation to bring Katie Hull which has allowed us to consistently create digital content, to ensure that that content made the most of TikTok’s algorithms to reach the ‘right’ audiences and to centre the actors ensemble in the creation of that work. This has proved very successful thus far but more importantly we have a much clearer idea of what success means in our terms.

This gives us a strong base to explore how we most effectively manage the ‘message’ and use the content created both as a lead for ‘audiences’ into other aspects of the company’s work and as a possible area for monetization.

Community Engagement

The company continued to utilise its skills in support of our local communities – running a range of schools and college based workshops in support of our Student course and Ignite; working with the Department of Health and Nursing Studies at the University of Huddersfield to support Midwives in training to understand a Learning Disabled perspective; working alongside officers from South Yorkshire Police to help them more effectively interview Learning Disabled witnesses and victims of crime; Running workshops for the Mrs Sunderland Festival; and taking an outdoor version of When There is Love (plus participatory workshop) to The Picnic in the Park for Learning Disability Week.

Financial Review

Financial Position

The company took the decision this year that it would never pay anyone who worked for the company less than the Real Living Wage rate. In addition the company, recognising the quality of the staff we have working for us and the time pressure that individual were under to deliver high quality work, both offered a 3% pay rise and increased (by a day per week) for three of the part-time staff and Amy Cunningham was made Joint Executive alongside Iain and on the same pay scale but full-time.

This has had an impact on the company reserves going forward - at year end £66,229 (£36,495 unrestricted and £29,734 restricted) – reduced from £88,278 (£71,752 unrestricted and £16,527 unrestricted at March 2024). The company still has unrestricted reserves in line with our reserves policy. It is worth noting here, however, that it is very much harder to get funding from Trusts and Foundations than it has been and the last two years have seen a number of charities either closing down, switching their giving to frontline provision during a time of great economic hardship or not accepting bids from new organisations. The company has a burgeoning relationship with Arts Council England but will need to explore how it can diversify it’s income streams in innovative ways going forward.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. The board of trustees remained strong, with a raft of new trustees in the process of coming on Board. Throughout this year the company brought together the Board of Trustees, The Steering Committee and the staff Executive to work together with an external Access Consultant in the creation of new reporting forms and structures that will ensure that the viewpoint of the Learning Disabled is central to every decision the company makes. The outcomes of this work and the impact it has on the company will be reported against in our next Annual Report.

Small Company Rules

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to companies subject to the small companies regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees' report was approved by the board of trustees and signed on its behalf by:

David Calvert Trustee

15 December 2025

Page 5

Dark Horse Theatre

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Dark Horse Theatre For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and Basis of Report

As the charity trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements 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 report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent Examiner's Statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  2. 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

  3. 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 be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Fran Haigh ACCA FMAAT ATT(fellow) 15 December 2025 First Floor Offices 8 Cherry Tree Centre Huddersfield HD1 2ET

Page 6

Dark Horse Theatre Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Notes
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities:
4
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Other income
Investments
5
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activities:
7
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Other income
NET (EXPENDITURE)/INCOME
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS:
Total funds brought forward
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
18		 Unrestricted
funds
£
90
74,155
410
731
4,227		 Restricted
funds
£

-
79,977

27,882

-

-		 2025
Total funds
£
90
154,132
28,292
731
4,227		 2024
Total funds
£

895
111,321
41,071

-

3,805
79,613 107,859 187,472 157,092
(114,587)
(1,939)
-
(66,772)

(27,882)

-		 (181,359)
(29,821)
-
(130,186)

(23,130)

(231)
(116,528)
(94,652)		 (211,180)
(153,547)
(36,915)
13,207		 (23,708)
3,545
(36,915)
73,410
13,207
16,527		 (23,708)
89,937
3,545
86,392
36,495 29,734 66,229 89,937

The notes on pages 12 to 19 form part of these financial statements.

Page 7

Dark Horse Theatre Comparative Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Notes
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities:
4
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Investments
5
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activities:
7
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Other income
NET INCOME
Transfers between funds
18
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS:
Total funds brought forward
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
18		 Unrestricted
funds
£
895
44,428
12,571
3,805		 Restricted
funds
£
-
66,893
28,500
-		 2024
Total funds
£

895
111,321
41,071

3,805
61,699 95,393 157,092
(90,055)
(1,028)
(231)		 (40,131)
(22,102)
-
(130,186)

(23,130)

(231)
(91,315) (62,232)
(153,547)
(29,616)
37,257		 33,161
(37,257)		 3,545

-
7,641
65,769		 (4,096)
20,623
3,545
86,392
73,410 16,527 89,937

The notes on pages 12 to 19 form part of these financial statements.

Page 8

Dark Horse Theatre Balance Sheet As At 31 March 2025

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Assets
13
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
14
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year
15
NET CURRENT ASSETS (LIABILITIES)
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
FUNDS OF THE CHARITY
Restricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
TOTAL FUNDS
18		 Unrestricted
funds
£
1,562		 Restricted
funds
£

-		 2025
Total funds
£
1,562		 2024
Total funds
£

-
1,562
43,843
27,725
-
15,683
27,674		 1,562
59,526
55,399
-
75,289
65,490
71,568
(4,746)		 43,357

(45,512)		 114,925
(50,258 )		 140,779

(50,842 )
66,822 (2,155) 64,667 89,937
68,384 (2,155) 66,229 89,937
68,384 (2,155) 66,229 89,937
29,734
36,495		 16,527
73,410
66,229 89,937

Page 9

Dark Horse Theatre Balance Sheet (continued) As At 31 March 2025

For the year ending 31 March 2025 the charitable company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. On behalf of the board

David Calvert Trustee

15 December 2025

The notes on pages 12 to 19 form part of these financial statements.

Page 10

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

1. General Information

Dark Horse Theatre is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in England & Wales, registered number 04015695 and registered charity number 1082267. The registered office is Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 2SP.

2. Accounting Policies

2.1. Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)", Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Companies Act 2006.

The charitable company is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

2.2. Fund Accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for a specific purpose.

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2.3. Incoming Resources

Income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is more likely than not that the resources will be received and the monetary value can be measure with sufficient reliability.

2.4. Resources Expended

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

2.5. Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of the fixed assets, less their estimated residual value, over their expected useful lives on the following bases:

Fixtures & Fittings 20% straight line Computer Equipment 33.33% straight line

2.6. Leasing and Hire Purchase Contracts

Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to the statement of financial activities as incurred.

2.7. Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand and deposits held at call with banks, other shortterm highly liquid investments that mature in no more than three months from the date of acquisition and are readily convertible to a known amount of cash with insignificant risk of change in value, and bank overdrafts.

Page 11

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

2.8. Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax as all its income is charitable and applied for charitable purposes.

2.9. Pensions

The charitable company operates a defined pension contribution scheme. Contributions are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

3. Income from Donations and Legacies

. Income from Donations and Legacies
Donations and gifts
. Income from Charitable Activities
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Other income
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Other income
. Investment Income
Bank interest receivable
Other interest receivable		 Unrestricted
funds £
74,155
410
731		 2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
90		 2024
Unrestricted
funds
£

895
Restricted
funds £
79,977
27,882
-		 2025
Total funds £
154,132
28,292

731
75,296 107,859 183,155
Unrestricted
funds £
44,428
12,571
-		 Restricted
funds £
66,893
28,500
-		 2024
Total funds £
111,321
41,071

-
56,999 95,393 152,392
2025
Unrestricted
funds
£
3,396
831		 2024
Unrestricted
funds
£

3,805

-
4,227
3,805

4. Income from Charitable Activities

5. Investment Income

Page 12

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

6. Net Income/(Expenditure)

The net (expenditure)/income is stated after charging/(crediting):

Bad debts
Operating lease rentals
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets - owned
. Analysis of Expenditure
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Actor training and workshops
Productions
Other income
. Support Costs
Premises expenses
General administration
Interest payable
Governance costs		 Activities
undertaken
directly
£
158,262
26,956		 2025
£
-
5,934
782		 2024
£
(660)
3,956
231
Support costs
(see note8)
£
23,097
2,865		 2025

Total
£
181,359
29,821
185,218 25,962 211,180
Activities
undertaken
directly
£
110,326
23,130
231		 Support costs
(see note8)
£
19,860
-

-		 2024

Total
£
130,186
23,130
231
133,687 19,860 153,547
Actor
training and
workshops
£
6,245
7,590
8,462
800		 Productions
£

-

1,929

-

936		 2025
Total
£
6,245
9,519
8,462
1,736
23,097 2,865 25,962

7. Analysis of Expenditure

8. Support Costs

Page 13

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Premises expenses
General administration
Interest payable
Governance costs		 2024
Actor
training and
workshops
£
3,956
8,625
6,037
1,242
19,860

9. Independent Examiner's Remuneration

Independent examination of the financial statements

2025
£
1,050
1,050		 2024
£
1,888
1,888

10. Staff Costs

Staff costs were as follows:

0. Staff Costs
taff costs were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs		 2025
£
119,716
4,894
2,121
126,731		 2024
£
92,044
1,571
1,670
95,285

No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) for the reporting period of more than £60,000.

11. Average Number of Employees

Average number of employees during the year was as follows:

1. Average Number of Employees
verage number of employees during the year was as follows:
Charitable Activities
Administration		 2025
4
1
5		 2024
4
1
5

Page 14

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

12. Prior Period Adjustment

The figures for the prior year have been adjusted to include the Theatre tax credit due for projects undertaken during the year, which was calculated and repaid after the financial statements had been prepared and finalised. This resulted in net profits and debtors being understated by £7,695, which has been rectified in the current year figures.

The figures have also been adjusted to account for irrecoverable VAT on unfiled returns, which have been brought up to date after the financial statements had been prepared and finalised. This resulted in net profits and debtors being overstated by £6,037, which has been rectified in the current year figures.

13. Tangible Assets

Cost
As at 1 April 2024
Additions
Disposals
As at 31 March 2025
Depreciation
As at 1 April 2024
Provided during the period
Disposals
As at 31 March 2025
Net Book Value
As at 31 March 2025
As at 1 April 2024
4. Debtors
Due within one year
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
VAT
Other taxes and social security		 Fixtures &
Fittings
£
950
-
-		 Fixtures &
Fittings
£
950
-
-		 Computer
Equipment
£

7,396

2,344

(3,498 )		 Total
£
8,346
2,344
(3,498 )
950
6,242		 7,192
950
-
-
7,396

782

(3,498 )		 8,346
782
(3,498 )
950
4,680		 5,630
-
1,562		 1,562
-
-		 -
2025
£
11,339
18,033
7,695
21,520
939
59,526		 2024
£
9,419
43,673
19,259
2,938
-
75,289

14. Debtors

Page 15

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

15. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year

5. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year
Trade creditors
Other taxes and social security
Net wages
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred Income		 2025
£
1,223
-
-
2,473
1,050
45,512
50,258		 2024
£
17,232
13,078
446
2,600
1,050
16,436
50,842

16. Deferred Income

Deferred income movements in the year were as follows:

6. Deferred Income
eferred income movements in the year were as follows:
Balance at the start of the period
Income deferred in the current period
Amounts released in income from previous periods
Balance at the end of the period		 2025
£
16,436
45,512
(16,436)		 2024
£
20,304
16,436
(20,304)
45,512 16,436

Deferred income relates to funds received to fund employment roles within the charity for periods exceeding the financial year and for grants received for productions that were not completed until the next financial year.

17. Pension Commitments

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund.

During the year the charge to the statement of financial activities in respect of defined contribution schemes was £2,121 (2024: £1,670).

At the balance sheet date contributions of £2,473 (2024: £2,600) were due to the fund and are included in creditors.

Page 16

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

18. Movement in Funds

Unrestricted funds
General:
General unrestricted fund
Restricted funds
Arts Council England
National Lottery - Ignite
Igen Trust
Rank Foundation
Total restricted funds
Total funds
Unrestricted funds
General:
General unrestricted fund
Restricted funds
Arts Council England
National Lottery - Ignite
Igen Trust
Rix Thompson Rothenberg
Rank Foundation
Total restricted funds
Total funds		 As at 1 April
2023
£
65,769
-
5,990
23
-
14,610		 As at 1 April
2024
£
73,410
-
-
11,145
5,382		 Income
£
79,613
27,882
41,553
26,124
12,300		 Expenditure
£
(116,528)
(27,882)
(39,493)
(20,701)
(6,576)		 As at 31
March 2025
£
36,495
-
2,060
16,568
11,106
16,527 107,859 (94,652) 29,734
89,937 187,472 (211,180) 66,229
Income
£
61,699

28,500
21,605

26,109

5,000
14,179		 Expenditure
£
(91,315)
(22,103)
(1,735)
(20,750)
-
(17,644)		 Transfers
£

37,257

(6,397)

(25,860)

-

(5,000)

-		 As at 31
March 2024
£
73,410
-
-
5,382
-
11,145
20,623 95,393 (62,232)
(37,257)		 16,527
86,392 157,092 (153,547)
-		 89,937

The balances on restricted funds are all unexpended grants for the charity's projects.

19. Transactions with Trustees

None of the trustees received any remuneration or any other benefits from an employment with the charity or a related entity during the current or previous year.

Page 17

Dark Horse Theatre Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

No trustee expenses have been incurred.

20. Related Party Disclosures

Lawrence Batley Theatre

There is a close relationship with Lawrence Batley Theatre. Included within these financial statements are administration and room hire (including rehearsal room hire) costs amounting to £21,961 (PY £8,373) paid to Lawrence Batley Theatre. Included in creditors is £523 (PY £17,231) due to Lawrence Batley Theatre and £2,200 (PY £2,200) is included in debtors relating to ticket sales collected by Lawrence Batley Theatre on behalf of Dark Horse Theatre.

21. Company limited by guarantee

The company is limited by guarantee and has no share capital.

Every member of the company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the company, in the event of a winding up, such an amount as may be required not exceeding £1.

Page 18

Dark Horse Theatre Detailed Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
Donations and gifts
Charitable Activities:
Actor training and workshops
Grants
Income from actor training fees
Income from external workshops
Productions
Grants
Income from external workshops
Income from ticket sales
Other income from charitable activities
Other income
Other income from charitable activities
Investments
Bank interest receivable
Other interest receivable type A
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable Activities:
Actor training and workshops
Production costs
Cost of raising funds workshops
Wages and salaries
Employers NI
Employers pensions - defined contribution schemes
Travel and subsistence expenses
Freelance staff
Premises costs
Marketing and advertising costs		 2025
Total funds
£
90
90
99,962
47,040
7,130
154,132
27,831
410
-
51
28,292
731
731
3,396
831
4,227

Page 19

Dark Horse Theatre Detailed Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025

Bad debts written off
Depreciation
Rent
Computer software, consumables and maintenance
Repairs, renewals and maintenance
Insurance
Printing, postage and stationery
Training seminars and workshops
Telecommunications and data costs
Independent examiner's fees
Accountancy fees
Professional fees
Bank charges
Sundry expenses
Irrecoverable VAT
Late payment tax charges
Organisational development
Productions
Production costs
Travel and subsistence expenses
Freelance staff
Premises costs
Marketing and advertising costs
Computer software, consumables and maintenance
Repairs, renewals and maintenance
Printing, postage and stationery
Sundry expenses
Organisational development
Other income
Depreciation
NET (EXPENDITURE)/INCOME		 -
(782)
(6,245)
(891)
(558)
-
(60)
(117)
(580)
(1,050)
(3,621)
-
(383)
(330)
(7,064)
(1,398 )
(800)
660

-

(3,956)

(992)

-

(639)

(10)

(2,625)

(525)

(1,888)

-

(500)

(250)

(1,196)

(6,037)

-

(1,242)
(181,359)
(5,241)
(702)
(10,988)
(8,650)
(1,375)
(14)
(1,700)
(50)
(165)
(936)
(130,186)

(9,201)

(744)

(7,885)

(4,020)

(1,280)

-

-

-

-

-
(29,821)
-
(23,130)

(231)
-
(231)
(211,180)
(153,547)
(23,708) 3,545

Page 20