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 frc*n 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 tt*atre 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 mc*Jel 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 first*ver 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 interrc*3ating 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 compan*s 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

2. 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
3. Exp•n¢fituro on vab¥in9 fund•
Unmtrlcted Restrbcted
Funds
Funds
Total
2022
Total
2021
Staff costs
40,109
40,109
42,977
4. 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

5. 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
6. 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)
7. D•btors
2022
2021
Grarrts recelvablts
other debtors
7,500
35.050
42.550
8. 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

9. 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
10. 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