## **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination** **Annual Report and accounts, 2022-2023** Fantastical Forest marches to Westminster, Earth Day, April 2023 _I am here today because of hope. There’s a lot of despair and fear and what we are doing here right now is amplifying children’s voices, artist’s voices, showing a future that’s possible – not just necessary. This is the kind of world I want to live in. It’s not even an individual identify it’s a community identity. It feels like we are one and becoming much bigger than ourselves through this creative activism._ Volunteer tree guardian, Earth Day March, April 2023 Registered Company Number: 6301716 Registered Charity Number: 1126253 1 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Contents:** |Highlights of our year|4| |---|---| |Report from the Chair|14| |Background to CCI|16| |References and Administrative Detail|22| |Structure, Governance and Management|23| |Financial Review|27| Celebrating Artscapers from North Cambridge Academy: pictured from right: Guy Belcher (Cambridge City Council Bio-diversity Officer), Rachel Wade (Councillor), Sam Carling (Councillor), Robert Pollock (Cambridge City Council Chief Executive), Hilary Cox Condron (CCI artist), Evonne Austen (Cambridge Acorn Project therapist), Jan Collings (NCA Family Liaison Officer), Jacob Turner (Cambridge Acorn Project), Martin Campbell (Executive Principle, Meridian Trust), Amanda Morris-Drake (CCI volunteer), Louise Walker (Education Services), Dr Roz Wade (Zoology Museum), Rowland Thomas (Education Services) 2 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 _Wonder and education are two of the essential survival skills. We cannot wish our way out of the ecological crisis, but we might be able to grow our way out of it — and surprisingly fast, too. Things are changing from the ground up: new generations emerging who are holding government to account, calling for us to be better ancestors._ _CCI is part of this work of growth. Sometimes I think of what CCI does as a kind of 'practical dreaming': imagining new and fantastical ways of being in the world which root deep in minds and imaginations, and from there grow into reality. Nothing makes me despair as much as resignation: there is always good to be done somewhere, whether it is flourishing a Forest of Imagination on Christ's Piece, or re-mapping a spinney or copse in a scrap of edgeland so that it becomes a fairy-tale world of impossible extent and adventure._ _Truly, this is the work. Lives are changed by it. The problems we find ourselves in as a planet have been made by many hands working together, and they can only be undone by many hands working together too._ Robert Macfarlane, writer, CCI Patron 3 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 **Highlights of our year, 2022 – 23** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Creative relationships
CCI engaged creatively with a total of 1,518
people, including 830 children and 362
teachers and educators.
**----- End of picture text -----**
## Diverse spaces of liberated learning Artscaping experiences were offered in 25 different spaces during the year. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Scaling up
**----- End of picture text -----**
Digital Engagement We launched a dynamic new website in April thanks to support from KISS Teams of Community Artscapers, teaching assistants and teachers independently led 50 Artscaping sessions in schools supported by us. 4 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **The Fantastical Forest marches to Westminster** _We are here today to show people that climate change really matters and that everyone could make a difference if we all work together. Something small can make a huge difference._ Volunteer tree guardian, Earth Day March, April 2023 Earth Day this year, Saturday 22nd April, saw 90 volunteers help to march the full collection of Fantastical Forest hangings to Westminster. First held in 1970, this annual event now involves over 1 billion people in more than 193 countries demonstrating support for environmental protection. The day was a remarkable celebration of community and cohesion with over 60,000 people of all ages gathered peacefully but determinedly to remind those in Westminster of the work needed to protect our planet. Working with the Cambridge XR group and other local conservation groups and colleagues including Cambridge Carbon Footprint and Cambridge Resilience, we were overwhelmed by the support of this passionate army who joined us for the day. Each of the 78 hangings was carefully mounted onto bamboo canes and carried aloft for 3 hours, creating a sea of fantastical trees and creatures moving as one along the Westminster streets. The event ended with a ‘die-in’ as the crowd of 60,000 people fell silent and lay down in the street, bringing a careful moment of sombreness to what had otherwise felt like a day of joy and optimism. _I love these banners. Every one of them is absolutely beautiful and unique and…I think I’m going to cry – it’s really important to let their voices come into this march. We need to carry their voices like this. I just love their art work. I think most of it should be in the Tate._ Volunteer tree guardian, Earth Day March, April 2023 5 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Our new website** Thanks to the generous support of KISS Communications and a private donor, we were able to launch a new website to share and celebrate our work in April. There are so many fantastic features. We’re especially pleased with how: - Visitors can explore all aspects of our work with schools, communities, teams and partners in visual and inviting ways. - The extraordinary bank of free resources that supports our work – our own publications, research papers, films and webinars – are now all easily accessible. - All our most recent news is gathered together. - The ways to donate and to keep in touch to the charity are immediately visible. - Clear navigation leads you around the site helping visitors to find out more. 6 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Growing the Fantastical Forest** We love to celebrate creativity, community and nature with our Fantastical Forest project. Every year, we display a collection of beautiful hangings made by local people on Tree Charter Day. This year, we had 75 hangings in the Forest. We also bring parts of the Forest to other events to spark conversations about nature and communities. For example, we showed some of the work at the NHS Innovation Hub showcase in St Neots and at our Amplifying Artscapers event in Eddington. Another project we finished this year was Chalk Dreams, a public art project with the Abbey Ward community in Cambridge. It was inspired by the local chalk stream, Coldham’s Brook, and the amazing creativity of the people who live there. We ran workshops with CCI artists Filipa Pereira Stubbs, Sally Todd and Hilary Cox Condron last spring and summer. Nearly 200 people joined us and made wonderful artwork. We used their artwork to create 24 stunning muslin hangings that we shared at Stourbridge Fair and at an event on Barnwell Nature Reserve. 7 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 The University of Cambridge Zoology Museum invited us to create an exhibition about the project and the conservation work of Abbey People. It was a great opportunity to reach more people – over 33,000 visitors saw our exhibition there. The artwork also became new signage for Abbey People’s offices, which we unveiled on the UN International Day of Happiness. _We are happy to host this artwork and see how it brightens up Barnwell Road_ . Nicky Shepherd, CEO, Abbey People 8 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Amplifying Artscapers** _Looking around this room and hearing about the everyday heroes that change lives in slow, hard, day to day work – teachers, academics, parents, artists, scientists – this organisation and others like it are joining them, and they become greater in the sum of their meeting. The stories we’ve heard are about relations, of new joinings happening, of growth and goodness and justice emerging from that._ Robert Macfarlane, CCI Patron and writer, speaking at Amplifying Artscapers event, April 2023 We celebrated the impact of our Branching Out programme at an event in Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington, in April this year. We had begun working on this with our project partners Fullscope and Cambridge Acorn Project and with research colleagues at the new Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (University College London) and Anglia Ruskin University in March 2022. Our intention was to investigate how Artscaping practice can be expanded to whole communities as phase 1 in a new UK research programme run by the National Centre for Creative Health. Artscapers from Mayfield Primary School worked with the team to co-create new training resources. Teachers, teaching assistants and volunteers in schools were supported so that they could deliver their own Artscaper nurture groups throughout the autumn term. 9 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 _It’s just seeing children be able to come out and have a conversation, and to see the effects that nature, being outdoors has had on them and how it affects their work and their artwork and their interest…oh my goodness it hits my heart…it’s almost like a, a spiritual thing…you know you’re making a difference and it is making a difference._ School Staff Community Artscaper, Branching Out Early findings are showing how this work has a positive impact on: - children's confidence, relationships, happiness, creativity, engagement as a learner and well-being. - adult's confidence, well-being, and understanding of mental health provision for children. _I just feel like when you remove the children from the classroom environment you get a completely different side of the children [...] it’s really nice to see how much the children change being in that environment._ Community Artscaper, Branching Out Schools in this network were then offered a package of support to develop further their knowledge, skills and confidence as Artscaping communities during 2023. Through bespoke projects, training and celebration events, each school worked on creating a more robust arts-innature offer for their students. 10 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 This work has included: - whole-class Artscaping workshops facilitated by skilled artists - nurture groups for children and young people as a preventative mental health measure in partnership with family therapy charity Cambridge Acorn Project - community training for school staff, parents and carers to build school capacity - developing creative and integrated models of work with our Fullscope partners to influence change and improvement in the wider system of mental health provision - local, regional and national events to amplify learning and impact _Artscaping has had a huge impact on the individual, on children who struggle to self-regulate. It gave those children time to talk and space to explore and be creative with one-to-one time with adults. The transformation has been remarkable and something which, without the capacity building this project gave us, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve._ David Aston, Headteacher, Wilburton Church of England Primary School, East Cambs _It was a pleasure to share out Artscaping experiences at our school as I can see how much it has had a positive impact on children, families and our staff too – in a world of DfE initiatives, strikes and Ofsted, Artscaping has been a standout highlight of this academic year for me at our school. Hayley is an Artscaping champion following her experiences, and event used an Artscaping approach to conduct some 1:1 work with a young man in Y1 yesterday who has been experiencing anger issues: he loved it and got so much out of it – I think we have found a way into unlocking his anxieties._ Paul Jones, Headteacher, Hampton College Primary School, Peterborough The Eco-capabilities research programme which has developed much of the impact evidence for this programme and is led by Professor Nicola Walshe at UCL was highly commended in the 2022 Culture Health and Well-being Climate Award _Our work in 2023 was funded by the Britford Bridge Trust, Education Services, Young People’s Counselling Service and Fullscope._ _Public Health have also supported the programme this year._ 11 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Building Connections, advocating for change** CCI is a founding partner in Fullscope – a consortium of organisations working to improve children and young people’s mental health and well-being across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The consortium is driven by the recognition that the current system is more focused on illness and disease than wellness and resilience and that the opportunity to prevent mental illness before it escalates is being missed. We work together to effect a more accessible, relevant and equitable system. These values drive our work with schools and have led to a significant partnership with family therapy charity Cambridge Acorn Project. Our year ended with an event on a City Council nature space assigned for educational use where we hosted the Chief Executive and colleagues and held a space for conversations about the significance of this work. _It was such a pleasure to visit Highfields and meet these brilliant young people talking so passionately about why they had valued spending time being creative in nature. The City Council is very keen to find new ways to tackle the challenges our young people face and support our schools and communities. This innovative work by Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination and Cambridge Acorn Project with support from the City Council’s bio-diversity team is a great example of that._ Robert Pollock, Chief Executive, Cambridge City Council 12 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 In April we worked with research colleagues on a briefing paper for the special well-being focused edition of The House, the magazine for Parlimentarians. Written in consultation with teachers and headteachers, stakeholders and policymakers, this draws together the latest research, sets it alongside the current policy context and makes a series of policy recommendations. This infographic, created from the paper to support dissemination, has already been widely shared. Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 13 ## **Report from the Chair** Whenever I’m close to what Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination does, I come away inspired – and the past reporting year (from August 2022 to July 2023) has been another stimulating and successful year for CCI. The charity’s amazing work with artists creates magical moments for communities and touches people’s lives. And over the past year, the charity’s reach has increased in ways that were beyond my imagination: - Helped by a coach load of volunteers, the charity took its Fantastical Forest hangings to Westminster for Earth Day – an event with over 60,000 people. Having worked there, I never imagined seeing this beautiful artwork marching in front of Parliament. - The charity created a wonderful exhibition at the University of Cambridge Zoology Museum, which was seen by over 33,000 visitors. The charity also launched a marvellous new website. This means that, thanks to the generous expert work of KISS Communications, one of our region’s leading marketing and PR agencies, the charity’s work can now reach people online in inviting and visual ways. As in past years, CCI’s work has again been formally recognised by external judges: CCI, with their research partners at University College London, were highly commended by the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance in their annual awards for their innovative Eco-Capabilities project, which evidenced the impact of Artscaping for children living in areas of high deprivation. With CCI’s work touching so many people, it’s a joy to share some of the moments that have stood out for me personally over the past year: - Reading a poem by Amelia, age 7, created as part of the ‘chalk dreams’ project - Joining the heart-warming Blizzard of Stories event, inspired by Rob Hopkins and the Transition Together movement, which brought togethers artists, activists, and poets to sweep us away in a whirlwind of short inspirational stories of hope, joy and creative resistance. - Helping to hang the Fantastical Forest that CCI displayed at Wandlebury Country Park to mark Tree Charter Day in 2022, created by 590 young artists and 9 adult artists. Another high point in the year was the wonderful event to celebrate the outcomes of Amplifying Artscapers — a year of programmes delivered by CCI and mental health colleagues with schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The programmes give children space and time to reimagine themselves and their place in the world in ways that help them flourish. Nearly 8000 people have now shared Artscaper experiences, and CCI is working closely with education, research and mental health partners to build programmes so that more children can benefit. As well as hearing Nicola from University College London talk about the ever-growing evidence base for this work, highlights of the event included hearing two head teachers talk about the powerful impact the work had on children, teachers and their wider communities — and seeing mycorrhizal fungi. Finally, a beautiful speech from our patron, the wonderful Rob Macfarlane that perfectly summed up the spirit of the gathering. All of these events and magical moments require funding, of course, and I’m pleased to report that the charity has now maintained a consistency of funding over several years: the charity has never before sustained the level of income it has achieved over the past four years. And thanks in part to that improvement in the financial position, the charity has shifted to having a multi- 14 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 year plan. We move into the new reporting year with a large amount of work committed to and funded, as well as having submitted a further significant funding application with our research partners. I’d like to thank all the wonderful artists who work with CCI, our volunteers, the other board members and our many partners, including in particular Fullscope, the Cambridge Acorn Project and our research colleagues at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (University College London) and Anglia Ruskin University. Finally, I want to pay tribute to the fantastic team behind the scenes who make it all possible – and in particular Neil Parker, Jo Diver, and our wonderful director, Ruth Sapsed. Thanks to all of them, I am confident that the charity will continue to follow its values and help more people than ever to develop their creativity and imagination. Richard McLean Chair, CCI 15 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Background to CCI** Our work is driven by a vision of an inclusive, accessible and creative society Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination (CCI) is an innovative socially-inclusive arts and wellbeing charity whose collaborative practices actively engage children and adults of all ages, helping to develop their creativity and learning. At the heart of our work is fundamental belief in the value of both creative practice and nature connectedness as critical enablers that enrich people, communities, and our society as a whole. We came together as a group of artists, educators, parents and researchers in 2002 with a shared passion for how the arts can transform lives and a belief in the power of democratic forms of community activism. Our programmes foster deep connections and a sense of togetherness for everyone involved. We believe that curiosity and imagination matter We create spaces where ideas can flourish and solutions to our problems be found, spaces with creative and engaged citizens of all ages able to collaborate effectively together. We work through exchanges: with children, their friends and families; with schools and everyone who works in them; with communities and their connections; with artists, scientists, architects, musicians, experts and enthusiasts of every kind. We have worked with people of all ages in all sorts of spaces, including most recently woods, hospitals, libraries, playgrounds, new developments and civic centres. Children are at the heart of our work; their ideas and questions lead the way 16 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 CCI is a founding member of the FullScope consortia, established in 2019 and coordinated by seven leading charities that support the mental wellbeing of children and/or young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. FullScope champions, collaborates with, and is inspired by the voices of children and young people, taking their lead in order to deliver its aims. Supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, Fullscope presents the first consortium of its kind in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We seek to empower active citizens of all ages to be creative and share ideas CCI became a charity in 2007 and has established a significant track record for creating unique impactful programmes P : se. of activity, working in partnership with many of the major organisations in the region including Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC), the University of Cambridge (UofC), Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and many school communities across Cambridgeshire. Research links have also been established with Universities beyond the region, particularly the new Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education at University College London, and Goldsmiths and Bath Spa Universities. We are particularly proud of our work with Professor Nicola Walshe (UCL) and the Eco-capabilities and Branching Out programmes that she has lead. Key advocates for CCI’s work are Michael Morpurgo and Robert Macfarlane (Patrons), and Rob Hopkins, Jackie Kay and Dame Fiona Reynolds – all passionate defenders of the rights of children, the arts and the outdoors. _The climate emergency demands that our education system nurtures children equipped to be able to question and reimagine everything. The seeds of what that looks like can be found in Artscaping._ Rob Hopkins, Founder of the Transition Movement and author of _What is to What if_ 17 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 **Our Year 2022 – 23** CCI’s work is built around three key strands – connect, research and reflect, share. We work with partners to find innovative and impactful ways to: - **Connect** people of all ages with their creative selves - **Research and reflect** on our practice - **Share** outcomes and resources widely in order to advocate for creative freedoms and opportunities for all Our commitment to a strong local focus for our work continues and this year we offered creative experiences in 25 different spaces across the city and county and beyond, including these 13 educational settings: Hampton College Primary School and Academies Trust **----- Start of picture text -----**
Hartford Junior
School
Thongsley Fields
Community
Primary
Jeavons Wood
Primary School
**----- End of picture text -----**
Wilburton C of E Primary School Weatheralls Primary School Colleges Nursery Galfrid Primary School Histon Early Years Centre Shirley Primary School Ridgefield Primary School Mayfield Primary School North Cambridge Academy 18 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Place-making with communities:** **The Fantastical Forest** continued to grow throughout the year, forging new links with schools in the Branching Out Programme. We really appreciate its capacity to move and inspire people, enabling reflective conversations about creativity, children and nature. The whole collection is shared each year on Tree Charter Day and we have continued to share snapshots from the collection at events across the county including: - Earth Day - Stourbridge Fair - World Rivers Day - UN International Day of Happiness - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Innovation Hub Showcase - The Hope for the Planet Exhibition hosted by Chief Scientific Officer Dr Jon Dewsbury - People City Planet Festival We end the year with a collection of 95 hangings, each unique and extraordinary and co-created with the people we’ve worked with. To date twenty different communities have been involved. _I love these banners. Every one of them is absolutely beautiful and unique and…I think I’m going to cry – it’s really important to let their voices come into this march. We need to carry their voices like this. I just love their art work. I think most of it should be in the Tate._ Volunteer Tree Guardian, Earth Day March, April 2023 Our **Chalk Dreams** public art programme with Abbey People concluded with events and exhibitions to showcase the 24 new hangings that had been made with the community and now join the Fantastical Forest. Our work with **TOWN** , master-planners for the new district on the north eastern edge of the City continued with welcoming families to the People City Planet Festival. Together we also hosted a tour of public art around the station, making space for wideranging conversations about stories, materials and location. _It’s the wrong piece in the wrong place_ _Cambridge is so full of places we can’t go – where can you view it?_ _It is very isolated in a quite sterile location somehow that doesn’t invite lingering._ Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 19 ## **School-based programmes** The **Branching Out** programme supported six schools to run artscaping sessions for nurture groups in their outdoor spaces. Fifty four workshops and sharing events were planned and hosted by these teams with our support. Our **Amplifying Artscapers** programmes worked with the Branching Out schools and Cambridge Acorn Project partnership schools. Six artists engaged with 634 children, inviting them to explore their local outside places in creative ways. Story-telling devices were included in evaluations to convey the powerful qualitative evidence all our programmes gather. ## **Sharing our learning and advocacy** CCI hosted or contributed to the following events this year: Learning to be brave - we were told that S is scared of everything and we noticed how she didn’t leave the tarpaulin for the first two sessions. ‘Do you think there are snakes out there?’ She would only go and explore if someone came with her. Then one day she stopped at the edge of the path and announced ‘I think I might be a little scared to go there…..I am going anyway.’ And off she ran. - Blizzard of Stories: sharing stories of hope, joy and creative resistance (online) - Cambridgeshire Early Years Conference, Histon, Cambridgeshire - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Adopting Innovation Showcase, St Ives, Cambridgeshire - European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning (EOE) Conference, Marburg, Germany - Hope for the Planet Exhibition, Reading - People City Planet Festival, Cambridge - TOWN Public Art Tour, Cambridge - University of Cambridge Faculty of Education Event for Masters Students ## **Capacity Building** CCI Trustee Karin Horowitz has led a regular programme of care and support conversations for all colleagues to hold a space for safe reflective dialogue. 20 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Our Partners this year who have included:** Abbey People 1 te at a “>. * = Wa Rate ey Anglia Ruskin University 2 nS ae , ghhiny 2 Va Bath Spa University a ——ye 5 lp* ee Cambridge Acorn Project . » Cambridge City Council id ia 4 ee Cambridgeshire County Council = a ° _ 7)Mh ‘\ne *)on Cambridge Crop Science Centre, University of f— S OgCa. by ' - Cambridge Cambridge Past Present and Future . Cambridge United Community Trust - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Innovation Hub Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, University College London European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning (EOE) Goldsmiths University Fullscope together with: Centre 33, The Kite Trust, YMCA Trinity, Ormiston Families, Arts and Minds, CPSL Mind, Blue Smile. Horizons, Cambridgeshire County Council House of Imagination KISS Communications TOWN U+I Cambridge Limited University of Cambridge Faculty of Education University College London Young People’s Counselling Service Zoology Museum, University of Cambridge **CCI hosted work in 25 different places, including these public spaces:** Abbey People Offices, Barnwell Road, Cambridge Ashlyn Woods, nr Royston Barnwell Nature Reserve, Abbey Ward, Cambridge Bildungsstatte, Wolfshausen, Germany Burgess Hall, St Ives Highfields (Cambridge City Council Education Space) Leper Chapel, Abbey Ward, Cambridge Storey’s Field Community Centre, Eddington, Cambridge Wandlebury Country Park, South Cambs Westminster, London University of Cambridge Zoology Museum, Cambridge 21 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **With thanks to the incredible team of artists and creative producers:** Gabby Arenge, Hilary Cox Condron, Emily Dowdeswell, Di Goldsmith, Susanne Jasilek, Helen Stratford, Filipa Pereira Stubbs, Sally Todd, Tonka Uzu, Lucy Wheeler, and Caroline Wendling. ## **And to the wonderful volunteers who support our programmes, in particular:** Amanda Morris Drake and Gladys Jones. **And the individual Donors and Cambridge Colleges who help make the work possible, including:** Churchill College, Jesus College, Queens College, Selwyn College, Sidney Sussex College, Trinity College ## **Reference and Administrative Detail** **Registered Company Number** : 6301716 **Registered Charity Number** : 1126253 ## **Registered Office** Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination (CCI) The Studio 20 Hurst Park Avenue Cambridge CB4 2AE ## **Bankers** Santander Bridle Road Bootle, L30 4GB ## **Website** www.cambridgecandi.org.uk ## **Directors and Trustees:** Michael Corley Emily Dowdeswell Owen Garling Zoe Gilbertson Karin Horowitz Karen Lingley Richard McLean (Chair) 22 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The organisation is a company limited by guarantee (Registered Company Number: 6301716), incorporated on 4 July 2007 and registered as a charity (Registered Charity Number: 1126253) on 10 October 2008.The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law. The company has a Board of nine trustees, drawn from a wide spectrum of disciplines, each bringing expertise to the company. The Board meets at least four times a year. Day to day running of the company is delegated to the director. ## **Trustee induction and training** On appointment, new trustees meet with the chair of the board and with senior management. These meetings include in-depth discussions regarding the structure, management and aims of the organisation and the responsibilities of the board as a whole and of individual trustees. New trustees are provided with a pack of relevant policies and other background information (including budgets and financial statements) and are informed about the general information available on the Charity Commission website. ## **Key management personnel** Ruth Sapsed is CCI’s Director, Neil Parker is Office Manager and Jo Diver is Finance Manager. ## **Pay policy for senior staff** Pay levels are agreed annually by the Board. All pay levels, including those of senior staff, are based on an understanding of fair and equitable pay within the arts sector. CCI is committed to pay all staff the Living Wage (as set by the Living Wage Foundation) as a minimum. CCI does not pay performance related bonuses. 23 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Risk Review** The trustees have conducted their own review of the major risks, strategic, financial, physical and operational to which the Charity is exposed and systems have if necessary been modified to mitigate those risks. Procedures have been put in place to minimize both external and internal risks and these procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet the needs of the Charity. ## **Financial Review** Despite increasing competition for funding for arts and education charities, CCI continues to have excellent relations with its principal partners. CCI income is raised from project funding from an impressive range of sources. Work continues to diversify income streams and develop partnerships in the private education and commercial sectors. This is a deliberate policy for the organisation in order to help to mitigate risks of being vulnerable to changes in conditions from partners. CCI is proud of its capacity to achieve a remarkable impact with minimum overheads. There is £31,741 carried forward for projects in the next financial year. ## **Reserves policy** CCI recognises the importance of creating an unrestricted reserve to sustain the charity through uncertain times. It has adopted a clear and formalised reserves policy. This has been drawn up following an assessment of risk by the trustees and director. CCI is reliant on income mainly generated from donations, trusts & foundations and commissioned work. These funds are mainly designated for project delivery. Where possible full cost recovery is built into all costs and this together with funds raised by direct commissions is used for the ongoing running costs of CCI. A reserves fund is needed should it not be possible to cover these. There is an ever present risk that the income will not cover the core commitments and the trustees main concern in this situation is that staff can continue working, primarily to secure new funding. The reserves fund will be used in this situation. It is the trustees’ intention to build up the general reserves over the next few years, working towards a level that will cover 6 months running costs. The company hopes to achieve this level within five years through continued careful budgeting and cost monitoring and maintaining its policy of recovering full costs where possible. The reserves policy is reviewed annually. ## **Plans for the Future** CCI’s commitment to strong partnership has enabled the Charity to spread stable and growing connections and links across a number of sectors (primarily mental health, education and the environment). The opportunities presented by work with UCL on the Branching Out programme and FullScope on the consortia work mean that CCI approaches the future with firm plans and optimism. 24 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Public Benefit** We have referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on Public Benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives set. The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in determining the activities undertaken by the charity. ## **Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities** The trustees (who are also directors of Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination) are responsible for preparing the trustees Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law required trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently - observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP - make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent - state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included in the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of the financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. ## **Governance** As part of the process of reviewing CCI’s work and structures during this period, the trustees continued to look closely at various governance issues related particularly our environment pledge and our risk register. Our Environment Pledge was updated and interim meetings continued where Board members, artists and invited guests could explore relevant issues and questions informally. All policies are made visible on the website. 25 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Small Company Exemption** These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small companies and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective January 2007). On behalf of the Board of Directors/Trustees on the 20[th] September 2023. Richard McLean Chair 26 Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination Annual Report and Accounts Year ended 31 July 2023 ## **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination** ## **Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating Income & Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 July 2023** |**Notes**
**Incoming resources**
**Incoming resources from generated funds**
Activities from generating funds:
Interest receivable
**Incoming resources from charitable activities**
Grants
Earned Income
**Donations**
**Total incoming resources**
**Resurces expended**
**Costs of generating funds**
3
**Charitable activities**
3
**Governance costs**
3
**Total resources expended**
**Net incoming resources for the year**
Balances at 1 August 2022
Balances at 31 July 2023|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
-
-
5,559
3,906
9,465
10,376
47,277
2,149
59,802
(50,337)
54,226
3,889|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
-
78,899
11,034
-
89,933
-
63,471
-
63,471
26,462
1,390
27,852|**Total**
**Funds**
**2023**
**£**
-
78,899
16,592
3,906|**2022**
**£**
-
27,597
55,672
29,037| |---|---|---|---|---| ||||99,397|112,306| ||||10,376
110,748
2,149|8,976
80,007
1,470| ||||123,273|90,453| ||||(23,875)
55,616|21,853
55,616| ||||31,741|77,469| The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. The notes on pages 9 to 12 form part of these financial statements. page: 27 ## **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination Balance Sheet** ## **as at 31 July 2023** |**Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination**
**Balance Sheet**
**as at 31 July 2023**|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**Notes**||||| ||||**2023**||**2022**| |||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| |**Current assets**|||||| |Debtors|6|1,365||11,560|| |Accrued Income||-||-|| |Cash at bank and in hand||32,761||44,056|| |||34,126||55,616|55,616| |**Current Liabilities**|||||| |Deferred Income||||-|| ||||||-| |**Creditors: amounts falling due within**|||||| |**one year**|7|(2,385)||-|| ||||31,740||55,616| |**Net assets**|||31,740||55,616| |**Funds**|||||| |Restricted|||27,852||1,390| |Unrestricted|||3,889||54,226| ||8||31,741||55,616| ||||(0)||| For the year ending 31 July 2023 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit inaccordance with section 476 of the Companies Act. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 29th September 2023 and signed on their behalf by: **Richard Chair** **Company Number: 06301716** page: 28 ## **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination Notes to the Accounts** **for the year ended 31 July 2023** ## **1 Accounting policies** ## **Accounting convention** The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and follow the recommendations in the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting and Reporting by Charities (revised) issued in March 2005. ## **Accounting Standards** The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards. ## **Incoming resources and resources expended** Income and expenditure items have been credited or charged in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis. ## **Grants, donations and sponsorship income** Income relating to future accounting periods is taken to the balance sheet as deferred income for recognition in those future accounting periods. ## **Restricted funds** Resources are recorded on a receivable basis and allocated to a Restricted Fund if a limitation on their use is specified by the donors and providers. Funds received in the direct operation of the Charity are treated as unrestricted funds. Other resources received without external restriction are designated by the Trustees for particular purposes as deemed appropriate. ## **Direct charitable expenditure** Overheads are allocated to direct charitable expenditure on the basis of the time spent by staff on activities which directly serve objectives of the Board ## **Fundraising and publicity expenditure** All expenses incurred with the intention of raising funds for the charity are allocated to fundraising and publicity expenditure. ## **Cashflow statement** In accordance with Financial Reporting Standard no 1 no cashflow statement is included in these financial statements as the Company is covered by the small company exemption. page: 29 ## **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2023** ## 2 **Directors' Remuneration and Expenses** CCI considered it important to have as directors artists who are actively involved in delivering projects, who could therefore bring considerable knowedge to the Board . The Memorandum & Articles permit payment for professional services to no more than one third of the Directors. No other director received any remuneration during the period or was reimbursed for any expenses. ## **3 Total Resources Expended** |**Basis of**
**allocation**
**Costs directly allocated to activities**
Artists
Direct
materials
Direct
project management
Direct
Accounting
Direct
Travel
Direct
**Support costs allocated to activities**
Office costs
time|**Costs of**
**generating**
**income**
**£**
-
-
10,376
-
-
-
10,376|**Projects**
**£**
30,971
25,697
45,422
-
42
8,615
110,748|**Governance**
**£**
-
-
900
500
-
749
2,149|**2023**
**Total**
**£**
30,971
25,697
56,698
500
42
9,364|**2022**
**£**
34,212
6,133
48,732
500
-
876| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||||123,273|90,453| ## 4 **Staff Costs and numbers** Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination employs no staff. Projects are managed on a consultancy basis. page: 30 **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination Notes to the Accounts** **for the year ended 31 July 2023** ## **5 Taxation** The company is a registered charity and is therefore not liable to income tax or corporation tax on funds received and expended on activities covered by its charitable status. |**6**
**Debtors**
Trade debtors
**7**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade Creditors
Accruals
**8**
**Analysis of net assets between funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
Fund balances at 31 July 2022 are represented by:
Current assets
6,274
Current liabilities
2,385
-
3,889|**2023**
**£**
1,365
1,365
**2023**
**£**
2,385
-
2,385
**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
27,852
-
27,852|**Total**
**funds**
**2023**
**£**
34,126
2,385
-|**2022**
**£**
11,560| |---|---|---|---| ||||11,560| ||||**2022**
**£**
-
-| ||||-| ||||**2022**
**£**
55,616
-| |||31,740|55,616| page: 31 ## **Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination** ## **Notes to the Accounts** **for the year ended 31 July 2023** ## **9 Funds** |**Funds**|||| |---|---|---|---| |**Unrestricted Funds**
General Reserve
Restricted Funds|**Brought**
**Incoming**
**forward**
**Resources**
**£**
**£**
54,226
9,465
1,390
89,933
55,616
99,397|**Resources**
**Expended**
**£**
59,802
63,471
123,273|**Balance at**
**31 July 2023**
**£**
3,889
27,852| ||||31,741| - **10** The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The Trustees who are also directors have guaranteed to contribute up to £10 each to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up with a net deficit of assets. The guarantee remains in force for one year after the resignation of a member. page: 32