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2023-03-31-accounts

PHOENIX THEATRE BLYTH TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 2022/23

Charity Number: 1149700

Company Number: 08113214

FOREWORD

The Trustees of the Phoenix Theatre Blyth are pleased to present their annual report for the year ending 31 March 2022, which is also prepared to meet the requirements for a directors’ report and accounts for Companies House purposes.

The Financial accounts (which have been submitted separately to this document) comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Companies Act 1985, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting Charities (SORP 2005).

The Phoenix Theatre (Blyth) is owned by an incorporated charitable trust and managed by a Board of Directors.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

I have the greatest pleasure in welcoming you to this Annual Report for the Phoenix Theatre, Blyth.

It has been a period, not without challenge, continuing to reestablish the business after the pandemic and finding our niche in a constantly broadening environment. Nevertheless, I am pleased to report a healthy grasp of the challenges that these change have made.

We continue to work on our ‘reach-out’ and community development programmes, as well as improving the main theatre offer. Professional theatre personnel have been engaged to train our children and youth theatre ranks, focusing on theatre as a whole and not solely preparation for an in-house performance.

Alongside striving to offer better and better theatre options, and again, not without its own challenges, cinema was introduced early in the year and even though its start was slow, it continues to complement our theatre offer and helps diversify our potential audience reach. The greatest challenge we face, however, is from the imminent opening of a small, three screen cinema, built and operated by the local authority, even though the local council granted our organisation money to purchase equipment to set up the theatre in the beginning.

That aside, however, (and it does pose a threat to our business as the new centre also incorporates live performance space), we have had a most satisfactory year, showing expansion and improvement statistics in all aspects of our operation. Audience demography is most interesting, knowledge and support of our activities now attracts a much wider range of locations, both regionally and nationally.

Our forthcoming plans are to grow the present programmes, extending our operation based within a solid base of community interest and support. One of our greatest assets in this respect has been the appointment of a new theatre manager, experienced in professional entertainment.

We continue to thrive and make progress in these challenging times, especially considering the ever-rising cost of living and associated requirements. These details are fully represented in the body of this report which I, unhesitatingly, commend to you.

David G Garrett Chief Executive – Phoenix Theatre (Blyth)

A LOOK BACK AT THE YEAR 2022/23

In our last annual report, we reflected on the Phoenix’s return from the horror that was Covid and the resultant 18 month closure that threatened to close our doors. We talked of optimism, of return, regrowth, renewal and resilience – words which amply describe how 2022/23 panned out. Another successful year for the theatre – a year of growth and expansion, innovation and new directions, in which we reached out to even more audiences, reinforcing our pledge to be South-East Northumberland’s premier entertainment venue. Our reservations that our audiences might not return after Covid were quashed, as we welcomed back long-term customers and entertained hundreds of new.

We started the year with a bang, as our long-term ambitions to bring Cinema back to Blyth finally came to fruition. The state-of-the-art screen, which fills the entire width of the stage, together with the exceptional sound, produces a top quality cinematic experience and throughout the year we have shown 51 different films, totaling 174 screenings and welcomed 4085 customers with a net take of just over £21k. It is true to say that it hasn’t been the easiest of launches and there have been many challenges along the way (see our Cinema review later in this report), but we are confident that we can continue to sustain cinema at the Phoenix Theatre in years to come.

Our theatre programme has been varied and we have kept our promise to bring new and diverse entertainment, which hopefully has satisfied the needs of our new and returning customers. During the year we hosted music from 43 different bands offering very different genres of music, from heavy rock to folk to country and western to soul and old classics and we were thrilled to be able to welcome top names such as The Quireboys, Brian Downey, The Christians, The Real Thing, as well as the return of favourites, such as Joe McElderry and Blake.

On the variety front, we catered for afficionados of other types of entertainment, such as LDN Wrestling, Tony Stockwell (medium), adult panto and Silver Bells and in October, our auditorium was filled with ardent sports fans, who enjoyed an evening with snooker greats, Dennis Taylor, Steve Davis and John Virgo. Another memorable capacity-filled evening was experienced in February with the cast of the fabulous musical Come What May, based on the film Moulin Rouge, starring Strictly’s Robin Windsor. We also continued to provide a venue for our two local Blyth operatic societies, Beaconsfield Operatic and Blyth Music & Theatre Company, as we supported them in their annual musical productions.

Although our drama/play offer has been limited this year, audiences have been highly complimentary, particularly of our in-house production of Cooking with Elvis, back for the sixth time in July. Still bringing in the audiences, this play must rank as one of the most asked for productions! We also welcomed a small-scale production of Doing Shakespeare, starring Steven Arnold, of Coronation Street fame, which played to a capacity audience in the Studio to a very appreciative audience. We are looking to bring more of this type of drama to the theatre in the coming months.

Dance played a significant part in our theatre calendar this year. Not only did we host six local amateur dance companies as they performed their annual shows, we welcomed two ballet companies, Crown Ballet and Ballet UK, who performed quality productions of Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast.

And finally, our round-up of our theatre programme would not be complete without a mention of our annual in-house pantomime. This year’s offering was Jack and the Beanstalk, which played to capacity audiences for 12 performances over one week, accruing gross sales totals of nearly £45k. Our pantomime is our biggest source of income throughout the year and involves input from everyone – a sterling effort, which we need to carry forward to next year!

One of the objectives listed in last year’s report was to look for opportunities to engage further with the community and to build on daytime usage and it is fair to say that, under the auspices of our Theatre Manager, Kyle Crook, we have made some advances in this area. Further details are included later in this report, but we can report that not only have we engaged with a few local groups and partners and hosted a couple of events, such as the premier of the short film ‘Close Knit’ and the Northumberland Pride event in September, but have also laid the stepping stones for the introduction of a number of new community-led groups. (At the time of writing, these groups have already commenced in 2023 and will be reported on in the next annual report).

Another objective from last year was to review our provision for young people, specifically to include an element of learning and education, and we are pleased to report that, during this year, we have started this process. In August, we hosted a week long young people’s theatre summer school, led by local theatre professional, Harriet O’Brien. During the week, 30 young people underwent a fun, but intensive, schedule of song, dance and drama, culminating in a final day’s performance to family and friends. Overall, the summer school was received very favourably by all who attended and the parents were particularly appreciative and complimentary. It is now our intention to build upon the success of the week and look towards repeating the summer school in 2023. We are grateful to the Ridley Trust, who have donated monies to enable us to fund a programme of free monthly theatre skills workshops and we have also secured the license to perform Frozen Junior in November 2023.

The building remains a continual source of concern, as we lurch from year to year wondering if the roof will survive or the heating will fail us. To date, both are still functioning, although we have had some problems with water ingress, which requires minor repair. We are currently looking at potential heating system replacements, particularly with a view to reducing costs and improving our carbon footprint. One of our major improvements this year has been the installation of new external advertising banners, which have given us a more visual presence in Beaconsfield Street, plus our new external LED noticeboard. This latter addition has provided us with the facility to communicate with customers and advertise shows in a more timely manner, negating the need to regularly install physical notices, which go out of date.

Regarding our team, we have had some small changes with the resignation of our box office assistant, Alison Leddy, and one of our trustees, Claire Khass. We thank them for their input over the past few years and wish them both well in their future ventures. Alison’s post has been taken over by Tracy Crook, who started her new role in February 2023 and we were thrilled to welcome back David McSparron as a new Trustee in April.

All in all, 2022/23 has been another very successful year, not just financially but artistically with the promise of many exciting developments to come. This could not have been achieved without the stalwart input of the whole team – staff, volunteers and trustees – together with the support of our customers, corporate sponsors and funders. We look optimistically to another great year for the Phoenix Theatre.

THEATRE PROGRAMME

During this year, we presented 66 different shows over 94 performances covering 7 genre types i.e. tributes, headliners, variety, dance, musicals, pantomimes and plays. These were enjoyed by almost 20.5k customers (40.2% increase from last year) and accounted for over £35k gross sales.

TRIBUTE ACTS

Ultimate Boy Band We are Champion Cloudbusting Pop Princesses Blue Flamingoes Totally Tina 10CCLO

Bon Jovi Forever Billy Joel – Keeping the Faith Fleeting Rumours Beatlemania UK Rock Show Creedence Clearwater Revival Ultimate Bowie Counterfeit 60s

Absolute Elvis Let the Music Play Jukebox & Bobbysox Blues Brothers Best of Queen Foreigner Journey Lipstick on Your Collar The Rat Pack Take That Experience Women in Rock Navi – King of Pop Retro Rock Ultimate 70s Ben Thompson as Elvis Typically Tina Come What May Glenn Miller tribute Abba Forever T-rextasy Twist and Shout Big Country Show

BALLET

HEADLINERS

The Christians Brian Downey The Quireboys The Real Thing Blake Joe McElderry

Sleeping Beauty The Nutcracker Beauty and the Beast

DANCE SHOWS

Stephanie Morgan Dance Stars Timestep Michelle Dance Strut Fusion Dance

PLAYS

Grimm Tales Cooking with Elvis Doing Shakespeare

VARIETY

PANTOMIME

LDN Wrestling Sleeping with Beauty Tony Stockwell (Medium) Snooker Greats Cracking Halloween Punch Drunk Silver Bells Festive Dickens High JInx

Jack and the Beanstalk

MUSICALS

Elf the Musical Our House

We acknowledge that tribute bands do make up over 50% of the entertainment within the programme, but the range and diversity of the acts contributes to the total content variety. Given the predominance of these types of acts within the programme, it is not surprising that they accounted for the highest gross

sales and attendances throughout the year, but it is interesting to look at the breakdown over the different performance genres. The following diagram shows the percentage split by genre (G – Gross sales, A – Attendances)

----- Start of picture text -----
Tributes
Pantomime
48.3% (G), 44.33% (A)
Variety
15.2% (G), 17.5% (A)
9.6% (G), 8.4% (A)
Headliners
Musicals
9.5% (G), 6% (A)
Dance Shows
7.6% (G), 9% (A)
6% (G), 9.7% (A)
Ballet
Plays
3.3% (G), 2.7% (A)
2.1% (G), 2.4% (A)
----- End of picture text -----

Compared with last year’s breakdown, there has been a decrease in both musicals and plays, mainly due to the fact that we didn’t produce an in-house production this year, but there has been a significant increase in dance. This is due to the inclusion of two ballet companies within the programme and also a 50% uptake in local dance groups hiring the venue. The other genres remain consistent with previous years.

Of the 66 different shows, 70% were split deals and 22% were hires(mostly taken up by local amateur organisations, such as operatic societies and dance schools). 4.5% were fees – these were for named artistes – and in-house productions accounted for the remainder.

TICKET SALES AND AUDIENCES

During this year, there was a total of £424,948 in gross ticket sales – a 34.8% increase from last year – which accounted for 26,551 tickets. These figures far surpass our pre-Covid totals and dispel our concerns that audiences would not return.

It is always interesting to ascertain where our audiences come from as this enables us to not only feel we are meeting the needs of our local community, but also assists with marketing strategies aimed at attracting audiences from further afield. Postcode analysis from our Ticketsolve booking system is a vital source of information, which enables us to breakdown our ticket sales. Unfortunately 2.7% of our records for this year have unknown postcodes, accounting for £11578 of sales, but we can still extrapolate interesting analysis from the remaining records. These reveal that 75.6% of our gross ticket sales were bought by customers living in South East Northumberland (accounting for £320,060.85) with 51.31% living in Blyth (£164,238.85)

SOUTH-EAST NORTHUMBERLAND BREAKDOWN (75.6% of sales)

This year’s sales figures within South-East Northumberland are comparative with last year's, but there has been a 2% increase of sales from customers living in both Blyth and Morpeth

----- Start of picture text -----
MORPETH (12.1%) ASHINGTON (11.5%)
£38829.10 £36995.30
2186 tickets 2095 tickets
BEDLINGTON (9.0%) CHOPPINGTON (4.5%)
£28539.50 £14448.10
1687 tickets 831 tickets
BLYTH (51.3%)
CRAMLINGTON (11.6%)
£164,238.85
£37010
10536 tickets
2153 tickets
----- End of picture text -----

BLYTH WARD BREAKDOWN

The following diagram shows the breakdown of gross annual sales by customers living within Blyth. Figures are comparative with last year's i.e. Wensleydale ward having most sales and Isabella and Cowpen having least sales. However there has been a significant increase of sales within Plessey ward this year, jumping from fourth to second place.

----- Start of picture text -----
COWPEN (9.6%) CROFT (11.9%)
£15806.50 £19617.25
968 tickets 1412 tickets
KITTY BREWSTER (13.7%) WENSLEYDALE (16.9%)
£22502.50 £27644.50
1290 tickets 1870 tickets
NEWSHAM (11.4%)
ISABELLA (8%)
£18815.05
£13107.80
1188 tickets
926 tickets
SOUTH BLYTH (13.9%) PLESSEY (14.6%)
£22743 £24002.25
1330 tickets 1552 tickets
----- End of picture text -----

Although the above figures demonstrate no particular surprise to us – (there is an expectation that the majority of customers would live within South-East Northumberland and specifically Blyth) - it is interesting to see how the remaining 21.7% of sales are spread across the rest of the northern region, not to mention the rest of the country.

NORTH-EAST REGION BREAKDOWN

----- Start of picture text -----
NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND
£2436.30
113 tickets
WEST NORTHUMBERLAND NORTH TYNESIDE
£2012.50 £46,378.50
157 tickets 2664 tickets
GATESHEAD NEWCASTLE
£4782 £12,929
247 tickets 598 tickets
SOUTH TYNESIDE
COUNTY DURHAM
£3740.20
£5048.50
194 tickets
231 tickets
SUNDERLAND
£5063.40
214 tickets
----- End of picture text -----

As can be seen from the above breakdown, a significant amount of sales have been generated from customers living within North Tyneside, making it the second highest sales generator behind Blyth.

REST OF THE COUNTRY BREAKDOWN

It always surprises us the distances our audiences travel to see our shows. Whether it’s because they’re on holiday in the area, visiting family or following a particular favourite act of theirs, but whatever the reason, we welcome them all from all corners of the country and beyond (as you can see from the map below)!

----- Start of picture text -----
EUROPE
SCOTLAND
£98.50
£2250 5 tickets
WALES 96 tickets
£71
5 tickets
YORKSHIRE & HUMBER
£2454
NORTH-WEST ENGLAND
113 tickets
£1334.50
59 tickets
EAST OF ENGLAND
£666
IRELAND
30 tickets
£123
3 tickets
LONDON
SOUTH-WEST ENGLAND
£278.50
£511.50 11 tickets
21 tickets
WEST MIDLANDS EAST MIDLANDS SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND
£362 £1697 £1073
13 tickets 48 tickets 30 tickets
----- End of picture text -----

Purchasing patterns

Last year we reported a 15% increase in online customers and stated that this appeared to be the direction of travel with 75% opting to book online and only 25% using the services of the box office. This year’s analysis shows, however, that there has actually been a slight decrease in online usage and that 29.8% of customers opted to utilise the box office. Of those who did, 71% attended in person and 29% booked over the phone. At this point in

time, we are unable to ascertain the reasons for this slight shift, but we shall be monitoring over the next year.

Last year we also reported on the decrease in postage costs, as more customers opted to print or download their own tickets at home and statistics show that this trend has continued this year with only 201 customers opting for tickets to be posted, amounting to £301.50. Owing to this decrease, we made the decision to remove the postage option from the booking system, which means that customers are now only able to collect physical tickets from the theatre or download e-tickets themselves – the latter method being the preferred one used by about 80% of our customers.

Another interesting trend is the decline in cash payments – a trend which seems to be exhibited nationwide. During this year, only 5.78% opted to pay for their tickets with cash with 92.2% utilizing debit or credit cards. Cheque payments are minimal these days (0.53%) and are restricted to block booking customers, such as guide and scout parties. We have also seen a small increase in customers using bank transfers – again these are for large block bookings.

Phoenix Theatre vouchers are still proving to be popular and this year we sold 107 vouchers, totalling £2170. Vouchers accounted for 1.04% of the payment type for this year as we saw £4749 being redeemed for ticket sales.

Marketing and Advertising

Although we advertise on our website, we still find that a number of our customers prefer having a physical brochure, which we produce twice a year and mail out to just over 2500 addresses. Copies are also available at the theatre as well as a number of public venues in the area, such as libraries and hotels. The new external LED screen has proved to be popular and a useful source of advertising, but, as with previous years, our most effective method of advertising is on social media, in particular Facebook, which generates most impact.

CINEMA

The introduction of cinema at the Phoenix Theatre has been the most anticipated and long-awaited addition to our entertainment portfolio for a number of years. Following the closure of the Wallaw cinema in 2004, there have been numerous public calls to bring back cinema to Blyth. We did attempt to trial it in 2014/15, utilising a temporary screen and hired films/equipment, but it didn’t quite work for us at that time.

However, after major advancements in technology and donations from benevolent funders, we were able to purchase a state-of-the-art screen and equipment, together with working with a company to source and provide films digitally, our launch finally came to fruition on 18 April 2022.

We opened with a showing of the popular animated film Sing 2 at 12.00 pm, followed by 2 showings of The Duke, welcoming 55 customers over the day, who were very complimentary about the quality and facilities. Since the launch, we have had 174

screenings during this year seen by 4085 visitors, accounting for £20,319.42 . It is fair to say that cinema has brought us a new audience, many of whom have returned to see other theatre shows.

Introducing cinema hasn’t been without major challenges and it is fair to say that, throughout the year, we have debated whether we made a wise decision. Owing to the fact that we cannot show films every day (due to our other theatre commitments), precludes us from securing the rights to show films as they are newly released. This means that ardent film fans will probably have already seen the film by the time we show it. We also found that expenditure was starting to exceed our income, as we had to pay for the services of the film distribution company, together with film transport costs. Together with this we also face the threat posed by the planned building of a cinema in Blyth marketplace.

However, we have faced these challenges head on and have looked at ways in which we can still show films and build up a cinema audience without the risk of losing too much financially. Firstly, we have opted to independently source films ourselves, liaising directly with distributors, such as Disney and Warner Brothers, who provide the films digitally, via email. We have also changed the way we programme our films throughout the year, using a four-stream approach i.e. our films fall into four different categories:

The most popular mainstream films attended this year were Elvis – the Movie (189 attended), Top Gun (157 attended), and Downton Abbey (97 attended). Live streaming concerts, such as Westlife and Andre Rieu have also attracted large numbers, but National Theatre streamed plays have a smaller and more niche audience - although 60 people did attend a screening of Jodie Comer’s excellent one-woman presentation of Prima Facie.

The majority of attendances, however, are for films aimed at young people and we are particularly grateful to be working with Leading Link, who regularly provide us with large groups during school holidays, as part of their activities programmes. The highest attended children’s film was Matilda-the Musical, which played to over 600 people in January.

Our special event film offers have also proven to be very popular, particularly over the Christmas period, when we screened a number of well-loved films, such as White Christmas and Miracle on 34[th] Street, followed by a festive tea. The surprise event of the year, however, was our Christmas Eve showing of Polar Express., which included hot chocolate and photo opportunities with a Tom Hanks conductor look-alike. So popular was the event that it sold out within one day of being put on sale, causing us to advertise another screening in the morning, which was also a sell-out.

The following chart shows the breakdown of attendances by the different programme type:

----- Start of picture text -----
FILM ATTENDANCE BY PROGRAMME TYPE
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Live Streaming Events Mainstream films Saturday morning Specials
9%
20%
26%
45%
----- End of picture text -----

As with our regular theatre programme, it is interesting to gauge where our cinema audiences are coming from, particularly given that we have other cinema provision nearby, e.g. Cramlington and Whitley Bay. Unfortunately, we don’t have as robust data for cinema audiences as we do for theatre audiences, due to the fact that 40% of the tickets were acquired as block reservations by organisations, such as Leading Link, therefore we don’t have full customer details.

However, analysis of the cinema attendances that we do have data for, shows that 73.1% of customers live in Blyth with 4.8% from Bedlington and 4.6% from Ashington. On an interesting note, data also shows that 6% of attendees live in Cramlington and 3.6% live in Whitley Bay.

We shall continue to monitor cinema sales and attendances very closely over the coming months and look for other opportunities to utilise the facilities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In line with our mission statement, we are committed to working with local organisations and groups, to engage with the community and provide a venue for them to showcase their work and interact with people of similar interests. During this year, we have been proactive in liaising with a number of groups and organisations, fostering new working relationships.

One exciting project, led by Museums Northumberland Bait, utilised our cinema facility in May, as we hosted the premiere of “Close Knit”, an animated film documentary about life in South-East Northumberland. Taking inspiration from the TV programme, Creature Comforts, the film featured a range of interviews from local people, who voiced their own words, but were represented on film by handmade animations. The event was attended by almost 200 people, including representation from the local Syrian community.

In July we welcomed back Cramlington Village Primary School, who staged their end of year celebrations in the auditorium, then in August we were one of four venues in Blyth to host the “extra(ordinary)” exhibition, which was coordinated by Northumberland County Council. This was a national touring exhibition of photographs, taken in hundreds of locations across the UK – each photograph representing the unusual and surreal reality of everyday life.

As previously mentioned, August saw the return of the young people’s group to the Phoenix, as we embarked on a week-long theatre summer school, focusing on musical theatre and culminating in an hour long showcase on the final afternoon. So popular was this event, that it sold out within a couple of days of being advertised and had a waiting list. In the coming months, we want to focus on developing more activities for young people, specifically involving learning and encompassing all areas of theatre e.g. music, dance, drama and technical and will include more workshops and performance. We are proactively looking for theatre professionals who can assist in this development.

As to daytime usage, we are currently drawing up a programme of scheduled activities, including a creative writing course, a singing group for persons with dementia and/or learning disabilities, a seated exercise group and Little Movers/Baby Movers, which are preschool dance and movement groups. All of these initiatives will be launched in 2023.

OBITUARIES

We are saddened to report the deaths of 3 people, who have contributed to the Phoenix Theatre over the years. Jeanette Roper, who steadfastly worked on the box office for over a decade, as well as acting as registrar for our in-house productions. Wendy Jackson, a former committee member who was active during the fund-raising years and who, prior to Covid lockdown was instrumental in organizing our Saturday coffee mornings. Bill Gilbert, husband of our former trustee and secretary Pauleen, who, as musical director for Beaconsfield Operatic Society, utilised the theatre’s facilities during the 1980s.

Our condolences and thoughts have been sent to their families.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Despite the repercussions still being felt after Covid lockdown and the threats posed by the national economy, the Phoenix Theatre has experienced a surprisingly successful financial year, which far surpasses our expectations. Pre-sales on box office are very optimistic and we have a plans in the pipeline which we are hopeful will bolster the coffers even further.

We know, however, that we cannot afford to sit on our laurels and we must continue to err on the side of caution. Foremost in our mind are the ever-increasing utility costs and we are closely monitoring monthly expenditure, particularly for gas and electricity and looking at every opportunity to reduce costs. As the following chart indicates, our income and expenditure have tended to work in parallel and, although we haven’t quite reached the pre-Covid levels of out-going costs, they are on the upturn and we anticipate an even greater increase in the next couple of years.

----- Start of picture text -----
Income v Expenditure over the last 10 years
£250,000.00
£200,000.00
£150,000.00
£100,000.00
£50,000.00
£-
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Income Expenditure
----- End of picture text -----

These trends are also mirrored in our overall theatre operating costs, as can be seen from the following chart:

----- Start of picture text -----
Operating Costs over last 10 years
£200,000.00
£150,000.00
£100,000.00
£50,000.00
£-
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
----- End of picture text -----

During this year, we have also embarked on a comprehensive review of our VAT procedures, which potentially may have huge financial implications. It has come to our attention that we, as a charitable organization managed by volunteers, may qualify for exemption from VAT for all ticket sales and expenditure. We have engaged the services of a qualified VAT consultant to carry out an independent review and we are hopeful that this will benefit us advantageously. (Further details in next annual report)

Funding and Donations

We are continually grateful for the financial support we received from funding, grants and donations and would like to express thanks to Northumberland County Council who have honoured their annual grant funding of £40,829. It is likely that, due to the economic climate, this will be reduced next year, but we are thankful that NCC continue to support us.

We are also grateful to the Ridley Trust who bequeathed us a grant of £5000, which has been ring-fenced specifically for activities involving the Young Phoenix. We intend utilising these monies to fund our planned workshops and production in 2023, as well as other educational events. The Young Phoenix also benefited from a donation from Blyth Rotary, which went towards the Summer School.

Our thanks would not be complete without reference to the generosity of our customers, who continue to regularly donate to our Theatre Development Fund. During this year, we can report a 17.4% increase in donations from last year with a total of £1386 raised from 881 individuals – this total then generates further income, as 77% of donators have signed up to Gift Aid, meaning that we can claim a further 25%.

Looking forward to 2023/24

It is probably true to say that we have now just about weathered the storms created by Covid and are back on track and looking ahead to another year at the Phoenix Theatre. We admit that some of our intended projects have not yet come to fruition, but this is understandable, given the nature of the environment and the curved balls that are often thrown in our way. We are optimistic, however, that we can consolidate during this coming year and introduce new and exciting projects.

To-do list (not exhaustive, but an indication of the year ahead)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In conclusion, as we bring this annual report to a close, we must acknowledge the contribution and support from everyone involved with the Phoenix Theatre - our hardworking staff, volunteers, trustees and freelance personnel, our customers, together with the businesses and organisations who work with us. Thank you!

Appendices

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

In thenext couple of pages we present details of thisorganisation’sformal structure, how we are administrated and by whom and information relating to our underpinning governance

REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATION DETAILS

Company Registration Number: 08113214 Charity Registration Number: 1149700 VAT Registration Number: 804 2178 55

The directors of the charitable company (the charity) are its trustees for the purposes of charity law. The trustees serving during this year and since the year end are as follows:

David Garrett (Chair) Paul Worth Alison Thoburn Robert Nixon Claire Khass (resigned January 2023)

REGISTERED OFFICE:

The Phoenix Theatre, 37a Beaconsfield Street, BLYTH, NE24 3DS

SOLICITORS :

Dickinson Dees, St Annes Wharf, 112 Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DX

AUDITORS :

Albert Gurney, Chartered Accountant, 4 West Terrace, Seaton Sluice, NE26 4RE

BANKERS :

HSBC, 26 Bamburgh House, Manor Walks, Cramlington, NE23 6QE

GOVERNING DOCUMENT

The Phoenix Theatre (Blyth) is a company limited by guarantee, governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 31 December 2012. It was established following the dissolution of the previous company Phoenix Theatre Blyth Limited and the charity Blyth Arts and Community Association (B.A.C.A.)

ORGANISATION OF THE CHARITY

The company is administered by the Board of Directors (Trustees & Officers), who meet formally on a monthly basis to discuss all matters (operational and strategic). The company has no shareholders, but does have a trading company with two shares, owned by the Phoenix Theatre (Blyth).

TRUSTEES

The number of Directors/Trustees shall not be less than three nor more than eight. On the incorporation of the Company, the first Trustees were designated as those who had previously been Directors/Trustees in the dissolved Company/Charity. Subsequent Directors/Trustees shall be appointed by the Board from time to time and at any time throughout the year. Directors/Trustees retire by rotation every 3 years at the first Board meeting of every calendar year, but can be reappointed. No Director/Trustee can serve for more than nine consecutive years (except in the event of exceptional circumstances).

TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Charity Trustees (who are also the Board of Directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements, in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom’s Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). These financial statements must give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the theatre and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period.

In preparing the financial statements, the Directors/Trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently, observe the methods and principles of the Charities SORP, make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis, unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The Directors/Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the charity and to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985, the Charities Act 1993, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence take reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

RISK MANAGEMENT

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. A risk register has been established and is update annually. Management accounts are prepared monthly and the performance of the charity is monitored by the entire board of trustees. Potential risks and threats are monitored constantly and any necessary action taken.

ACCOUNTS

The Board of Directors/Trustees fulfil their responsibility for maintaining proper accounting records and safeguarding the assets of the charity and have appointed Albert Gurney, Chartered Accountant, as the Phoenix Theatre’s Independent Examiner. Details of the

2022/23 accounts, together with supporting information have been submitted to the Charities Commission in a separate document.

AUDIT

For the period ending 31 March 2023, the company was entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, relating to small companies.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD/TRUSTEES

Registered Office: The Phoenix Theatre 37 Beaconsfield Street Blyth Northumberland NE24 2DS

David G Garrett (Chair and Chief Executive of the Board of Directors/Trustees)

PHOENIX THEATRE IBLYTH) ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERIOD ENDED 31st PAARCH 2023 llllllllm lllllw ACIS5914- 2011023 COMPANIES HOUSE A31

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PHOENIX THEATRE (BLYTh) PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2023 CONTENTS PAGES Legal and administratbve Infcrnti￿. Report ofthe Trustees Trustees responsbilrts Report of the indeFndent examiner ststement of financial activities Balance sheet Notes fomiing part of the ffinancial ststements 7-11

PHOENIX THEATRE {BLYTrI TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILMES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERIOD ENDEO 31st MARCH 2023 LEGAL AND ADIAINISTrATIVE INFORMATK)N CONSTITUTION PHOENIX THEATRE (BL￿H) 1$ a reg￿tered charity numter 11497LM) a company limrted by guarantee wistered vAth Com￿leS House. Cofflpany number 08113214. TRUSTEES The trustees serying durry the year and since the year end ￿￿Te as fc41￿￿.. Chalrman D G Garrett TREASURER P8Worth SECRETARY Ms A Thoburn OTHER D A Mcsparron (appointed 7th June 2023) C Khass {re5NJned 31st January 2023) R V Nixon REGISTERED OFFICE The Phoenix Theatre. Beaconsfield Stree( Btyth. Northumberland, NE24 20S. INDEPENDENT EXAhllNER A Gumey, Chartered Accountant 4 West Terrxe. Seaton SluKe. Northumberfand. NE26 4RE. 8ANKERS HSBC. 31 Brhjge Street. Btyth. NorthumberfarKI. NE24 Z4B. SOLICITORS Bond Dtckinson LLP. St Anrts Wharf. 112 Quaysmle. Newcastle upon Tyne. NE1 30X

PHOENIX THEATRE IBLYTH) REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2023 The tnjstees are ￿eaSed to present thr repxt iwerwilh the finalcial statements of the charity for the period ended 31st March 2023 Legal and adminiStr￿)n infomiation set out on page 1 forns part of thi% report The financial statements compty with current statutory requirements. and the Statements of Recommended Practice- Accounting and Reportry by Charities. OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY The purpose of the Charity are to promote and advance interest and education in the arts for the benefit of the public. and in part￿ular for the benefit of the resKlents of Blyth Valley, by managing and maintaining a theatre known as'Tr Phoenix Theatre- and in particular by the prc#Juction, promotion. presentation and management of plays. musical theatre. signing and dramatic and musical perforniances and by the provision or pr￿lUcI10n any other art￿tiC works. To further provide facilities for the interest of sttial *Elfare for the ￿creatiOn and leisure time occupats'on with the aim of improvirKJ the conditions of lrfe of tttose restding in the said area and elsewhere. ORGANISATION A board of trustees who meet fm a re9ular basis administer the cawrity. There is a management committee elected by the members to cary out the day lo day running of the A5xKiatr"on. ReviEW OF ACTIVITIES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS PHOENIX THEATRE {BLYTH) a new charitable Company limited by guarantee was incorporated and registered with the Charity Commissty)n. ft)r the purF(Jse of taking over the operation of the Blyth Arts and Community ASS￿latIon including rfs assets and liabilib'es wrth effect from 31st December 2012 liabilities. The effect of the transfer is that PHOENIX THEATRE (BLYTHI Trading Limited has now acquired all the assets and undertaking of the AS￿￿lation. including the premises. wrth effect from 31st December 2012 Similarly the Company acquired the assets arKI liabilths of PHOENtX THEATRE (BLYTHI Trading Limited on the same date. wth the Company now bw.ng a wholty subsidiary. The trading Positk￿ as oulined ￿ pages 5 and followirwJ to these financial statements.

PHOENIX THEATRE {BLYfH) PERIOD ENDED 31st IAARCH 2023 TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE HNANCIAL STATEMEpirs The Trustees have adopted the followng reserves policy That will ensure that at all times the level of reserves is appropriate to the level of Chantys activities. The Trustees will review annLdty the natu￿ of the 1￿me and expendrtufe streams. the need to match variable Ir￿ne fixed commrtrnents and the nature of the reserves in order lo decide on the level of reseTres required for the Chanty to be managed effic￿tlY and to enable the future services to remain interrupted. Use of Reserves a￿ to be used lo protect the ￿ term delivery and C¢￿tInUty of servI￿s. Ensure the upkeep of the property and to help fund any major repairs l alteralions required. Level I form reserves. Tnjstees deade on the reserves required. The current aim of the Chanty is lo ho￿ reserves of al least £130,000. This f￿Ure wll be kept urmler revie* as the cost base of the Theatre increases. t)ecisions on the use of the reserves will te made by the Board. This re￿t has been prepared in accordan¢e with the special provisi(￿S of Part 15 of the Companies Aet 2￿ ￿kiting to small ¢(xnpanies. TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The Charities Act 2011 requires the trustees to prepafe financial statements that give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the thanty at the end of the financial year and of rts surplus or der￿t the financial year. In doing so the trustees are required to". sdect suitable accounting policies and appty them consi$tenUy make judgments that are f&w￿ble and prudent: and prepare the financial slatements on a going eoncem basis Un￿ rt is inappropriate to presume that the charty wll continue in business. The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounts.ng records disc105e with reasonable atturdcy at any bme the financial posiiion of the charity and enables them lo ensure that the financial statements Compty wth statutory requirement. The trustees are also responsible for safeguardiThJ the asset5 of the Charty and hence for laking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other wregularitEs. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER A Gumey, Chartered Accountant wa$ app)inted to undertake an independent examination of the accounts in accordance the Charities Act 2011. r of the trustees PBWorth Director Dato . 14th De¢¢mb•r 2023.

PHOEMIX THEATRE {BLYfH) PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 20rJ INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE PHOENIX THEATRE IBLYfH) I report to the trustees on my examinal￿n CA the acwjnts of the at)ve Chaiity for the perK)d ended 31st March 2023 As the Chartys trustees you are re5[Y)ns￿le ￿the prepara￿￿ ofthe xc4Junts in &eordance with the requirements under section 144 of the Charilies Ac 2011.1'lhe Acr'i I report in respect cl my examinalvjn of trE Charitrfs ￿CoUnts carri￿j urmler se£lion 145 of 2011 A￿ and in carrying out my eX￿Ina￿. I have fOlk￿￿j 811 •wltsble Directions given by the Charity Commisstrm under ￿lon 145(5)Ib} of A The Charity's gross income exceeded £250,Crt)O and l am qualffied lo uTrJert*e the e￿in￿lOn being member of the Institute of Chartered Acwjnlarts ￿ ErWJla￿j arKI Wa￿s. I have ¢cYnpleted my examination. l Confimi that no materid matters have C£￿e to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disckwd Wow) The chanty does not provide for depreciatKsn of irs land and buihling5. whth are included at historic eosts. In this ￿pect the aCC￿nts do not ¢t￿pIY wrth Ihe accountsng wuTrrements of the Act. I have no concerns and have cLYne XTQ5S no other matters in conneth.on with the examination lo wh￿h attention should be drawn in this report in ordef lo enab￿ a proper understsnding of the accounts to be A GURNEY Chartered Accountant Datg: 14th ber 2023.

PHOENIX THEATRE (BLYTh) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTMllES PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2023 Unrestricted Restrictsd Total Funds Funds 2023 Total 2022 Incomlng resourus Activities for generating frjnds Commercial Activrt Operation of theatre and community association Fund raising and donat￿n$ Grants received Interest Subscriptions Other 444.119 444.119 282.338 838 40.829 2.628 175 838 45,829 2.628 175 11,600 80.013 68 170 5.000 Tolal incoming vesources available for charilable application 488,589 s,OCKI 493.589 374.189 Less cost of generating fvr￿S Commercial Activth"es 281.001 281.001 149,123 Net incoming resources available for charitable applic•tion 207.588 212.588 225,066 Charitable expendI￿rn Cost of operation of th&qtre and community a$sockath?n 120.968 120,968 67,773 Total charitable •xpendlture 120.968 120,968 67,773 PAov¢ment in total funds forth? pgrlod 86.620 91.620 157.293 Unrestrlcted funds brougm fornanl 408.087 408.087 250.794 Tr4nsferred on reworganisation 0 1.277.300 1.277,300 1,277.300 Property dilapidations 130,000 130.IJ)0 130,000 Total funds carried forw•rd 494.707 1.412,300 1,907,007 1.815,387 All ￿OUnts relate to conts'nuing operatKx￿. The charity has no rec(*Jnised gains or k)sses other than ￿ surpth the year.

PHOENIX THEATRE (BL￿H) BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31st MARCH 2023 2023 2023 2022 2022 FIXED ASSETS Tangible Assets 1.439206 1.447.001 CURRENT ASSETS Inveslments Stock$ Dèbtors Cash in hand and at bank 2,781 5.445 6,341 524,438 580.467 591.318 S36.230 CREDITORS Amounls falling due withln one year 10 123.517 167.844 NET CURRENT ASSETS 467.801 368,366 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURREMT LIABILITIES 1.￿7.007 1.815,387 CREDITORS Amounts falling after more than one year NET ASSETS 1.907,007 1,815.387 RESERVES 1.907.007 1.815.387 For the peri(￿ ended 31st March 2023 the aThpany was to exemption fmm a￿jrt ￿￿er section 477 of the Companies Ad 2006 rdating to small coryanies. Directors, responsitsl￿es'. The members have not required the company to ¢)btsin w aLvJit of its accwrt5 for Ihe per*>J in question in accordance wrth sedion 476. The Directofs a¢kno%￿edge thwr responsI￿lIbe5 for comptyir¥J with thtr Fequirements of the Act wrth ￿Spe to accoLJnkn"ng ￿CordS aThJ the preparation of accounts. These account$ have been prepared in ￿0rd¥￿e the provtsws applicaUe lo ccthpanies subject to the small companie5, regime. byth¢ on 14th De¢embor 2023. director

PHOENIX THEATRE (BLYfH) NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERIOD ENDED 31st raARCH 2023 ACCOUNTING POLICIES The finanaal statements have been prepared under the h￿tar￿[ cost ¢onverttion and in aCCordar￿e with the Ststement of Re¢ommen(led Pra¢ltt. A¢¢outh"ng and Reporting by Charrttes ISORP FRS 102} and ecthply %Mlh Chanties (A￿￿nts arn1 Report$l Regulations 2008 issued under the Charthes Ad 2011.There were ￿ material departures from the standard. The finarrial stateft￿ts set out ¢)n pa9es 1 to11 are yeporeil under ￿ hislorical cost ¢onvention. The finanrjal statements are wep¥ed in slerling. is the fU￿tiOn￿ cUrre￿Y of the Company. Monetsry amounts in these financial ststements are roundeil lo the nearest £. The followjng acuunlin9 pdicies have been used ¢orMt8nty in dealirKJ with ￿emS which are conside￿￿ matefi to the Charitys aff•"rs. (•) Commer¢ial tradlng a￿1¥11[¢$ Income from ¢0mme￿i31 aclithti.es is Incl￿ in the in Ththich the Chanty is enb"IletJ to receive the income Ib) Donallons and grants Inccne from donations and grants. ca￿tal grants. is induded in irKonNng resour¢e$ when these are receivalAe, ex¢W as folltrhs". en dontys speufy Ihat and grarrts g¥en to Ihe Charity must be used tphRn donors irnp05e cty&bons wlwcb have lo be fulfilled before the ch￿ty tcomes enIrt￿ to use such I￿e. the inwne is deferred and not induded incomin9 resources unb"l the wtrcondibons of use have been met. When donors 5pe¢ify that d(Kot1￿$ and granis. iFKfLMSing capital grants. are for partirAlar restricted purwses. th) not amount to We-￿￿onS regarding entiuement, this income is irKluded in restr￿tert fur#Js tkni recwtrAe. Ic} Interest receivabl• Inteost is induded 7hen receivabk by the thity. Id) Resources oxp•nd•d Resources expended are i￿v￿e0 in the stalemenl of final￿JaI aCtivrti￿ on an accruals ba51$. indusive of any VAT CaThr￿ be recovered. Certain expenditLsre is directty attributable to yific aCb¥￿e5 and has been included in those cost categrn.

PHOENIX THEATrE IBLYfHI IK)TES TO F￿ATr￿lAL STATEMENTS PERIOD ENDED 31st IAARCH 2023 (e> Flxed Ass•ts Indi￿dual assets are ca￿￿1￿￿e￿ at ￿c0St LaThJ Buiklirg5 represenl the 9ross cost to Ihe (anty. In year5 this ha5 been afterthe dedudK)n of grants rerEivable. Other tangible fixed assets are iNlialty reojded at co# a￿1 SLWuenty stated at C05t less any accumukted depreCAat￿ and lrnpwr￿ntr￿)Sts. Depreckqtion is calculated so as to write-off the cost or ¥aluab"on ol an asset. les5 ts Land and B¢JibJings O % rer ￿n￿rn Plant and Machinery 20 % pef annum FixbJres and fittiros 20 % pef annum In Stocks Stocks are slated at the 5?￿r of c05t and net ree vak. Cost as detwrTh"ned on a first in first out basis. {gl Taxation The Company is a chanty¥ithin the of Parw4h 1 W￿ule 6 Finarte Act 2010. Accordingly, the Company is potentialty exernpt frum taxatitin in respect of ir￿rne or captal gains wthin categories covered by Chapter 3 of Part 1101 Tax A(# 2010 or Seclion 256 oflhe Taxatim of Chargeable Gains Act 1992. to the extent1hat s￿h Inrme orgaIr￿ are aprAie11 exduswety to thafrtable purposes. Ihl Trnde Crtdlto Tra¢Jè are rtil￿at￿?ns to pay for g)ods or servKX that have been aowired in tr ordinary course ol ￿j$InesS frorn suwiers. Accounts Pay8￿ are dw.fitd as ¢)rn Ikth"1th"es ifthe Assoaatic does not have uncfjndth.onal wJhts. atthe end ol the ￿pr￿h.ng penod. to defer setuernent ofthe creditor for at least monlhs after the rewrbng date. Trade Credrt0￿ are rec£snised inthlty at the trans&11￿ arKI gjbsewtnty ftWSUTed at the arnortssed ¢ost Using the effective Inte￿$t meth Tumover is r8ceonise(l atth• fr ofthe COr￿leratI￿ re(we(I WfècWvab￿ and represents amounts receivat4e for services suOd. stated rf of discounts and of Value Added Tax.Tumover is ￿t￿nISed at the pjint 9oc¥ts e SL4d or serytss FWOVHJed. LEGAL STATUS OF CHARfrY PHOENIX THEATRE IBLYTHI 1$ a regtstwed chanty number 11457￿ and a company lirTrted by guaranlee registe￿d Companies H¢￿se. Cryy numbw 08113214.

PHOENIX THEATRE {BLYfH) NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEIAENTS PERIOD ENOEO 31st MARCH 20rJ OPERATION OF CHARITY 2023 2023 2022 2022 INCOME Bar Product Third party income Cateiing etc Other inoM Programme$ Rental charges Sweels and Ice Creams 47.186 245.757 115,9)7 3.168 7.997 137 17.379 6.588 27,209 160,186 84.681 1,29B 754 216 4.T72 3.222 444,119 282.338 COST OF SALES Bar Cinema co Productions Hwer costs 29.763 15,507 176,321 59.410 11,765 108.168 29.1 281.C#)1 149,123 OPERATING PROFIT 163,118 133.215 COST OF OPERATION OF THEATRE Wages •nd Freel•n¢e Cosls 36.255 15,086 Ad¥ertiS4n9, pnntirKJ, postage and ststionery Cleaning. rnainlenan￿ and equipmenl hir• Covid safe costs Errtertaining HÈ, Ight and tater Insurance l T costs Licences and perfoThing fwJhts Telephones and intemet Trainin9 Travelling 11.19) 14.351 10.739 285 12,502 10.284 6.921 7.448 4.152 4.097 1,017 9,527 1.278 37 Aecouniancy Profes￿¢)nal fees Bank and credit thaFges Dep￿ciatIOn Other expenses 1.553 1,079 15.e64 385 7,492 120.968 67,773 42.150 65,442

PMOENIX THEATRE (BLYfH) NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERIOD ENDED 31st MARCH 2023 GRANTS RECEIVED 2023 2022 Comprned . HMRC - Furlo9h Support NCC NCC Cinema Support Grant "NCC Covid Business SupFQrt thnts Rid* Chanty Grant 547 40,829 27,970 10,667 40,829 5.000 45,829 80,013 FIXED ASSETS The movement on these during the period was as folk3￿". Freehold Plqnt & Property Equipment Fixtures & Frttings Total Cost As at 1 st April 2022 Add￿'onS Grants receNed Disposals 1,379.572 175.670 32.451 1.587,693 7,869 7,869 As at 31st March 2023 1.379.572 175.670 40.320 1.595,562 Depreclatlon As at 1 st April 2022 Addibons Disposals 108,242 14.984 32.450 140,692 15,664 As at 31st March 2023 123,226 33,130 156,356 Net Book Value As al 31 st March 2023 1.379.572 52.444 7.190 1.439,206 As at 31st March 2022 1,379.572 67,428 1 1,447,001 10

PHOENIX THEATRE IBLYTH) PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT PERIOD ENDED 31st AIARCH 2023 INVESTMENTS 2022 Represents the rssued share capital of PHOENIX THEATRE IBLYfH) {Tradingl Limrted a wholty owned subsKliary. STOCKS Stocks comprised.. 2023 2022 Bar stod(¥ 2.781 5,445 DEBTORS Debtors compn8ed.. 2022 8,064 6,341 10 CREDITORS Amounts due Amounts due within one year du• after one year March March March March 2023 2023 2022 2022 Creditors ccrfnpnsed: 8arclaycard Trade Creditors Amounts due to p1K￿￿X Theatre Blyth (Trading) Limited Advanced b(x)kin95 Advanced grants Other taxes and secunty Other creditors 2.031 1.224 3,0)1 4,955 39.￿ 39,096 69.267 73,274 40.829 9.299 4,349 2.6W 2.340 123,517 167.844 11