2022-05-31-accounts

synergy theatre project Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 May 2022 Brlxton House, G.1 Carlton Man￿OnS. 387 Coldhart)our Lane. London SW9 8GL Company no: 04219146 Rog'd Charlty no: 1088692

Synergy Theatre Project Contents Page Trustees, Report 3-12 Independent Examiner's Report 13 Statemenl of Finanrial Activitbes 14 Balance Shèet 15 Statement of cash Ilows 16 Notes to the Financial Statements 17-21

Synergy Theatre Project Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 May 2022 The Board of Trustees, presents tts report and lThknnd8nty 8xamin8d Ilnandal statements for the year ended 31 May 2022. Reference and administrative detalls Trustoos: Keshina Bouri (appointed 22 November 2022) Jules Carey {resigned 22 November 20221 Paula Hamimon Tyrone Paul (appointed 22 November 20221 Alison Porter (appointed 22 Novembér 2022) Ihsan Rahim lappointad 22 November 2022) ClIOna Roberts Deborah Samuel Jonathan Smrth (Chair) Gaby Sumner Catherine ThomtrM)rrow Company Socrotsry: Estt]er Baker Company number. 04219146 Reglstered Charlty numbor. 1088692 Synergy SL￿. Arbstic Director General Manager Leaming & Engagement Manager (Adults) Leamlng & Engagement Manager (Young People) Esther Bak8r Jenni8 Mcclure Ktt Withington {appolnted November 2022} sian Henderson (maternity leave) Danielle Baker & Alesha Pryce Imalernity ￿ver) Karl S(T]ith Le8ming & Engagement Assistsnt New Writing M8nag8r Developffthl Manager Neil Grutchfield Miriam Sherwood (until January 2022) Julie Shaw (appointed March 2022) Registerod office: G.1 Carlton Mansions 387 Coldhart)our Lane London SW9 8GL Independent Examiner. Robert McGinty Cintra Coley Avenue Woking GU22 78T Bank•r8." Triodos Bank NV Deanery Road Bristol BS15AS

The Imstees present their 8nnu81 ststtrtory report together with the consolidated financial stslements of SyT)ergy Theatre Pr(¥ect the year ended 31 May 2022. The finan￿81 statements comply wrth the Charilies Acl 2011. the Companies Act 2006. the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and A￿Jnti￿g and Reporting by Charities: Statam8nt of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts In 8ccord8nce with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Ents'ties. OBJECTIVES AND AcnvmES Hlstory Synergy Theat￿ Project was founded in 2000. s￿n aft8r Esther Baker won a BU￿er Trust Award for her pioneering work with theatre in HMPS Downview and Wandsworth. Over the 22 years since the company was fonned, Synergy has developed a programme of artistic wort that Seeks to build a brldge frcn prison to social reintegrallon. prevenl young people from entering the criminal justice system. and inspire change by capturing the imagination and affecting the feelings, behaviours and attitudes of particlpants and public. Wision Synergy believes that theatre can b6 transforniatrrfe, change perc8ptSons. antj open up new possibilities towards a more positive future. We live in a world Whe￿ s¢)me of the most disadvantaged are over-represented in the criminal justice system and are more likely to suffer so(aal exclusion. Our wsion is to work through ttatre towards a fairer world whore those within or at risk of entering the cnminal justice system can discover allernate pathways. desist from crime, and become an Int8gral and meanlngful part of society. Mlsslon Synergy seeks to Create a grOun￿breakIng. inlerrelaled programme of artistic work which harnesses the energy, Instir￿. and life experlences of those we Work with - prisoners, ex- pnsoners, young offenders, and young people at risk of offending - gives them a Vol￿ and, In doing so. their dignity back. We want to inspire change by capturing the Imaginalion and affectlng the feellngs. behaviours and attitudes of participants and public, whilst doing our part to influence the arts and crimlnal justice sectors towards systemic thange. Our work Our work provides praclKal opp(riunities which develop benefficiariès, slo'lls, capabilities and resilience, builds a bridge from prison to social reintegration. provides vital support to rehabilitation. and seeks to prevent young pecple from entering the criminal justiGe syst8m. Our over811 aim is to SLSPPOrt desistance from crime. We do this through: Produclng hKJh quality theatre and film auoss prisons, malnstream theatres and schools that uniquely brings together professtonal artists with prisoners and ex-prisoners to create and perfom urgent and authentic v￿rk, representing unheard voices on the slage: Offerlng theatre-based tralning for prisoners and ex-prlsoners through Syneryy Studlo with Its growing focus on skills accredilabon, progression routes. and pathways into education, training and employment Challenging mind-sets and offering alternate pathways for young people at risk of offending through our Young People's Programme of projects and productlons that utilise the lrfe experience of trained ex-prlsoner facilitators., Offerlng ex-prisoner led roleplay through Synergy Servlces which provides trainlng services for resettlement agencies and an effects've and targeted way to contrlbule to systems change wilhln the (xlminal arerB Public benefit The trustees have referred to the guidanc£ in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefil when reviewirKJ the aims and obJ'eL#ives and bn planning fLrture acttvities.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Whal I learTJed? How to open up my mind and think about how I s8e myseff, the wortd and the things I choose to valu8 and appreuatg. Young offender participant. YOI Isis. on a spoken word project Synergy has refnained resilient over the lasi year, supported by longstsnding and new funders lo navigate the ongoing challenges of the pandemic in the lead up to Ihe gradual lifting of govemment restrictions. The main success of our work was the continued delivery of a range of craative participatory opportuntties- Including innovative collaborations and creative solutions to overcom6 barriers to gngagement- In spite of widescale lockdowns which also prevented access In person to th6 prison estale until the lalter part of 2021. As conditions albwed fac6-tr fa￿ delivery in the communty to resume and enable us to r￿ngage wilh beneficianes and long-term partnering organisations, we were also able to prQYju￿ a range of work including the much-welcomed retum to touring live theatre into schcM)Is. bringing scripts in development to frultlon and forge new collaborations. In terms of engagement during the year, Synergy worked V￿th 156 prisoners and èx-prisoners through our courses in tK)th thè prison estate and the community, performanc8, work experience and employment opportunities. Through our programme for young people In mainstream education, young peop16 at risk of exdusion andlor offending and those withln the criminal justice system, Synergy engaged over 5,200 through p8rformance and activity. over 575 of whom look part in partiupatory workshops including 196 young people at rlsk and young off8nd8rs who took part in longer-temi and bespoke projects. PRODUCING A gripping watch th81 shouldny be overlook￿. Highly recom￿ndSd * * * * * Short Films Matter on Synartys shtyt fihn. Dues Having been postponed tv￿Ce on account of the pandemic our short film. Dues, by Ambreen Razia (BBC Talent Hotllst 2017.. creator, writer and star of BBC3 pilot. Hounslow Diarles), wgnt nto post-production in summer 2021. Examining the issue of county lines and the ways In which young people are 18rgeted and vulnerable lo exploitalion and 9rwmlng by criminal gangs, Dues features a cast and crew of professionals and ex-prisoners and we toured to schools, PRUS and Yols across London from September to November. engaglng ¢)ver 2.800 young people with the film and a range of supporting activity. The film was subsequently selected for screening as part of both the 39th Chicago Intemational Children's and 2022 Bntish UTban Film Festivals In November 2022. Following hot on its heels. we commissioned a new play. He Said Sho Said, by spoken word artist Magero Olieno-magero whose vffjrk chimes with current youth culture. Using dialogue, verse and mustq the play explores the impad of social media on youth violence and crime. examining how the online aGbons of four teenagers have devasiating consequ8nces in real life. Marking our first live performances since the pandamic. the produth'on toured and en9aged 2,000 young people in schools and altemative provislon across London from February lo March and provided a stimulus for much of our longer-term work wllh key path8rs. Hamesslng tts success. we plan to revive the produdion in sprirvJ 2023. s￿ergY supporied the ongoing development of Nolhing in 8 Butterfly. a play by Ric Renton. one of our ex-prisoner writers, based on his lrfe story and the results'ng production at Omnibus Theatro from Ma￿h to April vthrch received rArtstanding feedback. As a result of his work on one of our courses with Soho Theatre. Ric vra5 commissioned by Paines Plough lo write On Off, a play exploring the relationship between a prisoner and a night duty prison ofFicor he never sees. This led to an agreement between Syneryy. Paines Plough and Live Theatre in Newcastle to CO-produr* the play in November 2022. Our collaboration on a National Instilute for Health Research {NIHR) funded study with King's College London (KCL) exploring the experien￿ of cancer patients in pison came to fruition in January. We produc6d Cancer Cells. a Sh(￿ by Evan PlaC￿Y W￿ltten in response to Ihe NHS

Trust's findings from the reSea￿h and the film was subsequenuy shared at a wider policy meeting and is also due to be screened at the House of Lor(Ls. Other works in development indude a ptay by Evan Placey, commissioned in the previous year and nearing a final draft, exploring the increasing poputation of older prisoners and their treatment. Synergy also made play development progress wrth two new ex-prisoner authored plays., a Soho c(Fcommission about a woman Irving a double lrfe and a seed comrnissioned play wntten by an ex-prisoner wh￿h developed from an inttial idea to first draft. LEARNING AND ENGAGEMEKr Synergy Studio Amazingl My heart was thumping so fasl. ￿'ke. these were just wonls on a page. Now Ihey're being understood by actors trying to live in that wortd of words. Prisoner particlpant on hearlng the broadcasl of tus audio drama Radlo Wanno While the pandemlc arKI ongoing national lockdowns ￿n￿nUed to Impact our abllity to deliver our work in person, it also presented a new opporlunity to adapt and develop provision, utillse digital platfoms, create and offer new r8sources to ensure suslained engagemenl with our beneficiaries. Thts was not something that we would have envisioned before the pandemic, but the success of this mcJel of working became evi(Jent quickly and is one that we will continue as it enables us to extend our reach. For example. we offered a blended Introduction to Playwriting course for ex-prisoners and were able to reLYUrt fwe participants from outside London since there was a reduced travel requirement with most of the sessions taking place Dver Zoom. We also liaised with HM Prison and Probation Service to extend curfew conditions in order for two partlcipants to attend the Ilve sessions. Led by Theatre503's Llierary Manager, particlp8nts wrote new Plays and extracts which were perfomied in rehearsed readings by prOfes￿onal actors at Theatre503 in November. Three vmters of promise from the group have since been Invlted to take part in our subsequent Advanced Invltsts'on Group In autumn 2022. Demand for our services from the prison Éstate started growing again at the beginnlng of 2022 towards pre-pand8mic levels and we delivered our firstver in-cell aLKllo drama wnting project which was devlsed by a playwright In collaboration wlth our digtsl editor and staff at Radlo Wanno, Ihe stslion al HMP Wandsworth. Workbooks accompanied the recordgd tutorials which were broadcast twic* daily from Septemb8r to October. Plays handv￿ltte￿ in-cell were transcribed for perfomiance by professional actcrfs at Radio Wanno's studio arKI recorded and edtted by prisoner souThJ engineer traine8s. The plays were broadcast on rotation between 27 and 29 December, reaching an audience of 910 listeners including the wiiters. This offered e welcome addition to the prison radK) programme during the Christmas period when mentsl health and wellbeing is of a￿10 (x)n(xm. R8dio Wanno's Head of Communications has expressed Interest in expanding the audio drama cour88 and finding a wKler audience for the work. Synergy has begun discussions with Morley College over creating a joint project Involving prisoner and ex-prisoner writers together wilh R&Jio Wanno sound engineers to create play5 for both prison and public br￿qdCaSt. We also delivered our Introduction to Playwriting o)urse using a blended model at HMP Highpoint. adapting lo the gradual reopening of the prison by engaging smaller cohorts resident In its two srtes. delivering half the tutorkqls in person and prov6ding in•cell DVDS for the remainder in order lo complete the n￿SSary guided leaming hours. When the spread of new Covid-19 variants prevented live script-in-hand readings by professional actors of partj'cipants, plays, we recorded these off-site and made DVD copies available to the writers to watch in-cell. Delivery at HMP The Mount was delayed by three months. buk this enabl￿￿ us to deliver th8 enti￿ course in person. culminating in INe performan￿$ in May. In temis of suppx)rting beneficiaries inlo fvrther training. work ￿acements and progression into work, particular highlights include: 9 gaining work with Synergy to suPp￿t the d8livery of 15 online onevtwnes with youn9 people at risk referred by the Met Police. and fact-tTrts￿ and group projècts;

8 Sup￿rting our early interventlon work in prTrmary schools. pupil refeTral unts (PRUS) and a number of deep leamiro dayB in secondary schw15 as well as workshops acccrfnpanylng the tour of our shortfilm. Dues-. 7 gaining acting and backstage roles on Synertys produthon, He sa￿ Sh8 Said,. Three working as (zst and crew on Cancer Cells, the slN)rt film ex)Ilaboration with KCL.. One ex-prisoner writer being seedvQ)mmissioned by Synergy. another galning a week's paid writing attachment at Tha Royal Court Theatre. One completing a paid traineeship as shadow writer with STV Drama on Scrnw, a series broadcast on Channel 4 in January. arKI developing hrs shadow episodg, Supporting on6 ex-prisoner to perform and prodLsce hls autobiographical p18y. Nothing In a 8utt8rtly, at Offlnibus Theatre: Nine galning roles in film and TV ranging fn)m Nefflix-sponsorod intems at d0￿mentary and post-produth'on companies, VFX trainee for Neffiix to kxatK)n manager for the 88C. In addition. Synergy's New Writing Manager has corresponded with and provided mentoring and one-lcpone dramaturgy for 21 prisoner and ex-wwier wwiters. r8sponding to their play8 et every stage of devek)pment. Synergy also partnered for the fourth consecutive year on Ihe Stage Play category of the Koesller Awards, circulating the 17 entries to a range of readers for Sh￿tIl$tIng and subsequent judging by a panel with written feedback sent to eath entrant and the offer of future script evelopment support by correspondence from our New Writing Manager. Due to ongoing restrictions, we werè unable to present a publ￿ evenl for the winning plays In 2021 bLSt agreed resumption of live events and a return to the Royal Court with Koestler Arts for autumn 2022. Young peopla'8 programme Pupils that wouldny necessarily have the self-¢onffdence. orlndeed seif-bellef to even participate, managed to engage throughout the project whilst feeling proud of their individual aGcomplishments. AddIt￿nallY, we h8ve inv8ri8bly found the tu¢ots that Syner9y use possess tho acquired qu81ities, sk'llset and a18cnty in ensunng ourpupils get the most out of the SeSs￿n$. S8nror Manager, The Helix EdUCat￿n Centre PRU Again, as Covid-19 reslnctions 8as8d. Synenjy slowly retumed to dèlrv8ring actNity In p8rson In schools and aMernative provision to support young people, particularly in partnenng organisations Woodbridge Park, The Helix Education Cenlre and Saffron Valley Colleglate PRUS. Our work in Ih8se settings used Dues and He Said Sha Said as stimuli and tCK)k the form of acting and spoken word as chosen by th8 young participants. We delivered a fvrthér Yo response projects uslng Dues in Jubilee Academy PRU and YOI Isi5 as part of the lour of the short film. 92% of the young offenders reported that the project had made them thlnk more about the impact of crime on themselves and their communities while all of the participants on both projects demonstrated increased confidence wilh 96Yo Statln9 that they had leamed new skllls. Jubilee Academy has requested Ihal Synergy retum to njn more prolects in the school as they re￿gnISe the benefits of this work, and we are in the proc￿ of wurung fundlng to provide this supporL The short film has been a tremendous success and we will ￿ntinUe to use it as a stimulus for our ongoing ueats.ve interventions and participatory work as part of our wider young people's programme. Once the f8stival screenings have taken place. we will upload the film lo our webstÈe as a free resource for schools, youth organisakn'ons and young people. 11 will accompany the education pack which is already available online and contains interviews with the creats've teafft, infomation around gro(Mning, recruitment and exploitation. an outline for a parlicipatory workshop and signFx)stln9 to supp)rt wider leaming around County Lines. Having oulllned the rTrew development of onfine C1￿1ve on&tCpone interventions for young people in last yearfs report. demand for this work has not waned with the lifting of reslriclions and we have engaged a further 13 through refeffals from partner organisations and Met Police wth an extensive warting list. Reflecting participants. hugely posttive feedback parents and guardians were in equaity high praise of the one-l(Fones, commenting on the powerful impact

that engagement had had on the young people and requesting further work with us. In final sharings many were 8￿￿tional and really tmud of the partKipants' achi8V8ments, and on8 parent stated: 'R' alw8ys ggts distracted and finds roubn8 hard, he doesny usually stick to anything so the fact he's been wantiru to come back is a mas&v8 improvement. he has a lot moTr dnv8 8nd sem- disciplin8 now and he seems lo care more 81)out letting others down - a improvem6nl sinco working ¥vith Synergy. SYNERGY SERVICES I w8nted to Pass on Dur gratitude to you on what ltre been lold has been amazing tralning delivered byyourselves to our staff. Senior Operats'ons Manager, Catch22 Personal Wellbeing Services, on Synergy s roleplay training Prior to the pandemlc. we had been working exlremety hard to bulld our eamed Income generated from theatre productions, our rol¥ilay traSnlng but mainly from prisons for course delivery whlch was halted by nationwde klckdowns. However. as the prison estate began to open up at the beginning of 2022, we started to sk)w]y rebuild this area of work and delivered five commissioned courses before the financial year end with 8 further Iwo underway by th8 and of tho calendar year which marks a positive start to reinvigorating thls stream of income. During the cour88 of the year, Synèrgy was commlssioned to provlde actors for the creation of an infom)8tion film for the Department for Education's Reading Framework to support teaching the foundation of literacy. We were also c¢Jmmissioned by CAPA Global Education Ne￿ork'S London Centre to Colla￿rate on a devising project over three months with their intgrnational students in response to Synergys work and Its benefidaries, lfved experiences, culminating In perfomances of each group's work in December. ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMEKr Working with Synergy Theatre Proied h8s always been a guaranteed 8uGc8s& auallly Lead. HMP The Mount We have been working ck¢sely Wlth our board, focusing particularly on elements of governance. Our first prionty was interrc3ating our Equtiy, Diversity and Inclusion pr8th.ces and we undertook an audit, led by Ngozi Lyn Cole of GLT Partners. through the Lloyds Bank Foundation's Enhanc& programme. This adively supported our drive to recruit new board members and commitment to ensuring greater diversity in our govemance, including indlviduals of the global majority and those wilh lived experience of the crimin81 justice system. to better reflect the communities we engage through our work. In tandem with our own Gg11-out. we worked wlth BoardLead, in partnership with NCVO and Trustees Unlimited, lo identify potential trustee candidates from the corporate sector. At our board meeting in September 2022, we welcomed four new trustees from a diverse range of backgrounds. During the year, we have developed and tested a new webslie which went live in May 2022. The new design is contemporary and engaging ￿lIst being easy lo navigate. It is dynamic and contains content vthich better captures both the artistic work and the impact on beneficiaries, Induding a 'Synergy at home. section. which allows vlewers access to re(x)rded productions and a sedion of archival material to show the range of past work. In addition, the site contains a plattorm to include the filming and streaming of perfonnances with our first Streamed event planned for March 2023. We plan to develop a members, are8 for infomiation, r8sources and participant feedback as well as upload additional r8s(w￿ induding digital education pack5 to accompany young people's productions. Synergy signed a 20-year lease for an office al Brixton House, a Tbew venue which in(x)rporates theatre. rehearsal and working spac in Ihe heart of the communty in Lamb8lh. Some elements of Synergy Studio and young people's proJramme will be ddivered in this new space, creating opportun￿eS for mutually beneficial long-tem partnerships, placements and cross-referrals through Brixton House's Creative Qrde, Soar and Young Producers programmes and through the hub of resident ￿eat[ve organisations. The relocation wll also ensure a sustainable hybrid

working mcKlel for our staff and a mind￿1 balan￿ of d7gital technology and physical Spa￿ after a prolonged period of home working. FUTURE PLANS It was arna￿ng. it lells you 811 about U7me and sooal media. J want to ￿dtch it again it w8S SO g￿d. I loved itl Student on H8 Said She Said As we find ourselves in the midst of the worst cost of Iwing crisis In half a century. Ihe year ahead looks to be another challenging one wilh increasing pressure and demand on services provlded by charitable and voluntsry organisalions and those we support. Thé detrimental effects of the pandemic alone on Ihe beneficiarres of our V￿rk impacted severely on wellbeing. We received much feedback from parti(apants young 2nd old that engagement with our activity and regular interaction with peers improved their mental heaKh signif￿nItY. With this in mind, Synergy secured a grant from the Comic Relief Walkers Smiles Fund for 'ComebaGk', a hwo- year programme of activty from June 2022 in both the prison estate and the community focusing on Covld ￿COVery through comedy. promoting positive outcomes for mental wellbelng, srKial connedions and building resilienix. This rnmprises the launch of a competition and call- out for 10-minute comedic plays, supported by a number of comedy playwriting coursès and broadcast through prison TV netwclks of a series of recorded video tutorials by experi8nced writers to provide essential tools and encourage entries. The remaining progrdmme for the year includes a range of engagemenl oppothnib.as induding theatre p￿lUc￿0n$ in and outsTrde prison walls. BuildiThJ on Ihe recent pilot of oui Young Sludio al Kiln Theatre, modelled on our adult programme and supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, we intend to expand th8 programme steadity and tske referrals from pertner organisations en9aging with our young people's programme Including Yols. PRUS and Youth Offending Teams {YOTs). By offerfn9 progres8lon roLrtè to a Young Studio. these extremely marginalised young people will reGeivè creatlV8 training, mentoring, opportunits'es for further engagement and ref8rral onto programm8s with partnenng arts organisations, work placements and employment which %*lll Increase thélr future changes and help them to realise their potential. Looking ahead wrth a vi8w trj achiemng our strategic aim to increase our producing output, and having successfully maintained momentum vthh our developmental pipeline. we have a nurn￿r of commissions emerging from. and explonng issues around uiminal justice coming to fruition. Th85e include a play focusing on the ageing pnson population now nearing its final draft with a view lo producing rt in 2023124. and another by an ex-pnsoner offering a humorous exploration of his slrugg18S With autism. Ahead of Ihese and outlined above, is the ciFproduction - Synergy's first outside London - with Paines Plough and Live Theatre of One Off at Ihe venue in Newc8Stle by one of our most pr(￿ni$lng ex-prisoner Writers. We were invited to apply again lo the John Lyon's Cultural C8Pital Fund for a revival of He Said She Said which will tour across London and perform daily at Kiln Theatre as part of thelr Schools, Week prograrnmo in March 2023. further strengthening this recent collatorative partnarship. engaging new audiences and meeting our aim to maximisè our touring work for young people. In terms of developlng new work, we intend to explore migration V￿th second generation 8x-prtsoner mwJrants and detainees In Immigration Removal Centres IIRGS) in collatwation. respectively. with The Gale Theatre and Hlbiscus Initiatives.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Structure Synergy Theatre Project Is a charttabfe company fimRed by guarantee govemed by Its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 18 February 2(M)1. It is wistered as a chartty with the Charity Commission. In the event of the company being vKiund up member5 are required to contribLJte an amount r￿1 exceeding £1. Trustees As sol out in the ￿tiCleS of Associatlon all of the trustees shall retlre from office at the Annual General Meeting. Retiring trustees may offer themselves for immédlate re-818ciion. Trustees are recruited according to the range of skills and experience required to ensure the organisation's objectives are achieved. New trustees. alongside the existing Board members, apply their knowledge and experb.se to Synergy s long-lemi stralegic planning and Implèmentallon. The folloviing tru5teos were in offio at 31 May 2022 arKI seNed throughout the year. Jul8s Carèy Pau18 Hamilton Cliona Roberts Jonathan Smith (Chair) Deborah Samuel Gaby Sumner Catherine Thomborrow Company Secretary.. Esther Baker Trustoe Induction and training New trustees undergo a briefing on their legal obligations under tharity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and ￿tiCleS of Association. the commrttee and deGision-making processes, the strategic plan and recent financial performancè of thé charity. Trusle8s are encouraged to attend appropriate external tratning where these will facilltate the undertaking of thelr role. Organlsatlon The board of trustees meets quarterly and determines pjlicy. An Artistic Director and General Manager manage the daY-l￿daY operations of the chaiity wth support from the Leaming and Engagement Managers (Adults and Young People), New Writing Manager. Learning 8nd Engagem8nt Assistanl and Development Manager. To facilttate effectiv8 oper8tions, they have delegated authority, approv8d by the trustees, for operational matters induding finance, employment and artistic perfomanc re￿ted 8Ctlvlty. FINANCE AND FUNDING Key managemont personnel Key management personnel are th8 Board of Trust888 YhK) do not receive remuneration for their seNices and the senior managemerrt tsam (Artistic Director and General Manager). The pay of the senior staff is rewewed annually and nomally increased in 8¢(x)rdance wth 8verage earnings. In view of the nature of the charity. the trustees benchmark against pay levels In other theatre compans of a simuar size. Risk Managomont The Injstees review the risks to whith the charity is exposed on a regular basis. Wh8re appropriate, system5 or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. Parts'cular attention is focused on risk assessment of the chanty's acts'vities in schools and regulations and poli￿e$ conceming the protection of chiFdren. A key element in the management of financial risk ￿ thè s8tting of a roserves policy and its regular review by truslees. 10

pinanciai review Th8 financial performan￿ of the charty showed an increase of £2,45510.6°A) in total income and a fall of £3,139 (0.8%) in total expenditure. This resulted in an In￿eaSe of £32,044 in unrestricted reseN¥¥. The principal funding sources were AB Charftable Tnrt Arts Counal England, BBC Children in Need. City Bridge Trus( Field Family Charitable Trust, Garfield Weston Foundats'on, Greater London Auth￿lty, Henry Smith Charity, Ironmongers, Company. John Lyon's Charity, Lloyds Bank Foundation, Peter Sowerby FoundatEon, Pickwdl FourKlation and Wates Foundatlon to whom Synergy would like to exlond ils sincere thanks. The balanc6 sheet on page 15 Sho￿ that, at 31 May 2022, Synergy held net Cu￿ent assets of L194,258 (2021-. £162.2141. Reserv6s Policy and golng concern The charity operates controls thal ensurè ojsts are allor2ted to each grant supported project. Grant prepayments represent donations allocated lo ongoing projects scheduled for completion in subsequent reporting pen￿{s). The charity commences virtually all of its proj8cts after obtsining and receiving grant funding. Thts means that tho charity has historically always maintained high levels of liquhdty. The salaried personnel. contracted perfom)ers and professionals are fundamental to the continued deStvery of projects and also obtaining grant funding. The charity expends all grant income on the relevant projects and thelr strategy is to build up reserves from the unrestn'cied Incc(ne il generates, largely from fees, and meèt our target of 6 months, costs. Howaver. the level of roseNes held. and vthat should be the wjeal level held for the charlty, wbll be kept under constant reviaw in the coming year. The Tnjstees are of the vlew that the charity is a going concem and have det6mined that there Is no material uncertainty that casts doubt on the djarity's abilrty lo continue as a going conc8m. 11

Trustees, responslblllties In relatlon to the financlal statements The charity trustees (who are also the directors of SYn￿gY Theatre Project for the purposes of company lawl are responsible for preparing a trustees, annual report and financial statements In accordance with the applicable law and United Kingdom Ac￿Unting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Acmunting Practice). Company law requires the trustees trj prepare financial statements whiGh give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company at the end of the financial year and of its surplus or defiat for that p￿. In preparing those finanual statements the bustees are required to". select suitable a(xx)unting policies and then apply them u)nsistentty" observe the methcKls and principles in the Charities SORP,. make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prud8nt-, state whether applicable UK Accounting StarKlards have been followed, subject to any material departures disdosed and explained in the financial statements" and prepare the financial statements on the going concem basis unths rt 16 inappropnat9 to presume that Ihe charity will continue in business. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenanc% and integrity of the charity and financial Information induded in the charfty's webslle in accordance v￿th legislation In the Unit8d Klngdom gov8ming the prepar8Oon and disseminatlon of flnandal Infomiatlon. The trustees are responsib18 for matntaining tffopor accounting records which disdos8 wlth reasonable accuracy at any tim8 the financial position of th8 charita￿9 rx)mpany and enables them to ensure that the financial stalements compty with the Companies Act 2006. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention 8fKI dètection of fraud and other Irregularities. Mèmbers of the Board of Diroclors M8mbers of the Board of Directors. vtho are director5 for th8 purposes of company law and trustees for the purposes of ch8rity18w. who 8erved during the year and up to the dale of this report are set out on page 3. Approval These accourrts are prepared in a(￿rdance with the sp8clal provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relatlng to small companies and constitute the annual accounts requlfed by the Companies Act 201￿. Approved by the Board of Directors on 9 February 2023 and signad on thelr behatt by: Jonathan Smith Direthor and Trustee Catherine Thornborrow Director and Trustee 12

Independent examinef s report to the members on the unaudited accounts of Synergy Theatre Project I report on the fsnancial statem8nts of Synergy Theatre Project for the year ended 31 May 2022 which comprise the Statement of financial aclivities, Balance Sheet and Statement of cash flows with th8 related not8s set out on pages 17 lo 21. Respective responsibilities of trust8es and the independent examiner As described on page 13 Ihe charity's trustees. who are also the directors of Synergy Theatr8 Project for the purposes of company law. are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordanc8 with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Slandards, and they conslder that the company is exempt from an audit under section 14412) of the Charilies Act 2011 and that an independent examination is needed. The charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the Instttute of Chartered Accountants in England and Walès. Having satlsfied myself that the Gharlty15 not subject to audit under comp8ny law and Is 811gible for independent examination, it Is my responsibility to= examine the accounls under section145 of Ihe 2011 Act. lo follow the procedures lald down in Ihe gener81 Direcknons given by the Charity Commission under section145(5Xb) of Ihe 2011 Act and: to state whether particular matters have come to my attention Basls of Independent examiner's report My examination was conducted in accordance with the General Directions glven by the Charity Commissiongrs. An axamination includes a revlew of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presenled wlh Ihese records. It also includes consideration of any unusual item5 or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanalions from you 8S trustee8 concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and rnnsequenlly no opinion is given as lo whether the acwunls present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limlted to those matters set out In the statement below. Independent examinevs Statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come lo my attention (1) which gives me reasonable cause lo believe Ihal in any malerial respect the requirements.. lo keep ac¢ounting records In accordance with se¢tlon 386 of the Companies Act 2006,. and lo prepare accounts which ac￿rd with Ihe accountlng records, comply wlth the accounting requirements of section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and with Ihe methods and principles of the Slalemenl of Recommended PractiC8.' A¢¢XJunllng and Reporting by Charities have not been metr, or 12) lo which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of Ihe accounts lo be reached. Robert McGinty, FCA Chartered AGcountant Cintra Coley Avenue Woking Surrey GU22 7BT g February 2022 13

Synergy Theatre Projecl Statement of financial activltlos for tho yoar ended 31 May 2022 t8 Unrestrictsd R•strlcted Funth Funds Total 2022 Total 2021 In¢omg: Don8tions Income fmm ch81iÉBtsl8 aclNknes." Coronavirus Jd) Retentlon Schern8 Fees Theatrg tsx rel￿f Investment ine4Jm 18,192 385,035 383.227 383,952 3.038 47.041 3,038 47,041 26,$80 2.825 17,500 131 137 137 Tolal In¢omg Exp•ndltur• Cost of r8lsing funds Expandllure on charilabjg acbviU6s: 40,109 324.926 40,109 361,290 42.997 361,561 36.384 Total Expendlturo 365,035 404,538 Nel IncomollexperKllture) for the year 31044 26.450 Re¢on¢lllatlon ol funds Total Funds brought forward 162.214 162.214 135,764 Total funds carrl•d f0fi￿rd 162,214 The st81emth of indud65 an gairn and losses the year. PJI income and exponditum is from continury actNiknas. 14

Synergy Theatre Project Balance Shoot as at 31 May 2022 Note 2022 2021 Current Assets Debtors Bank Account Total Current Ass*ts 42.550 310,564 3S3.114 255,998 255,998 Current UabSlltles Crodllors due withln one year Not Curr¢nt Assets 158,856 194.258 162.214 N•t Assots 194.258 16 214 Th• funds of tho chartty: Unre8trlctsd Ineome fund8 194,258 162,214 Total Charlty Funds 162 214 For the year ending 31 May 2022 the company VRS entitled to exempb'on frorn audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small compan185. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit In accordanco wlth sectlon 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors a¢kni)wledge their r8sponslbillty for complylng wlth the requirements of the Act with r8sp8ct to ac￿)unti￿ records and ft)T Ihe preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in al￿rdan(% with the provisions appticable to companies subject to the small companies reglm8. The notes on pages 17 to 21 form part of these a(xyx4nts. Approved by the trustees on 9 February 2023 and slgned on thelr b8half. Jonathan SmTth Director and Trustee Esther Baker Company Se(xetsry 15

Statement of cash flows for year endlng 31 May 2022 2022 2021 Cash provlded by opèratlng athStlos Interest income Chango In cash In the year 54.429 137 566 56.948 131 57,079 C8sh at Ihe beginning of the year C8sh at the end of the year- bank account 25S.998 310,564 198.919 255,998 Recon¢illatlon of net movement in fund$ to n•t Gash flow from opèratlng actjvltles 2022 2021 Nel Income for the year pgr finarthl statement Oeduel interest Docrease lincrnasel in debt￿5 In¢rgas& in credllors 26,450 11311 62,639 132.010) 11371 (42,5501 65.072 Cash provldod by op•rating a¢tiviti•• 16

Notes to the financial statemerts for th8 ygar ended 31 May 2022 1. Accountlng policles The principal accounting policies adopted. judgements and key sources of estimation unGertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows.. a) Basls of preparatlon The financial statements have been prepared under the historic cost (x)nventlon with items initially recA)gnised at cost or transaciion value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with A¢￿UntIng and Reporting by Ch8rities'. Statement of Recommend8d Practice applicable to charities preparing their account5 in accordance wth the Finan(ial Reporting Standard in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 102) leffective1 January 2015)_ (Charities SORP (FRS 102). the Financlal Reporting Standard appllcable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Companies Act 2006. The charlty constitutes a publlc benefft entty 85 defined in FRS 102. bl Preparation of accounts on a golng concom basis The chanty has a sound financial posrtion and maintsins regular contsct with its princlpal donors. The Iruslees have considered the requirement Ihal Ihe financial statements should be prepared on a going ￿)nc￿rn basis. c) Incomo rocognlllon Ail income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income. Iher8 is sufficlenl certainty of receipt and so il Is probable that the Income wlll ￿ recelved, aThJ the amount of Income receivable can be measured reliably. Donations and interest on funds are reo)gnised when they are received. R8Stricted Granls and Donats'ons received in advance ol perfom)ance or provislon of other sp8cifled servlc8 is deterred unts'l the critena for income recogniti'on are met. dl Donated serylces Donaled seNices are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with Ihe donated item have been met. the receipt of the economic benefit from the use of the item by Ihe chanty is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. On receipl. donated servic8s ar8 recognised on Ihe basis of the value of th8 gfft to the charity which is the amount the charity would h8ve been ￿[ling lo pay to obtain services of equivalent ￿nOmE benefft on the open market: a Cor￿pondIng amount is recognisgd in expenditure In the period of the receipL •) Intorost roc•lvable Interest on funds held on depK)sri is incl￿ed vthen reLxivable and the amount can be measured reliably by th8 charity.. thls is usually uwn notsfication of the inlerest pald or payable by the Bank. fj Fund accounting Unrestricted or general funds are available to spend on activities Ihal further the purrA)ses of the charity. Restricted funds are income vhiich the donor has speafied are to be used solely for a specific project or area of the Trusts work. g) Expendlture and lffecovernble VAT Irrecoverabl& VAT is charged against the expenditure heading for which it was incurred. Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as 500n as there is a legal or constructive obligation commithng the charity to that expenditure. rt is probable that settleffl8nt will be required and the amount of the obligation (an be measured reliabty. 17

Expenditure is da55kfied under the foltowng activty headings". costs of raksiro funds indude salaries of staff associated with generating donated Income Expenditure on charitable ath"vrtiès are the cost artistic productions, learning and engagemènt, Iraining services armd young people's projects undertaken to fvrther the purposes of the charity. h) Allocation of support costs Support costs are those fvncttons that assist the worf( of the tharity but do not directly undertake charitsble activities. Support costs indude back officE costs. personnel payroll and governar1￿ costs which support the Trusts development programmes and activities. Th8S8 Costs have been allocated between the cc6t of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities. The basis on which supp)rt and govemance c￿sts have been allocat8d are s81 out in note 5. l) Tanglblo fixed assets and depreciation Individual fixed assets (x)sting more than £5,000 are capilali58d at cost. Depreciation is charged from the year of acquisition on a strauht-line basis over their estimated useful life of four years. J) Debtors Trad8 and other debtors ar9 recognts8d at the s6ttlement amount due. Prepayments are valued at the amount rx8paid. k) Cash at bank Cash at bank represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand Of have a maturlty of Iw3s than three monlhs at the date of Ihe acqui8its'on. l) Credltors and provlslons Creditors and provisions are recognls8d vther8 th8 charlty has a present oblNJation resulting from a past event thal will probably resuli in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount du8 to settle the objuation be measured or 8stimat8d rellably. ml Penslons The company operates a defin￿ a)ntributron pension scheme. The pension charge represents the amounts payable by the company to the furKI in the year. n) Funds structure The substantial maiorty of Incc*ne is from grants from other charftab5e trusts. Other sources of income are fees from workshops, perfomiances and courses as well as Theatre Tax R81ief and donatlons. Rèstrictod funds are funds used in artrydance with specific restrictlons irnposed by the donor or trusl deed. There is a restricted fund for each donor. Unrestricted income funds compnse those funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charttable objeds. Unrestricted funds include designated funds wher8 th8 trustees. at th￿r d[￿retIOn. have created a fund for a sp￿#fic purpose. 18

1. Donallon6 lInr￿triCt•d Restricted Total Total Funds Funds 2022 2021 AB Charttable TrLSSt Pmold Clark Communty Fund Arts Council England BBC Children in Need BBC Childron in Need (Next Steps) Ch8Sterhill Family Trust Cty Bridge Trust Crty Bridge Trust {LCRF 2) CSty Brfdge Trust (LCRF 3) Earfy Intervention Youth FurKI (MOPAC) Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Flgld Famity Charitable Tnjsl Garfi•ld Weston Fwndation Greater London Auth￿tty Harrow Communty Action [C￿On8VIruS Fund) H8rrow Safer Neighbourh¢)od Board IMOPAC} Henry Smith Charty Ironmongers, Company John Lyon's Charlty Ltoyds Bank Foundalkjn Lloyds Bank Found'n Emergency Funds Peter Sowerby Foundation Pickwell Foundation VIolence Reduct￿n Unlt (Horno oifKe) Wales Fwndatlon Other8 Accruals & def8rrad Inojrne carried fopAt8rd 15.OlXJ 15,000 1.000 28,767 32.800 1,000 28,767 32,81XI 35.000 33,000 34.400 500 66,530 66.530 23.400 38.830 7,000 10,000 4.000 25.000 46.5fy) 4.000 25.000 46.500 20,000 24.000 10.000 2,500 12,500 40.OCrf) 9,180 34.5cw) 33,0(N) 40.000 9,180 34.$00 33,000 20,000 33,000 6.000 25.000 9,167 25.000 9,167 11,667 7,500 9,636 4.602 2.692 2,692 18.192
2. Exp•n¢fituro on vab¥in9 fund• Unmtrlcted Restrbcted Funds Funds Total 2022 Total 2021 Staff costs 40,109 40,109 42,977

3. Expendltur• on charltsble a¢tlvitias Artistic L•arning & Produdlons Engayment Trainlng SeTvlces Young People Total Prcduction fees Facilitator fees Oiner cosls Support costs Govemance ¢￿ts 46.901 46,901 57.072 43,338 200.736 13,243 22.112 6.013 65.038 4,291 1.750 33.210 2.029 79.291 5,231 35.296 50.786 3.351 5.621 370 136.334 97,454 7,741 119761 361.290 19

4. Support & Governance costs Basls ol Allocatlon Staff cost 163.475 170.811 Stsff tlme Gengral Off￿e 37.261 1.672 38,933 staff time Fees 1.985 Govem8n¢e Accountancy s8rvicos 2.250 2.250 Govemoncè 21J).738 13.243 213,979

5. Employws •nd Staff costs #nd remumratlon of Manag￿nent p•rsonno1 and Trust•g# The chartty con$KlaTs thè dlréctorsltru8t688. Art18tOc Dlreclor and General Managor to b8 key manag¢m6nl P8rsonn81. No trustees retsived any remuneration ￿ respect of their seNlces In the year (2021.. nlll. nether were th8y r8imbursed exp8n8es durlng the year (2021: nil). No employ6e 0aM￿ over £60,OC(I during tho year. Tho total femuneralh)n ofth8 kay m8nagem8nt personnel wos £84,366 (2021.. £98.915). Staff cost durln9 the year wer8 2022 2021 S818ries and wag88 Soaal seuJrlty Ponslons 193.938 12.863 4.119 210 920 193,883 12.668 4.032 210,583 The average number of full-ti￿ employoes dumg ts year was 5 (20214.6)
6. D•btors 2022 2021 Grarrts recelvablts other debtors 7,500 35.050 42.550

7. Credltors dug wlthln on• year 2022 2021 Tax & sodal se¢uiity Trade credrtors Grant wepayments 5.813 46,470 106.573 158,856 5,110 29.697 58.977 93.784

8. Analysis ol movement in funds Incoming Outgoing At 31 May 2022 1 June 2021 ReStrI￿0d htnds: Donations Total re5tri¢t•d funds 365.035 365.035 1365,035) {365035) Unrestricted lunds: Gen8ral funds Totsl unrèstrlded funds 162.214 162214 68.408 68.408 36,364 36,364 194.258 Totsl funds 162 214 258

9. Analysls of as80ts ￿t￿<•n funds General Restrtctod funds lund* Totsl funds Curr8nt assets Creditors due withln ono year 246.541 ll￿.573 353.114 1522831 (106.5731 (158,8561 Total not ass•ts 1942S8 21