The London Ballet Circle
Trustees’ Report and Examined Accounts for the year ended 31 October 2023
THE LONDON BALLET CIRCLE 2022/23
Patron: Sir Peter Wright CBE
President: Dame Monica Mason DBE
Vice Presidents:
Dame Merle Park DBE Wayne Eagling David Nixon OBE Darius James OBE Sir David Bintley CBE Kevin O’Hare CBE Cassa Pancho MBE Dame Darcey Bussell DBE Carlos Acosta CBE Tamara Rojo CBE
The Trustees and Elected Officers during the reporting year were:
Susan Dalgetty Ezra (Chair) Linda Gainsbury (until 2 March) Krissie Poyser (Secretary) Keith White (Treasurer) Sylvia Villa Fiona Erleigh Ben Etteridge Candace Kuss Susan Lynas Paul Pan (until 19 September) Alastair Thomson
Registered Charity number: 1123258
Registered Office: (with effect from 20 January 2023) 42, The Hyde, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 0ER
Independent Examiner:
M J Bushell Audit LLP 8 High Street Brentwood Essex CM14 4AB
Bankers:
Unity Trust Bank Four Brindley Place Birmingham, B1 2JB.
The London Ballet Circle was established in 1946 by Stanley Hawkins with Ninette de Valois (regarded as the founder of British ballet) as its first president. The LBC is the world’s oldest nonaffiliated dance/ballet appreciation society. It became a charity in 2008 and its objects were widened in 2019. In summary these are:
-
to promote and support dance and the kindred arts for the public benefit.
-
to enhance public knowledge and appreciation of ballet and associated dance forms
-
to encourage excellence, in particular by awarding bursaries for ballet/dance students
-
to offer other charitable assistance for dance but not restricted to dance organisations.
The LBC sets out to achieve this in a number of ways by
-
offering talks with dancers and leading creatives to members and the wider public
-
arranging visits to ballet schools and company rehearsals
-
giving bursaries and awards to dance and ballet students, and charitable donations to ballet companies and organisations to develop new work or to recognise their role in helping us achieve our objectives.
-
promoting the art form to members through newsletters and to the world at large through the website and social media.
The development of online talks via Zoom during Covid lockdown has continued afterwards with success enabling the LBC to attract membership throughout the UK and now worldwide, particularly North America and Europe. It has also allowed the LBC to arrange speakers from anywhere in the world and minimise the disruption to their busy schedules.
Zoom only talks remain free to members with a small charge for the public. Where live meetings are also screened online as a hybrid event, a charge is made to all members to cover the increasing cost of London venues with again a differential higher charge for others. All bookings are made through the website to eliminate cash handling.
The LBC remains committed to offering a wide range of dance related speakers and both live and online events. Successful live events are important but the LBC also needs to fulfill its charitable duties and not just seek financial viability..
ACHIEVEMENTS 2022-2023
In the year 2022-2023 membership increased by about 10% to reach 560. The LBC held 33 events with an attendance of over 1700 Members & guests.
There were three hybrid events held at the Royal Ballet School featuring
-
Royal Ballet principal Marcelino Sambé In Conversation with Sarah Crompton
-
Laura Morera who was retiring as a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet In Conversation with Gerald Dowler, and
-
Deborah Weiss In Conversation with Royal Ballet principal Vadim Muntagirov who stayed behind to meet guests and sign copies of his book ‘From Small Steps to Big Leaps’.
At the AGM on March 2[nd] , the Royal Opera House conductor Jonathan Lo spoke, via Zoom, from his new home in Melbourne where he is now Music Director of Australian Ballet.
In addition, there were 12 other In Conversation Zoom meetings with guests (and listeners) from near and far. The LBC was honoured to host Cuban born Loipa Araújo, former ballerina and now legendary teacher In Conversation with Sarah Crompton. Principal dancer Xander Parish, formerly with the Maryinsky but now speaking from Norway, and other dancers from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Scottish Ballet and New York City Ballet companies also delighted listeners with stories about their lives and careers. The newly appointed Director of English National Ballet Aaron S. Watkin told listeners about his experiences dancing with leading classical companies and as Director at Dresden’s Semperoper Ballett. Mthuthuzeli November from Ballet Black spoke with Christopher Marney about his career as a dancer and now as a sought-after choreographer.
Visits were also made to watch rehearsals and classes with schools and companies such as English National Ballet School, New English Ballet Theatre, Central School of Ballet, Northern Ballet, Ballet Black, Masters of Ballet Academy, and an annual visit with the Ballet Association to the Royal Ballet Upper School.
Yorkshire Summer Seminars, who have a close association with the LBC, invited the Chair to watch a pop-up class with Zenaida Yanowsky coaching young students with a range of abilities. This was a new initiative and the students delighted in their experience in one of the studios at the Royal Opera House.
LBC Members were also invited, for the first time, to attend a series of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ classes, also at the Royal Opera House, sponsored by ’Dance Forward’ and the first being led by Royal Ballet principal dancer Yasmine Naghdi.
Another new event for the LBC was to run a stall at the Royal Ballet School Summer Fair held in the beautiful grounds of White Lodge in Richmond Park. Visitors to the Fair were treated to various dance displays by the younger students as well as having the opportunity to tour the school. The Fair was opened by former pupil Anna Rose O’Sullivan, current principal at the Royal Ballet and a former guest with the LBC. She and Christopher Powney, the School’s Director, came up to chat with volunteers at the stall and posed for photos with passers-by. The stall helped raise the profile of the LBC and attracted several new members.
The LBC were the first visitors since the pandemic to be invited on a tour of the Freed’s ballet shoe-maker’s factory in the East End. Those attending were shown how pointe shoes are made individually for each dancer through the process of pleating, gluing, stitching and binding.
The LBC has continued with its proud tradition of awarding bursaries, scholarships and prizes to talented young students. The Stanley Hawkins bursary to attend Ballet Cymru’s summer school was awarded to Lucy Wilson-Knight from Northern Ballet School. The LBC also presented the Ninette de Valois award at the Royal Ballet School graduating ceremony to Milda Luckute and Caspar Lench, and the Sir Peter Wright award was presented to Sophie Walters at Elmhurst Ballet School. Michael Maple, from the Northern Ballet Graduate programme, was awarded the LBC prize at the second annual Grad Pro International Showcase competition. Funding was also granted for three scholarships to the Yorkshire Summer Seminars. These awards are made possible through generous donations and profits from membership to the LBC.
The National Dance Awards, hosted by Graham Watts, Chair of the Dance Critic’s Circle, presented the LBC’s award for Outstanding Male Classical Performance to Marcelino Sambé for his portrayal as Pedro in Christopher Wheeldon’s “Like Water for Chocolate”. This LBC award is now funded by the LBC having been previously supported by an individual member, but the nature of the event makes this funding non-charitable (but still relevant to the charity objects).
Following the all-round success of the inaugural Choreographic Award in 2022, the LBC hopes to make this award a biennial tradition and are delighted that the 2024 Award will be for £10,000 – an increase from £7,500. Major schools and companies in England & Wales have been invited to make submissions and a panel of experts, Dame Monica Mason (LBC President and former principal dancer and Director of the Royal Ballet), Christopher Marney (choreographer, teacher and Artistic Director of London City Ballet), Deborah Weiss (dance writer and critic) and Elena Glurjidze (director of the Masters of Ballet Academy) will make their recommendations to the Trustees for approval. The winner or winners will be announced at the next AGM on 11 March 2024.
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
The year was successful financially, achieving a surplus in excess of £7,000. This has allowed £5,000 to be designated by the trustees into a new Choreographic Awards Fund to be carried forward to fund half of the 2024 award. Excluding the Choreographic Award in 2022, charitable
donations were in¢reased by nearty 50% to £11,765 and replnt oveT 80% ol LBC'$ annual spending. The increasing membership 8nd tho extensive events programme was refi(ed in snth¢ant Income gr¢yh Most members now make e commerce transactions and although Ihis Incurs some 8ddrtional costs Icaid processing and wetssite membership (tstaba5e costs). the handltry of cheques Can incur costs and a reducing manual newsletter dkslribution has achieved some sawngs. Those members make a contnbution towards pnnlino and post81 costs RESERVES AND ACCOUNTING Whib most of the expendfiuTe 18 tharftabk donations, which could bo varied acrM9 lo income to maintain a suitable financial posrtN)n, in prmctice the LBC has a number of long-standing student awards which rt wishes to Sustsin to provide certainty to the réceiving organisalions Having built up the expectats'ons of a18raer and more dwjersed membefship. the LBC also needs fLtnds to meet those exctatiOns. white stlll bein9 able to r•spond to unexpecled needs and co8ts The LBC Iherelore seeks lo rn181n a minimum reserve of an aveiage one year'8 8xp8ndrture, èxcluding those restricted for a particular purpose 11 has for some years hek4 $ubstantially In excess of thi$ and plans over a number of years to expand charitable donations and further ¢horwr8phic awards In 8 sustainable prcof8mme The Tru$l8es are responsiblo ICY k08piThJ propar accounting rgcords and prepann9 financial statements for each financol year which give a Irue and lair vigw ol Ihe financial position in accordance wth 18gal quIreMentS They are Tequ(red to select surt8ble accounting poli¢tes and apply them eonsistenlly., make judgements and estimales that are reastsnable and prudent, and prepare financial $t8lements on a going concem basis, unle88 It is Inappropriate lo presume that Th¢ London Ballet Circlè will Continue. They ore also responslbl8 lor 18king r6aaon8ble 8t•P8 for the prevention and detect ol Iraud and other irregul8ri1ios. GOVERNAMCE AND RISKS TheAGM opproved changes to th• Constrtution which introduced Iw$te¢s being elected for a Ihree-year term on a rotating ba818 In8te8d of annually. 11 confimed the ability to transact m¢Mr and liustee meetings onlifie and updatad thelggal wovisions gpplyin9 to charitses since the prèvious 2W8 Conslilulion. The LBC updatéd its policies particularly >n relat to 8afeguardino. volunteers. guidance fc memberj and financi81 control3 and has ¢18rfed its poli¢y for giving charilabb donations sovnd financial position has mitigated somè of the risks that exist in holding events and being reliant on rnemb$r8hip payments 8nd donalions. Howover, the 18¢k of surtablo and affordab venues still concems the trusteès as well a8 the technology lit8 8V8rlebility at venues and the . gxtenl to taLStaes and volunteers can manag¢ it) to deliver an exlensive online programme of events. LBC h88 be•n oble to uge the lacilrtjes of The Royal Ballel School In the avening on regular basis and while Ilte cost is at a conwnercial rate, the expenditure stay$ wtthin the"b21Jet ccxnrnufiity. The TruBtee8 maintain a rffjk list and V1W rt at regular intsN818. Th* Trustees present theii rep)rt and examrned accounts lor the year ended 31 October 2023. Oh behaff of tho Trustw: 519ned.. . {ChaiTI daled../.1'2L&u.....
THE LONDON BALLET CIRCLE Charity registration number 1123258 Receipts and payments Accounts 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023
| Note | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECEIPTS | |||||
| Memberships | 10835 | 0 | 10835 | 9320 | |
| Donations | 2755 | 0 | 2755 | 3120 | |
| Gift Aid | 1 | 2010 | 0 | 2010 | 1805 |
| Events (Talks/Visits) | 9505 | 0 | 9505 | 5150 | |
| Interest | 473 | 0 | 473 | 32 | |
| Other | 356 | 0 | 356 | 145 | |
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | 25934 | 0 | 25934 | 19572 | |
| PAYMENTS | |||||
| Bursaries and donations | |||||
| Bursaries and Awards to students | 2 | 3950 | 0 | 3950 | 3300 |
| Donations to ballet organisations | 2 | 8415 | 0 | 8415 | 4780 |
| Choreographic awards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7500 | |
| sub total | 12365 | 0 | 12365 | 15580 | |
| Administration and Governance | |||||
| AGM costs | 162 | 0 | 162 | 0 | |
| Charity insurance | 143 | 0 | 143 | 143 | |
| Bank and transaction charges | 834 | 0 | 834 | 593 | |
| Computer software | 338 | 0 | 338 | 185 | |
| Newsletter (Printing and Postage) | 707 | 0 | 707 | 807 | |
| Website | 1403 | 0 | 1403 | 1074 | |
| General administration | 194 | 0 | 194 | 167 | |
| sub total | 3781 | 0 | 3781 | 2969 | |
| Event costs | |||||
| Talks / visits | 1693 | 0 | 1693 | 1548 | |
| Zoom licences | 890 | 0 | 890 | 806 | |
| sub total | 2583 | 0 | 2583 | 2354 | |
| TOTAL PAYMENTS | 18729 | 0 | 18729 | 20903 | |
| NET RECEIPTS (PAYMENTS) | 7205 | 0 | 7205 | -1331 |
| Note | Unrestricted | Restricted | Designated | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash funds as at 31 October 2022 |
20121 | 2000 | 0 | 22121 | |
| Total Receipts | 25934 | 0 | 0 | 25934 | |
| Total Payments | 18729 | 0 | 0 | 18729 | |
| Net Receipts (Payments) | 7205 | 0 | 0 | 7205 | |
| Transfers between funds | 3 | -5000 | 0 | 5000 | 0 |
| Cash funds as at 31 October 2023 |
22326 | 2000 | 5000 | 29326 | |
| CHOREOGRAPHIC AWARDS |
|||||
| Fund at 31 October 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Transfers | 0 | 5000 | 5000 | ||
| Income | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Expenditure | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Fund at 31 October 2023 | 0 | 5000 | 5000 |
Statement of funds 2022/23
Unrestricted funds are freely available for use by the trustees to further the charity’s purposes. Restricted funds are received and used for purposes specified by the donor. Designated funds are allocated by the trustees for a particular purpose (and can be undesignated at their discretion).
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 October 2023
| Note | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash funds at bank | 4 | 26970 | 2000 | 28970 |
| Other monetary assets | ||||
| Gift Aid repayable | 1 | 356 | 0 | 356 |
| less Liabilities | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| NET ASSETS at 31 October 2023 | 27326 | 2000 | 29326 |
NOTES
- 1 - Gift aid claimed covered the period 1 November 2022 to 30 September 2023. The claim for the period 1 October to 31 October 2023 is made in 2023/24.
Gift aid repayable from HMRC is recognised as income at the time of the donation.
2 - The following bursaries, awards and donations were made in 2022/23:
| ANNUAL AWARDS TO STUDENTS | Amount £ |
|---|---|
| The Sir Peter Wright Prize (Elmhurst) | 500 |
| Yorkshire Ballet Seminars | 1950 |
| Ballet Cymru (Stanley Hawkins prize) | 500 |
| The LBC’s Dame Ninette de Valois Awards (RBS) | 1000 |
| Total | 3950 |
| TO BALLET ORGANISATIONS | Amount £ |
|---|---|
| DONATION FOLLOWING VISITS | |
| Alexander Whitley Dance | 70 |
| Ballet Black | 150 |
| Central School of Ballet | 450 |
| Dance Forward | 500 |
| English National Ballet School (2 visits) | 1295 |
| Masters of Ballet Academy (2 visits) | 260 |
| New English Ballet Theatre | 500 |
| Northern Ballet | 750 |
| Royal Academy of Dance | 70 |
| Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund (Freed’s nominated charity) | 420 |
| Royal Ballet School | 1500 |
| OTHER | |
| GradPro | 500 |
| Dancers Career Development (match funded by Big Give) | 500 |
| Inspiration in Motion (Nomination of Linda Gainsbury on retirement) | 100 |
| Royal Academy of Dance (Fonteyn competition) | 750 |
| NON CHARITABLE -Dance Awards | 600 |
| Total | 8415 |
-
3 - The Choreographic Awards Fund was set up by trustees on 1 September 2023 with the aim of supporting choreographic initiatives in the classical genre within ballet schools and companies. It is intended that awards are made every 2 years with funds transferred from general reserves every year.
-
4 - Cash funds
-
Restricted funds - The Company of Actuaries made a charitable donation to the London Ballet Circle in 2017 as a contibution towards the move of the LBC Archive to the V&A Museum, which has not yet been possible.
-
5- Trustee expenses
There were no trustee expenses. Trustees purchase goods and services on behalf of the charity. Transactions with trustees are as ordinary members.
�������������������� ���������� ����� � ���� �� ��� � ���
THE LONDON BALLET CIRCLE
Year ending 31 October 2023
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
To the Trustees of The London Ballet Circle
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 October 2023.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The Trustees 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 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
‐ follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission
‐ state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner's Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the 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:
(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
‐ to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and
‐ to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice : Accounting and Reporting by Charities
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
���� �����
Signed:………………………………………………………………………Dated: …………………….
M J Bushell Audit LLP 8 High Street Brentwood Essex CM14 4AB
1