## **THE CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING** 

## **DIRECTORS REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2022** 

## **1. ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** 

**CHARITY NAME:** The Centre for International Storytelling (CIS or TCIS) 

**OTHER NAMES:** The Centre for International Storytelling uses the name The Crick Crack Club for all its public activity, including, but not limited to programming, promotion, training, commissioning, and associated fundraising for these activities. The Centre for International Storytelling bank accounts are held in the name: The London Centre for International Storytelling 

**CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER** (registered in England and Wales): 1109510 

**COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER** (registered in England): 5264780 

**CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS:** 5 Brook Road, Montpelier, Bristol, BS6 5LR 

**CHARITY/COMPANY REGISTERED OFFICE:** 21 Ealing Park Mansions, 114 South Ealing Road, London W5 4QD 

**TRUSTEES & DIRECTORS** : Trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, during the 

year under review were: 

Joshua Wiskey 

Rana Ward 

Sarah Liisa Wilkinson 

Jennifer Pearcy-Edwards 

Corinne Harragin (appointed 21/09/21) 

Himanshu Ojha (appointed 21/09/21) 

## **2. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** 

**THE PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY** as set out in its governing document are:  To advance the education of the public in the knowledge of the art, practice, and value of oral storytelling and in the knowledge of the form and content of the oral traditions of all the peoples and cultures of the world by actively promoting the exploration and sharing of oral traditions, storytelling, and stories 

## **MAIN ACTIVITIES:** 

- Sector and art-form advocacy 



- programming, curating, organising, managing and marketing public performance storytelling events. 

- placing storytellers in educational contexts including, but not restricted to schools, community 

   - settings, higher education institutions, museums and galleries. 

- supporting performance storytellers through mentoring, training and commissioning. 

- undertaking research into oracy, audience engagement, sector need and artist need. 

- measuring and evaluating our work, its outcomes and benefits. 

**PUBLIC BENEFIT:** The trustees of the CIS have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The central benefits which flow from our work are: 

- the promotion of the enjoyment, better understanding and general advancement of the arts, and in particular of international traditional stories, theatre, oral literature and intangible cultural heritage. 

- improved access to the arts for everyone, especially those who are, or who feel excluded, or whose access is limited by supply. 

- the promotion of art and artists from diverse cultures that results in a more informed, more tolerant and more inclusive societal and world view. 

- better understanding and appreciation of communally held culture and cultural commonality 

- improved well-being, mental and physiological health 

- a greater sense of humankind's responsibilities to oneself, others and the environment. 

- improved skills in and greater recognition of the value of oracy, speaking and listening 

## **...for the general public throughout the UK.** 

- more and more diverse employment opportunities 

- improved artistic practice and improved skill-sets 

## **...for UK based performance storytellers and English-speaking artists based overseas** 

- increased appreciation of international traditional narratives as content worth adapting in contemporary live arts 

- greater appreciation and understanding of the skill-set of performance storytellers 

## **...for funders, cultural gatekeepers and sector professionals.** 

These benefits are evidenced by survey data, and regular evaluation and review. 

## **3. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** 



**GOVERNANCE:** The Charity is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and does not have a share capital. The liability of each member is fixed at an amount not to exceed £1. 

The governing document of the CIS are memorandum and articles of association. 

The core staff of the charity are an Artistic Director whose role equates to that of a CEO; a Programme Manager and an Audience Engagement & Marketing Manager. We work with multiple freelance artists, arts professionals, and others. 

**RECRUITING AND APPOINTING NEW TRUSTEES:** At each Annual General Meeting one-third of the directors (those who have been longest in office since their last election or appointment) shall retire from office. A retiring director is eligible for re-election. The directors may at any time co-opt any person as a director, either to fill a casual vacancy or by way of addition to their number, provided that any maximum determined by the Company is not exceeded. Any member so co-opted shall retain office only until the next Annual General Meeting but shall then be eligible for re-appointment. 

Charitable trustees/directors are selected for their passion for the form and content of performance storytelling and traditional narrative, and the objects of the organisation, as well as their knowledge and skills in other areas, including, but not restricted to fundraising, law, events management, PR and for the networks they represent. 

## **4. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** 

Main achievements: 

- **OVERALL RESULTS:** we programmed approximately 50 shows for over 4,400 audience members and 8 workshops for 84 participants. 

- **COVID ADAPTATIONS:** Over the course of 21-22 we moved all programmes back to operating at full capacity and removed the necessity for multiple shows to extend access. We performed using telephone conferencing. We developed hybrid shows at Oxford Story Museum and live streaming has become a permanent offer at this venue. We published extracts from the Secret Art of the Storyteller – a series of free, on-line training films - whilst our live training remains restricted. 

- **ON-GOING PROGRAMMES:** We have continued the process of rebuilding our core programme of events with existing partners, as well as seeking new ones. 2021-22 we programmed events at York Theatre Royal, Rich Mix, The British Museum, Kings Place, Oxford Story Museum, The Cube, and the British Library. All operating on guarantees, hires and box office splits. 

- **CRANBORNE EARTHOUSE:** We have continued to work with partners Earthouse Storytelling Ambassadors to develop audiences for storytelling and other art forms at Cranborne 



Earthouse. We have managed their post of Relationship Manager throughout 2022 – with the aim of building performance opportunities for artists in regional venues. 

- **NEW VENUES & PARTNERSHIPS:** We formed new relationships with venues/organisations including The Macular Society, Kew Gardens, Hounslow Borough Council, and Richmond Libraries. We have embryonic relationships with Charleston, Gunnersbury Park Museum, Chelsea Physic Garden, Minack, and Thorington Theatre. 

- **FABULARIUM:** The Fabularium venue remains in storage following the pandemic. 

- **TRAINING:** We reinstated our short course programme at Rich Mix. Plans to reinstate our residential programme have been delayed to 2023. 

- **STORIES IN THE DARK:** We have partnered Kate Norgate as an independent producer on The Unseen Unseeing, a project focused on creating parity of experience between sighted and VI audiences and exploring the nature of imagination when sight is impaired. The project was jointly funded by Arts Council England (secured by Kate Norgate) and Bristol City Council (secured by the CIS). 

## **IDENTIFIED RISK** 

- Covid19: The long term impact of Covid 19 pandemic is slowly becoming apparent and it will clearly continue to have an impact on our work, the venues we have access to, artists, and audience reach over the next 2-5 years. It is already evident that audiences are not simply returning to old patterns of behaviour, which will have a significant impact on our financial security. We have lost our highest prefile London venue, and its replacement (or what activity will replace the function this venue served) has not yet been identified. Artist productivity has slowed and some artists have yet to return to performance due to ill health, age, family commitment, and economic factors.  Arts organisations – especially venue based organisations – continue to be risk averse and non-responsive to new approaches. 

- Loss of access to international artists: Brexit and a new organisational policy to limit air travel within the organisation has reduced access to European artists. This demands greater focus on UK talent and the UK storytelling sector economy. 

- Political: The current political situation indicates that: arts funding will be significantly more difficult to secure, especially for London based projects AND an economic recession and cost of living crisis is likely to impact organisations and audiences in the coming months/years. 

## **5. FINANCIAL REVIEW** 

## **SUMMARY FINANCIAL POSITION:** 

Total incoming: £106,186 



Total outgoing: £87,248 

Brought forward unrestricted funds: £6,711 

Brought forward restricted funds: £3.337 

Core grant funding: £0 

Project grant funding: £62,952 

Donations totalled £731 

Income from box office receipts and fees from venues totalled: £39,916 

## **RESERVES POLICY:** 

The challenge: it is difficult for the CIS to build reserves because box office yields reflect project budgets directly and grant funded project budgets are required to show no profit. Our reserves were exhausted during the Covid 19 pandemic but were restored by two Cultural Recovery Grants. However, as our boxoffice driven economy has been slow to rebuild, and because access to funding is especially challenging, we expect to draw on reserves during the next financial year. 

- Reserves are necessary for the CIS to protect us against unexpected drops in income caused by: failures to secure funding that covers our core operational costs; failures of others to secure funding for projects which we are involved in; falls in audience numbers and associated box office yield; other events, such a the current global pandemic. 

- Our previous stated aim to hold £12K in reserves and our previous sated policy to restrict use of reserves to projects that represent significant investment is likely to no longer be viable due to the draw on reserves necessary to survive the impact of Covid19. 

- We aim to hold a minimum of £5K in reserves 2022-2023 

- The reserves can be spent on all core activity, staff costs, marketing, artists costs and expenses. 

- Reserves may also be used as match funding in grant applications. 

- Our reserves policy is reviewed annually. 


Signed: 

Name: Kate Norgate Position:  Secretary 

Date: 30/09/22 



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## **The Centre for International Storytelling** 

## **Statement of Financial Activities(incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account)** 

## **Natural Classification** 

## **Year Ended 31st March 2022** 

|**Receipts**<br>**Grant**<br>**Donations**<br>**Ticket Sales**<br>**Consultancy Fees**<br>**Programming Fees**<br>**Artists Fees**<br>**Sundry Income**<br>**Interest**<br>**Total Receipts**<br>**Expenditure**<br>**Professional Fees**<br>**Programming, project management and admin**<br>**Bookkeeping**<br>**Consultancy fees**<br>**Project Delivery**<br>**Staff expenses**<br>**Hospitality**<br>**Production costs**<br>**Digital production costs**<br>**Sundries**<br>**Venue Costs**<br>**Venue hire, set & production**<br>**Artistic Expenditure**<br>**Artist fees and expenses**<br>**Commissions**<br>**Office Costs**<br>**Communication**<br>**Stationary**<br>**Equipment**<br>**Subs and professional development**<br>**Office space**<br>**Marketing**<br>**Web & email**<br>**Film & photography**<br>**Design & print**<br>**Distribution**<br>**Legal**<br>**AR fee**<br>**Audit & accounts**<br>**Banking**<br>**Charges**<br>**Miscellaneous**<br>**Contingency**<br>**Insurance**<br>**Prior Year Adjustment**<br>**Sundries**<br>**Total Expenditure**<br>**Net Income**<br>**Transfers**<br>**Brought Forward**<br>**Carried Forward**||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Total Funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**CORE COSTS**|**CRICK CRACK CLUB PROJECTS**||||||||**TOTAL UNRESTRICTED**|**Cultural Recovery**<br>**Fund**|**Unseen Unseeing**|**ACE Covid**|**Crick Crack Club**<br>**Consultancy**|**TOTAL RESTRICTED**||
|||**SOHO**|**Rich Mix**|**BRITISH MUSEUM**|**CUBE**|**EARTHOUSE**|**MARY POPPINS**|**Fabularium**<br>**(Unrestricted)**|**Other Crick Crack**<br>**Club Events**||||||||
||731<br>156||4544|2400|6150|15668<br>1058<br>2407|||4783<br>5314<br>24|731<br>31145<br>3458<br>5314<br>2587|45913|17039|||62952|**£**<br>62952<br>731<br>31145<br>3458<br>5314<br>2587|
||**887**<br>314<br>96<br>131<br>553<br>663<br>13<br>250<br>35<br>1704<br>500<br>542||**4544**<br>2350|**2400**<br>1385<br>56|**6150**<br>13<br>2150<br>55|**19133**<br>1233<br>18570|81<br>12<br>16|361|**10121**<br>535<br>114<br>279<br>820<br>7752<br>599|**43234**<br>616<br>1233<br>114<br>279<br>1193<br>32206<br>314<br>96<br>131<br>553<br>663<br>111<br>611<br>13<br>250<br>35<br>1704<br>500<br>558|**45913**<br>11360<br>1300<br>1714<br>7454<br>7165<br>6896<br>826<br>7770|**17039**<br>260<br>900|75<br>350||**62952**<br>11620<br>75<br>1650<br>1714<br>8354<br>7165<br>6896<br>826<br>7770|**106186**<br>12236<br>75<br>2883<br>114<br>1993<br>1193<br>40561<br>314<br>96<br>7296<br>7449<br>663<br>937<br>611<br>7770<br>13<br>250<br>35<br>1704<br>500<br>558|
||**4800**<br>**(3912)**<br>20341<br>**(16429)**|**-**<br>61<br>**(61)**|**2350**<br>**2194**<br>(3002)<br>**2200**|**1441**<br>**959**<br>(2842)<br>**3200**|**2217**<br>**3933**<br>(3481)<br>**1163**|**19802**<br>**(670)**<br>(7101)<br>**11063**|**109**<br>**(109)**<br>364<br>**(255)**|**361**<br>**(361)**<br>**744**|**10098**<br>**23**<br>**5087**|**41178**<br>**2056**<br>4340<br>**6711**|**44485**<br>**1428**<br>(1428)|**1160**<br>**15879**|**425**<br>**(425)**<br>88<br>**337**|**-**<br>(3000)<br>**3000**|**46070**<br>**16882**<br>**(4340)**<br>**3337**|**87248**<br>**18938**<br>**10048**|
||**-**|**-**|**1392**|**1317**|**1614**|**3292**|**-**|**383**|**5110**|**13107**|**-**|**15879**|**-**|**-**|**15879**|**28985**|





IndepeNlent examiMrf$ report to the tr4Stees of The Centre for Intemational Storytelllng
Charlty Number 1109510. Compary Number 05264Th1
I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31st Marth 2022
Respectfve resp0nsl1￿ftleS of t￿￿tee$ and euminer
The trustees (who are a150 the rfirertors of the companyfor the purposes of company law) are responsible
for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for thls year under
section 14412) of the Charities Act 2011 and that an independent e￿inatiOn is needed.
Having satlsfied myself that the tharity is not subject to audit under company law and 15 eligible for
independent examination. it is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Actr.
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directi¢)ns wen by the Charity Commission
under section 14515){bl of the 2011 ACL. and
to stste whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basls of Independent examlnerfs report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directi￿$ wen by the Charity Commisslon.
An examination indudes a review of the accounting records kept by the tharity and a comparison of the
accounts presented with those records. It also indudes consideration of any unusual items or dlsdosures In
the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures
undertaken do not provide all the eviden￿ that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion
Is given as to whether the accounts present a Iwue and tdir vithrf and the report is limited to those matters
set out in the statement below.
Independent examlnerfs statem
In connection with my examination. no matter has come to my attentim:
11) which 8lves me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respert the requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Art 2(ffi' and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accountin8
requirements of section 3% of the Cornpanies Art 2(X)6 and with the methods and prinaples
of the Statement of Recommended Practi￿. Accounting and Reporting by Charities
have not been met or
12) to which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the
accounts to be reached.
John Hi8son
Bank Accounts
Oak Ridge. Ed8ton
Craven Arms
Shropshire
SY7 8HW
Date: