Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Company number 4246467 Charity number 1089222
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Breckman & Company Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants 49 South Molton Street London W1K 5LH
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative Details | 1 |
| Trustees' Report | 2 - 7 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 8 |
| Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) | 9 - 12 |
| Balance Sheet | 13 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 14 - 21 |
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Trustees’ Report
Reference and Administrative Details
Constitution
Dash Arts Limited ("the Company") is a company limited by guarantee number 4246467 and a registered charity (number 1089222) established in July 2001.
Directors and trustees
The directors of the Company are its trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the Trustees.
The trustees meet quarterly during the year to consider policy, review activities and objectives. Trustees are appointed by the existing trustees and in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company.
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees are ongoing and incorporated indirectly into the regular trustees meetings.
The Trustees during the year and since the year end, were:
Joachim Fleury (Chair) Olivia Scanlon Jerry Wattenberg Magdalena Ziarko Resigned 01 September 25 Katherine Zeserson Susan Whiddington Appointed January 25 Prof Ruth Livesey Appointed 13 March 25
Secretary
Josephine Burton
Chief Executive and Artistic Director
Josephine Burton
Auditors
Breckman & Company Ltd, Chartered Certified Accountants, 49 South Molton Street, London W1K 5LH.
Bankers
National Westminster Bank Plc, PO Box No 549, 1-2 Finsbury Square, London eC2A 1JH
Registered office (and operation address)
Unit 22, Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial Street, London E1 6AB
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Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Trustees’ Report
The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a Directors’ report and accounts for Companies Act purposes.
The reference and administrative information on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
The Reference and Administrative details set out on Page 1 forms part of this report.
Statement of Public Benefit
Dash Arts is committed to making and promoting work that enriches the lives of audiences and artists alike. All our work breaks down barriers and assertively pursues an agenda of open creative communication and exchange. For audiences, a significant amount of our activities (as detailed below) have been offered free of charge or have been heavily subsidised. For artists, we are committed to providing support for the artistic development of emerging artists particularly UK-based artists who are migrants and refugees. We develop programmes to provide training and support to help these artists negotiate the barriers thrown up by working in a new and sometimes challenging environment. During the covid pandemic, we pivoted towards digital work to ensure that we continue to reach and support our audiences and have continued to do so. We have since continued this digital programme alongside inperson activity. For the sector, we continue to provide leadership on modelling ways to promote and develop international work in thrilling, respectful and authentic ways.
Objectives and Activities
In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance ‘Public Benefit: Running a Charity (PB2).
The objects of the Company are the advancement of education in contemporary culture and of crosscultural dialogue and understanding by means of the encouragement of the arts, including (but not limited to) the provision of performances and events of multi-ethnic or international theatre, music, dance and art.
The Company has the overall aim of broadening horizons and encouraging a greater understanding of cultural diversity through the arts. The Company aims to:
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Develop and present new work that bridges cultural, linguistic and social divides;
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Create experiences that challenge the way we see the world;
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Develop the understanding of artists and audiences in the UK by bringing them into creative contact with artists from abroad;
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Through participation, nurture creative talent and empower young people to become artists in their own right;
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Through ticketing policies, marketing and active participation programmes, bring audiences of different cultural and social backgrounds together to see and engage with work that is adventurous, challenging and created by artists of great diversity.
It articulates its core values as:
Creative : We make great and innovative international work.
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Trustees’ Report
Curious : We ask questions, listen to answers and always try to be open to new ideas. We seek to challenge our own and our audience's expectations and assumptions of stereotypes and simple answers. Boundary-Crossing : We blur the boundaries between art forms, languages, nations and cultures. Engaged : We investigate our place in the world, searching for an understanding of current issues and ideas, and conveying this understanding in artistic ways.
Collaborative : We create and support nurturing communities of artists, thinkers, inter-generational and diverse audiences and our own colleagues.
Review of activities April 2024 to September 2025
This Trustees’ Report outlines the charitable activities undertaken during the reporting period as part of our core mission to create and present high-quality, socially engaged artistic work that serves public benefit. Through the support of public funding, individual giving, and charitable foundations, we have developed and delivered new theatre productions, participatory projects, and digital content that reach a wide and diverse audience. Our work this year has focused on artistic innovation, community engagement, and expanding access to cultural experiences. In doing so, we continue to meet our charitable objectives by fostering inclusive storytelling, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating opportunities for public participation in the arts.
This period marks the first year without core Arts Council England support and we are pleased to report a strong end to our financial year. We are grateful to the ongoing support of Oak Foundation which awarded us a new two-year grant, thereby ensuring our sustainability.
We have seen a huge increase in individual giving during the past year, which is as a result of a clear fundraising strategy. Our commitment to issues of equity, justice, and participation across gender, disability, migration, and the environment has helped us attract new support from individual donors and philanthropic networks aligned with these values. As part of this we have held regular stewardship events for our supporters, which also served to introduce potential new donors to Dash Arts. These events served to generate support and interest in the programme during a period where there were no public events or productions.
We are using the 20th Anniversary of Dash Arts as a springboard to increase the profile of the organisation and of the CEO/Artistic Director, Josephine Burton – and have engaged a corporate PR company to assist with this.
The 20th Anniversary will be marked throughout this coming year, and is bookended by world premieres of The Reckoning and Our Public House . We are using it as an opportunity to reconnect with all the artists, creatives and some participants of past projects, asking them to submit their memories of Dash to a digital storyboard, which will then tell the 20 year history of Dash. Through this project we can share the impact of our storytelling with audiences, supporters and funders.
We have recruited two new Trustees in the past year which has enlarged the total number of Trustees, making the leadership team more sustainable and allowing us to start succession planning. We have also been working with a consultant (pro bono) to help the leadership team craft a new 10 year strategy for Dash Arts, ready to launch with our 20th anniversary. This has put us in a strong position to make a new ACE NPO application next year and more importantly, to be clear about our long-term goals and ambitions for the company.
Making and Presenting new Theatre Productions
This year has marked a period of significant artistic achievement and strategic development for our organisation. From the premiering of our latest play The Reckoning and the development of Our Public House , to the international scope of Songs of Solidarity and the continued reach of our podcast series, our activities this year reflect both our creative ambition and our commitment to fostering inclusive, socially engaged storytelling.
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(Limited by Guarantee)
Trustees’ Report
The Reckoning - A new work of documentary theatre on the darkest days of Ukraine’s recent past, which premiered 28th May 25 at Arcola Theatre in London.
Based on real events within The Reckoning Project’s verified archive of witness testimonies of the Russian war in Ukraine, The Reckoning is playful and unsettling, blending storytelling with movement, music and cooking.
The Reckoning Project gathers stories from survivors and witnesses to the current atrocities in Ukraine. Long after most journalists moved on, their legally trained reporters spent months taking in-depth testimonies across Ukraine. Dash Arts has worked with long-term friend and collaborator Peter Pomeranzev journalist Natalya Gumenyuk , Ukrainian co-writer Anastasia Kosodii and UK director Josephine Burton to create a new piece of theatre, rooted in the stories within The Reckoning Project’s verified archive of audio and visual testimony.
As the performance ended, the conversation continued as audiences were invited to hear reflections from expert speakers—journalists, lawyers, and those with lived experience of the conflict. In all, we curated a list of over 32 speakers including illuminaries, such as Olia Hercules, Viv Groskop, Luke Harding and Orysia Lutsevych OBE who spoke movingly and passionately about the fight for justice.
The Reckoning was universally critically well received, with 4 and 5 star reviews.
"Powerful and Important" ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Stage
"Brilliant, sharp, stage craft" ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Reviews Hub
⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Guardian
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A young[ish] perspective
"Honestly one of the best things we've seen in years." – Audience Member
"This performance is not only art — it is an act of remembrance and resistance." – Audience Member
"A gripping, urgent and hugely significant work of art."- Audience Member
The production of the play was financed by Arts and Humanities Research Council grants facilitated by the University of Cambridge and by individual giving. We were pleased to receive three additional grants from Golsoncott Foundation, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation and Maria Bjornson Memorial Foundation..
Overall we achieved 50% box office and reached audiences of 1700, which outperformed the average at the Arcola Theatre.
Our Public House
Over the course of the last year, we have also developed Our Public House. We now have the completed script by Barney Norris and have commissioned Jonathan Walton to write 6 songs for the show. Both the script and the songs encompass some of the speeches made through the community speech-writing workshops held during 2023/24. We have been successful in receiving a substantial touring grant from
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Trustees’ Report
ACE which has helped secure 5 venues for Spring/Summer tour in 26. Our Public House will premiere in Leeds, then tour to Liverpool Shakespeare North, Coventry, Sheffield and Cornwall.
This innovative production will feature the community groups within the play and give an opportunity to 6 individuals every night to be on stage as part of a ‘Hustings scene’, two of whom (per night) will give their speeches. This ensures that the participatory projects which wrap around the production are embedded into the play, and not the usual add-on activity. We continue to work with community groups in each of the tour locations in the lead up to the production to ensure we can include as many people as possible in each of the show locations.
We are exploring how the speechwriting model used in Our Public House can translate into commercial settings. This represents an opportunity not just for income generation but for wider cultural influence through storytelling in professional contexts. We have further researched the commercial and business opportunity of offering speech-writing workshops outside of the Our Public House project. We have developed the business case, tested the offering with a few clients from different sectors and are working to launch this in September ‘25, alongside the announcement of the tour of Our Public House.
Songs of Solidarity
This is a bold, interdisciplinary project uniting artists, researchers, and refugees to co-create a powerful music-theatre performance. By weaving together ancient epics like Kalevala , Gilgamesh , and the Aeneid with modern stories and protest songs, the project explores solidarity, displacement, and friendship across time. At its heart, Songs of Solidarity seeks to craft a new epic - an origin story and uniting tale for the vast and growing global population of migrants, offering a transformative narrative that celebrates and redefines the migrant experience.
Songs of Solidarity is a multi-year, international collaboration bringing together artists, researchers, and migrant communities to create a new epic for our time. Rooted in the traditions of classical and nonWestern epics, this project will evolve through deep research, interviews with migrants, and collaborative storytelling with five writers in the form of a Writers’ Room. By integrating devised performance with actors and musicians in a series of workshops, we will shape a multi-voiced narrative that both honours and reimagines the epic form.
In December 24 we held the first R&D week with migrant artists and asylum seekers in Oxford, working with University of Oxford and Schwarzman Institute. Research and development with artists and migrant communities will continue in 2025-2026 towards a full-scale production in 2027 that amplifies migrant voices on an international stage.
Podcasts 202/2025
Our podcasts remain an important way to share our work with audiences across the UK and internationally, as well as with those who have difficulty attending live events. It is core to our values that we share the journey of discovery and subsequent discourse and debate that is integral to the research and development for all our projects.
Our series of free-to-access podcasts, released monthly, cover a range of topics and take on big issues through an artistic lens, exploring the challenges facing society today with artists, filmmakers, musicians, theatre makers and more. In each episode, Dash Arts' Artistic Director Josephine Burton hosts conversations delving into movements, legacies and ideas that continue to shape the cultural landscape worldwide.
During the last financial year we released 11 new podcasts, which have been downloaded 3,621 times increasing our total audience to 17,000. More than half of our audiences are from outside the UK - 57% - with a sizable audience generated in the US - 23%..
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Trustees’ Report
The Degenerates
Development of The Degenerates in this year was postponed as our co-producing partner, Munich Kammerspiele lost its funding. They have expressed a wish to remain involved in the project, but are unable to offer themselves as a co-producing partner for the foreseeable future.
Financial Review
The Company managed its budgets prudently and at year end presented a breakeven operating budget. In this period of R&D, our projects are running over several years and so we are carrying forward reserves totalling £226,038 split between £96,070 of unrestricted funds (£75k of which are Operating Reserves) and £129,969 of restricted funds. Designated funds are those which have been designated by Trustees for developing and touring the following year’s productions as that is core to Dash Arts’ objectives. Unrestricted general funds can be used as directed by the Trustees on the furtherance of the general objectives of Dash Arts and have not been designated at year end for other purposes. At year end we were holding £68,887 which was the production budget for The Reckoning and £60,259 for Our Public House to cover future participatory work in the coming year.
Dash Arts aims to hold approximately six months’ equivalent of operating costs in its overheads reserve. At year end March 2025 it held £75k, which represents 4.5 months of operating costs.
Core funding was received from OAK Foundation (£115k), which was the first year in a new grant period and their increased financial support has proven to be a lifeline to the organisation. We have also been successful in increasing funds from individual donors - both unrestricted and restricted to project funding. This has allowed us to run a break-even budget and carry forward project funds to the next financial year.
Support Costs
The core administrative team works in a fiscally responsible manner to keep support costs to the minimum.
Principal Risks and Uncertainties
Funding
With traditional sources of funding from charitable trusts and foundations oversubscribed, we are escalating our plans to generate income from commercial activity. The year 24/25 saw an increase in earned income and the next year (2025/2026) will see this trend continue as we launch the Speech-writing workshops commercially. The climate for funding from Trusts and Foundations remains extremely challenging, but we have now recruited a grant writer on a regular contract to increase our rate of application submission and to maximise our chances of raising project funds. With increased fundraising uncertainty the Trustees and the executive team review cashflow regularly, and ensure that plans for projects can be redesigned and repurposed to fit the financial reality.
State of UK theatre sector
The precarious state of many theatres’ finances, hit first by COVID, then inflation and then by the loss in local authority funding has meant that they have very little money to invest with coproducing partners. In order to balance their books, the theatres’ programming is relying on commercial productions to ensure box office return. This means that there is less opportunity for companies like Dash Arts to present their work, as this is viewed as less commercial. Dash Arts
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(Limited by Guarantee)
Trustees’ Report
is continuing to develop strong working relationships with its theatre network to garner coproducing support for its new productions by proposing new terms in which the financial risk is shared and minimised across multiple partners.
Arts Council England
We note the current review led by Baroness Hodge and look forward to learning of the findings and recommendations in due course. However, we would be concerned if the review led to delays or restrictions to project funding and more delays to the next round of NPO applications.
Fundraising Declaration
Dash Arts adheres to the best practice guidelines laid out by the Institute of Fundraising and is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. It operates in a professional manner at all times and has received no complaints about its fundraising activities or practice.
The Trustees’ Annual Report has been approved by the trustees on 23 September 2025 and signed on their behalf by
0371083A438940B... Joachim Fleury Chairman
A7TFF14CB39AE4A2... Katherine Zeserson Trustee
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Dash Arts Limited
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 9 to
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to an audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
ꞏ examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
ꞏ follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
ꞏ state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
- which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: ꞏ to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and
ꞏ to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities
have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Richard Nelson FCCA Breckman & Company Ltd Chartered Certified Accountants
49 South Molton Street London W1K 5LH
23 September 2025
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Notes £ £ Income and endowments from: 2 Donations and legacies - page 10 174,703 - Charitable activities: Theatre/festival - page 10 24,270 124,060 Investments 2 - Other - page 10 365 - Total 199,340 124,060 Expenditure on: Raising funds: Fundraising 35,085 - Charitable activities: Theatre/festival - page 11 226,174 43,778 Total 261,259 43,778 Net movement in funds: Net income ) (61,919 80,282 Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward 157,989 49,686 Total funds carried forward 12, 13 96,070 129,968 |
2025 Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds £ £ £ 174,703 154,383 - 148,330 58,222 69,636 2 - - 365 42,561 - 323,400 255,166 69,636 35,085 28,891 - 269,952 233,542 26,254 305,037 262,433 26,254 18,363 ) (7,267 43,382 207,675 165,256 6,304 226,038 157,989 49,686 |
2024 Total £ 154,383 127,858 - 42,561 |
|---|---|---|
| 324,802 | ||
| 28,891 259,796 |
||
| 288,687 | ||
| 36,115 171,560 |
||
| 207,675 |
The notes on pages 14 to 21 form an integral part of these financial statements.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Year ended 31 March 2025
| 2025 £ Income from donations and legacies Grants ACE - NPO Transition Fund - Oak Foundation 114,800 Donations Sundry donations 59,903 Income from charitable activities Theatre/festival Earned income Fees/box office/reimbursed expenses 21,564 Promoter fees 2,706 Project specific funding Other project grants and other trusts and foundations Project donations 72,760 Other project grants 39,300 Other trusts & foundations 12,000 Other Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) |
£ 114,800 59,903 174,703 24,270 124,060 148,330 365 |
2024 £ 53,466 52,239 48,678 57,022 1,200 11,990 49,646 8,000 |
£ 105,705 48,678 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 154,383 | |||
| 58,222 69,636 |
|||
| 127,858 | |||
| 42,561 |
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Year ended 31 March 2025
| Expenditure on raising funds Fundraising and publicity of the charity Expenditure on charitable activities Theatre/festival Production/project costs Fees Marketing Production costs Travel/transport/accommodation/visas/subsistence Support costs - page 12 Governance costs - page 12 |
2025 £ 35,085 35,085 31,280 6,274 27,749 7,393 72,696 183,250 14,006 269,952 |
2024 £ 28,891 |
|---|---|---|
| 28,891 | ||
| 33,405 9,285 20,174 13,640 |
||
| 76,504 166,739 16,553 |
||
| 259,796 |
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Year ended 31 March 2025
| Support and governance costs Support costs Office overheads Office rent Website fees Telephone/internet Insurance Computers/IT/software Marketing (core) Research Administration costs Salaries Fees Social security costs Employer pension costs Staff training Travel/subsistence Meeting costs Printing/postage/stationery Memberships Sundries/research/visas Professional/financial Legal/professional Bank charges Governance costs Accountancy Bookkeeping |
2025 £ 8,530 252 320 997 642 749 500 121,917 35,009 6,699 2,777 251 1,340 1,253 429 - 860 82 643 8,000 6,006 |
£ 11,990 170,535 725 183,250 14,006 197,256 |
2024 £ 3,825 252 298 920 871 2,664 - 118,397 28,116 6,109 2,602 - 478 398 393 30 774 13 599 3,900 12,653 |
£ 8,830 157,297 612 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166,739 16,553 |
||||
| 183,292 |
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Balance Sheet 31 March 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||
| Fixed assets | |||||||||
| Tangible assets | 8 | - | - | ||||||
| Current assets | |||||||||
| Debtors | 9 | 101,645 | 71,008 | ||||||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 152,098 | 152,040 | |||||||
| 253,743 | 223,048 | ||||||||
| Liabilities: | |||||||||
| Creditors: amounts falling | |||||||||
| due within one year | 10 | ) (27,705 |
) (15,373 |
||||||
| Net current assets | 226,038 | 207,675 | |||||||
| Total assets less current | |||||||||
| liabilities | 226,038 | 207,675 | |||||||
| The funds of the charity: | |||||||||
| Unrestricted funds | 12 | ||||||||
| General funds | 21,070 | 46,498 | |||||||
| Designated funds | 75,000 | 111,491 | |||||||
| 96,070 | 157,989 | ||||||||
| Restricted income funds | 13 | 129,968 | 49,686 | ||||||
| Total charity funds | 226,038 | 207,675 |
For the year ending 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
-
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476;
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The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 23 September 2025 and signed on its behalf by
Joachim Fleury Katherine Zeserson Chair of Trustees Trustee
The notes on pages 14 to 21 form an integral part of these financial statements.
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
1. Accounting policies
1.1. Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (issued October 2019) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), and the Companies Act 2006.
The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).
1.2. Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when:
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the charity is legally entitled to the funds
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any performance conditions attached to the income have been met or are fully within the control of the charity
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there is sufficient certainty that receipt of the income is considered probable
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the amount can be reliably measured
- Donations and legacies
Grants/donations are recognised in incoming resources in the year in which they are receivable, except as follows:
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when donors specify that grants/donations given to the charity must be used in future accounting periods, the income is deferred until those periods
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when donors impose conditions which have to be fulfilled before the charity becomes entitled to use such income, the income is deferred and not included in incoming resources until the preconditions for use are met.
- Charitable activities
Theatre/festival income - income from box office, performance fees and sundry other theatrical income is included in incoming resources in the period in which the relevant show takes place.
Project specific funding - when donors specify that donations and grants are for particular restricted purposes, which do not amount to pre-conditions regarding entitlement, this income is included in incoming resources of restricted funds when receivable.
- Investment income
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
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Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
1.3. Expenditure
All expenditure is included on an accruals basis inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered and is recognised when:
-
there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment
-
it is probable that settlement will be required
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the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably
- Costs of raising funds
Costs incurred in attracting donations, and those incurred in trading activities that raise funds.
- Charitable activities
Theatre/festival production costs - costs incurred in production and running of productions toured in the year.
- Support costs
The administrative and overhead costs associated with running the office from which the company operates as well as governance costs. Support costs are wholly attributable to theatre production costs.
- Governance costs
Costs associated with the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity.
1.4. Fund accounting
Funds held by the charity are either:
-
Unrestricted general funds - these are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.
-
Designated funds - these are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.
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Restricted funds - these are funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
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Dash Arts Limited
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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
1.5. Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.
1.6. Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
1.7. Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
1.8. Pensions
The company operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. Contributions payable are recognised as expenditure when due.
1.9. Financial Instruments
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value, and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
1.10. Significant Accounting Estimates and Judgements
In determining the carrying amounts of certain assets and liabilities, the charity makes assumptions of the effects of uncertain future events on those assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date. The charity's estimates and assumptions are based on historical experience and expectation of future events and are reviewed annually.
2. Incoming resources
The total theatrical income for the year has been derived from the principal activity. The proportion of theatrical income derived from outside the UK amounted to 18% ( 2024 - 18% ).
3. Other income
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) | 365 | 42,561 |
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
4. Trustees' emoluments and reimbursed expenses
The trustees received no remuneration during the year (2024 - £nil).
The aggregated amount reimbursed to trustees during the year was £242 (2024 - £nil).
| 5. Staff costs and numbers Staff costs Salaries and wages Social security costs Pension costs |
2025 £ 121,917 6,699 2,777 131,393 |
2024 £ 118,397 6,109 2,602 |
|---|---|---|
| 127,108 |
No employee earned £60,000 or more during the year (2024 - nil).
The total benefits of the key management personnel of the charity including fees paid were £63,092 (2024 - £45,752).
Staff numbers
The average numbers of employees (including casual and part time staff) during the year was made up as follows:
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | |||
| Support | 4 | 3 |
6. Pension costs
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme in respect of its employees. The scheme and its assets are held by independent managers. The pension charge represents contributions due from the company and amounted to £2,777 (2024 - £2,602).
7. Corporation taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
| 8. Fixed assets - tangible assets Fixtures/ fittings/ equipment £ Cost 1 April 2024 / 31 March 2025 1,822 Depreciation 1 April 2024 / 31 March 2025 1,822 Net book values 31 March 2025 - 31 March 2024 - 9. Debtors 2025 £ Trade debtors 53,611 Other debtors 1,611 Prepayments/accrued income 46,423 101,645 10. Creditors: amounts falling due 2025 within one year £ Trade creditors 21,105 Other creditors 50 Accruals 6,550 27,705 |
2024 £ 2,304 40 68,664 |
|---|---|
| 71,008 | |
| 2024 £ 10,858 68 4,447 |
|
| 15,373 |
11. Limited by guarantee
The private company is limited by guarantee, registered in EW - England and Wales, and does not have a share capital. Each member gives a guarantee to contribute a sum, not exceeding £1, to the company should it be wound up. At 31 March 2025 there were 5 members.
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
12. Unrestricted funds
| Unrestricted funds | Brought | Outgoing | Transfers | Carried | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| forward | resources | forward | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| General fund | 46,498 | 61,919 | 36,491 | 21,070 | |
| Designated funds: | |||||
| Designated project funds | 57,000 | - | ) (57,000 |
- | |
| Our Public House | 4,491 | - | ) (4,491 |
- | |
| Overheads reserve fund | 50,000 | - | 25,000 | 75,000 | |
| 157,989 | ) (61,919 |
- | 96,070 |
Designated project funds
The funds c/f were fully spent on the further development of our major new productions: Our Public House , a series of script development workshops continued in places the production will tour to; The Reckoning - which was premiered at Arcola Theatre in London in June 2025; Songs of Solidarity - a week-long R was held in December 2024 in Oxford.
Our Public House
The small surplus of £4,491 c/f from last year was all spent in 2024/25 on further development. The rest of the funds to c/f are restricted and detailed separately.
Overheads Reserve Fund
We are holding £75,000 designated to core reserves. Our policy is to have 3-6 months of overhead costs in reserve as is best practice. At year end we currently are holding just under 5 months' core costs. As Dash Arts has lost its NPO funding it is the aim to increase this target to 6 months' core costs
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
| **13. ** | Restricted funds | Brought | Incoming | Outgoing | Carried |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| forward | resources | resources | forward | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Reckoning | 9,221 | 76,810 | ) (17,144 |
68,887 | |
| Our Public House | 39,643 | 32,950 | ) (12,334 |
60,259 | |
| The Degenerates | 822 | - | - | 822 | |
| Co-creation toolkit | - | 3,900 | ) (3,900 |
- | |
| Song of Solidarity | - | 10,400 | ) (10,400 |
- | |
| 49,686 | 124,060 | ) (43,778 |
129,968 |
Reckoning
In 24/25 we received restricted grants towards The Reckoning from Arts and Humanities Research council via University of Cambridge (£15K); The Golsoncott Foundation (£1K); £43K from The Reckoning Project and individual giving to the value of £13,300. The Big Give Xmas Challenge was dedicated to The Reckoning and £5,511 was donated. £68,887 was carried forward to cover production costs as the show went into rehearsal in May 2025.
Our Public House (previously Speech Speech)
In 2024/25 we received the final instalment from Arts Council England towards the research and development of Our Public House to the value of £3,000. Also received were grants from Birmingham University AHRC fund £7,000; The Three Monkies Trust £6,000; Thistle Trust £3,000; The Marchus Trust £3,000; plus individual gifts to the value of £10,950 restricted to the development of Our Public House, £60,258 of which will be carried forward to the financial year 2025/26. The project plan for 2025/26 includes the development and writing of the music for the production as well as a further series of speech writing workshops with community participants in preparation for the production's premiere in Spring 2026.
The Degenerates
There was no activity on this project in the year 24/25, so £822 will be carried forward to next year with a view to further successful fundraising to carry out more research.
Co-creation Toolkit
In 2024/25 we received a grant from Royal Holloway University for the development and writing of the methodology used by Dash Arts in the co-creation of new projects. A toolkit was produced for dissemination amongst the sector as an example of best practice.
Songs of Solidarity
We received a grant from the University of Oxford to support the first research and development week for our new project, Songs of Solidarity. We continue our relationship with the university and plan to carry out further research and development in 2025/26
Docusign Envelope ID: 45E92F1C-B4B7-4CBF-B419-A9DD16078BA9
Dash Arts Limited
(Limited by Guarantee)
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
14. Analysis of net assets between funds
| Analysis of net assets between funds | |
|---|---|
| General Designated Restricted funds funds funds £ £ £ Fund balances at 31 March 2025 are represented by: Net current assets 21,070 75,000 129,968 21,070 75,000 129,968 |
Total £ 226,038 |
| 226,038 |
15. Related party transactions
One trustee made a donation to the charity in the year totalling £600.
One trustee was paid expenses reimbursed of £242 during the year.