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← The Raze Collective

2023-09-30-accounts

The Raze Collective

Charity Registration No.1167655

Report and Unaudited Financial Statements Year ended 30 September 2023

The Raze Collective

Status: Charity Registration No.1167655
Govening document:
The Raze Collective is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation
(CIO) registered on 16 June 2016 governed by its trust deed.
Registered Office: 84 Bethune Road
London
N16 5BA
Trustees who served since the
start of the year upto today : Tamsin Vibert (resigned in Nov 2023)
Tim Crocker-Buque (Treasurer) (resigned in Nov 2023)
Steve Hignell
Krishna Istha (resigned in Aug 2023)
Beck Tadman (resigned in Sep 2023)
Florent Trioux
Tracy Gentles (resigned in Oct 2023)
Lynsey Bonell (Chair) (appointed in Nov 2023)
Pembe Tokluham (appointed in Nov 2023)
Emily Drake (appointed in Nov 2023)
Almiro Andrade (appointed in Feb 2024)
Alice Holland (appointed in Feb 2024)
Independent examiner: Shruti Soni ACCA
Shruti Soni Ltd
Chartered Certified Accountants
117a St. John's Hill, Sevenoaks TN13 3PE

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The Raze Collec,ve Charity registra,on number 1167655

Trustees Report for 12 months ending 30 September 2023

Introduc,on

Raze Collecve is a charity established in 2015 dedicated to nurturing and developing innovave queer performance in the UK. We create cultural opportunies for LGBTQIA+ arsts, audiences and the wider public. We value the diversity of the queer cultural scene and work with arsts, producers and organisaons who share our values and ethos. Raze was formed by grassroots performers, producers and audience members in the face of the closure of LGBTQIA+ venues. We are called Raze as the organisa*on was established in response to those queer spaces being razed.

We bring together people and organisaons working in different aspects of the queer performance community, including performers, producers, promoters, directors, venue owners, academics and audience members. The charity protects and promotes queer performance for everyone through arst development, events, workshops, meet ups and commissioning new work. Find out more at www.razecollec*ve.com

Charitable Objects

Our charitable objects are as follows:

A. To promote, maintain, improve and advance performing arts, defined as art forms involving voice and/or movement alone or in relaon or other objects to convey arsc expression, undertaken by people who idenfy as Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Intersex (LGBTQI) or that contains LGBTQI themes, content or context, through the provision of workshops, training and cultural events for the benefit of the LGBTQI community and the public.

B. The advancement of educaon of the public in relaon to LGBTQI performing arts through the provision of workshops, seminars, discussions, lectures, screenings and live performances.

C. The advancement of LGBTQI performing arts by assisng young performers of moderate or limited means in such ways as to enable them to become self-supporng.

D. The preserva*on of LGBTQI performing arts heritage and culture, including spaces and buildings of historic interest or importance, for the benefit of the LGBTQI community and the public.

Board of Trustees

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17/10/2018)

Resigned during this year:

Board Observers

Staff (engaged on a freelance basis)

Ar,st Steering Group

CHAIR’S REPORT

The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30[th ] September 2023. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounng policies set out in note 1 of the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charies Act 2011, and Accounng and Reporng by Charies: Statement of Recommended Pracce applicable to

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charies preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporng Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 16 July 2014 (“SORP”).

This report covers a substanal body of diverse acvi*es across live performance and digital live performance, covering the period October 1st 2022 to September 30th 2023.

The Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity's aims and objecves and in planning its future acvies.In parcular, the Trustees consider how planned acvies will contribute to the aims and objec*ves that have been set.

Related party rela,onships

The Charity has considered the disclosure requirements of the SORP for related party relaonships. The Charity has no related party connecons with other organisaons. The Trustees consider the members of the Board of Trustees and their close connecons to be the only related pares of the Charity. All Trustees give their me voluntarily and receive no benefits from the Charity of any kind. No expenses were claimed from the Charity by any Trustees in the repor*ng year. Trustees are required to disclose all relevant interests and register them with the Chair of Trustees and to withdraw from decisions where a

Managing risk of harm

In carrying out the charity’s purpose to achieve public benefit the trustees have managed risk of detriment or harm to the charity’s beneficiaries or to the public in general (which they feel is minimal). This has been achieved by iden*fying such risks where possible, minimising them and making sure any harm that might arise is of a minor consequence to the carrying out of such purpose.

Going Concern

Aqer making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectaon that the Charity has adequate resources to connue in operaonal existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they connue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adopon of the going concern basis can be found in the Accounng Policies.

Financial Posi,on

Total receipts for the 12 months to 30 September 2023 were £118,280, a decrease of £26,528 on the previous year (12 months) from £144,808. Total payments for the year were £138,970, of which £112,651 were from restricted funds and £26,319 were from unrestricted funds. There was also a transfer £21,335 from unrestricted funds to restricted funds, which was used as match funding on Art Council Grants spent within the year.

Of the total payments £138,970, payments for arsc and creave costs were £43,889, producon and management costs were £70,449 and £7,902 were on rent and ulies. The charity had net payments

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during the year of £20,960, details of which are shown in the Receipts and Payments accounts. Unrestricted cash funds of £22,148 and restricted cash funds of £27,811 are held as at the year end.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees acknowledge that the reserves should only be used in relaon to strategic acons, and that they should be maintained at a level to cover the following financial year’s budgeted minimum operaonal costs, with ability to maintain current staffing levels for a 3-month period, calculated to be £10,000 in addion to any other unrestricted funds available.

Remunera,on policy for key management personnel

The remuneraon of all staff is reviewed annually. Staff are engaged in a freelance basis so rates of pay are set in line with ITC & Equity minimum rates The Trustees review the remuneraon of key management personnel, and draw on their knowledge of the sector, the formal appraisal process, and common pracce in other charies of similar size, to ensure that the remunera*on set is fair and not out of line with that generally paid for similar roles.

Principal Funding Sources

These are:

ACTIVITIES

Period 01 October 2022 - 30th September 2023

Our acvies are split over 3 core programme strands: Ar*st Development, Sector Support & Community Events.

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT:

We worked with partners Stanley Arts to deliver 3 x ar*st development programmes during this period.

Raze Introducing : Oct 2022- February 2023

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Funded by Arts Council England, Raze Introducing supported 5 arsts with a seed commission and 3 month professional development programme to support the creaon of a new piece of movement based work. Arsts received producing support, online mentoring, workshops in digital accessibility, creave pracce, movement, budgeng & fundraising. Produced in partnership with Stanley Arts where we staged a showcase on Sat 25th February 2023 (60 agendees).

Supported ar*sts: An0maly (pole), Bambi (movement/dance), Chantel Foo (dance/spoken word), Daisy Barreg-Nash (theatre) & Jasmine Kahlia (interdisciplinary).

Collide: Mar 2023 - July 2023

COLLIDE was an arst development commission, produced in partnership by Stanley Arts as part of Croydon’s London Borough of Culture. Ten incredible LGBTQIA+ arsts worked for 3 months, taking part in workshops, group sharings and receiving mentoring, rehearsal space & funds to support the creaon of new works. The program culminated in a queer arts take-over of the Stanley Arts building on Fri 10th July. All 10 arst’s works were staged over one evening, agended by over 110 people.

Supported ar*sts: Amani, An0maly, Bilan, Danny Bailey & Alizée Ndiaye, Dot Alma, Duncan Disorderly, June Lam, Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson, Orion Isaacs, Tanaka Fuego

Let Us Raze You - LABS : Jul 2023- Sept 2023

Let Us Raze You supported 3 arsts with a seed commission to develop a new piece of work or evolve and adapt an exisng idea. This year we worked with a range of arsts whose pracces span cabaret, spoken word, theatre, music and dance. Alongside a commission fee, arsts received producing support, online mentoring, workshops in accessibility & markeng. This culminated in a sell-out sharing at Stanley Arts (75 agendees) on Thursday 21st September.

Supported ar*sts: Azara (Mr IPM), Elle Fierce & Wet Mess

SECTOR SUPPORT:

Queer Arts Consor,um : Oct 2022- Mar 2023

Raze connued to run the Elevate funded Queer Arts Consorum. The programme supported Raze Collecve, Queer Youth Art Collecve, Prim.Black, The Cocoa Buger Club & Fringe! Queer Art & Film fest with a bespoke package of organisaonal development support. This Programme has been managed by Director Lucy Hayhoe. During this period training and support for QUAC organisaons has been supplied by Adapt For Arts, ITC, City Lit, AMA, Jonathan Buckerfield, Mel Larson and more. Organisaons have ulised funds to set up accounng relaonships, purchase soqware and access paid me to write funding applicaons. In April 2023, we completed an evaluaon and examinaon of the grants Income & Expenditure which was submiged to funders Arts Council England in May 2023. Though the project is now closed the QUAC organisaons will maintain the collecve framework with bi-annual meengs, aiming to connue to collaborate as contemporaries, cri*cal friends and support partners.

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Queer Clash Diary: Sun 15th Jan 2023

In January we worked with partner The Yard Theatre (Hackney Wick) to host our annual networking event, Queert Clash Diary (QCD). QCD is a jam-packed day of talks, presentaons, interacve networking and performances from some of London’s most excing emerging performers including Jack Boal, Symoné & Dairy King. QCD brings together promoters, producers, venues, performers, arsts and collecves from across London’s queer performance scene. It is an opportunity to meet peers, share projects, make plans for the future and play! This year we explored all things funding related, from Arts Council to venue support. We ran a talk on cracking Arts Council Project Grants, heard from the queer organisaons who are flourishing and the venues & fes*vals who are looking for new queer work.

Queer Clash Mornings : Jan - Mar 2023

This year we launched a pilot of our new Quueer Clash Mornings’ (QCMs) project. QCMs are a series of creave coffee mornings. Each session is cp-hosted by Raze and queer arts professionals who share with agendees’ their journey of working in arts/culture. These informal sessions were designed in response to feedback from QCD agendees who wanted more frequent and informal opportunies to connect with other queer creaves. We ran 5 x sessions during this period, with venue partner Bootstrap. Co-hosts included: Orrow Bell, Aisha Shaibu, Dan Kok, Tracky Crombie & Shay Shay. Each event was agended by between 10-25 parcipants.

QTIBPOC Traineeship : Nov 2022- Mar 2023

During this period we hosted our second QTIBPOC trainee. First launched in 2021, this programme is designed to address the lack of QTIBPOC producers working in London’s art and culture sector. For 4 months our trainee was paid for 1 day per week to work as part of the raze team. During this period they worked on INTRODUCING, Queer Clash Diary and Queer Clash Mornings.

Young Producers Club : September 2023

In September we piloted a first edion of a new program, Young Producers Club (YPC). We developed YPC in response to the high number of quality applicaons that we received for our Traineeship. This programme is a way of increasing reach to more young queer people looking to establish a career in the arts. The programme was a week-long course ( 5 days), agended by 11 par*cipants aged 18-25. The course was designed as an entry level, bite-sized intro to Arts Producing, offering workshops exploring: What is a Producer? , Intro to Budgets & Funding, Intro to Marke9ng , Access in the Arts and Collabora9ve Working .

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

LGBT History Month Workshops : Stanley Arts, throughout February 2023

A series of creave workshops aimed at South London queer communies. These workshops provided an opportunity for parcipants to get creave and explore a queer arts pracce, in a relaxed and hands- on sevng. Workshops offered included, Hula Hooping, Bollysass Dance, Creave Wri*ng

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& Zine-making. Agendance ranged from 6-15 par*cipants.

Newham LGBT History Month Cabaret : Old Town Hall, Straxord, February 3rd 2023

A cabaret commission from Newham Council to celebrate LGBT History month. We staged a cabaret extravaganza & Dj aqer party featuring drag, pole-dancing, hula-hooping, Lip-sync, Bollywood dancing and comedy. The event was agended by over 200 Newham locals, including the Mayor of Newham.

Mighty Hoopla Fes,val: Brockwell Park, June 3rd & 4th 2023

Raze has become a charity partner of Mighty Hoopla Fesval, securing a yearly donaon. On top of which we were commissioned to provide a dayme cabaret show on the new Pinkies Stage on both days of the fesval. This provided an important performance plaxorm and exposure for seven emerging arsts, many of whom have aspiraons to work on Hoopla’s larger stages.

The Great Get Together : Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, 1st July 2023

A family friendly cabaret commission for The Great Get Together, an event that brings together diverse communi*es from across Newham & Tower Hamlets. Our family friendly cabaret agracted an audience of between 40-50 people (mainly children & families), and featured drag, clowning, Bollysass dance & hula hooping.

Queer Summer Fayre : Hackney Bridge, 2nd September 2023

This year marked the return of Queer Summer Fayre, funded by the Jubilee Fund in 2022, this year we were funded by Naonal Logery Awards For All. The Fayre was held at Hackney Bridge and featured a queer market (hosng queer arsts & makers), a series of hands-on creave workshops, two cabaret performances and an aqerparty. We had a fooxall of >250 parcipants, across all acvi*es.

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Over this year we have maintained 3 core staff members, Lucy Hayhoe (Director), Seyi Osibamowo (Creave Producer) & Fraser Buchanan (Creave Producer). In June we created a new Access Coordinator role, to ensure we connue to embed and priorise Accessibility across our programme. The posion was filled by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan. In January 2024 Flyn Klein (Comms Assistant) leq the organisaon to concentrate on his studies.

This year we were successful in achieving mulple grants (ACE, Naonal Logery), earning performance commissions (Newham Council, The Great Get Together, Mighty Hoopla) and securing corporate donors (Plus 1, Mighty Hoopla). However we are sll in pursuit of mul-year funding, having submiged an unsuccessful applicaon to the Paul Hamlyn Foundaon. This is a target for 2024. Despite financial challenges Raze connues to go from strength to strength, increasing our profile within the arts sector and solidifying our programme stands, aims and objecves.

During our last financial year we supported 18 x ar*sts with meaningful development programmes,

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staged 9 x large scale public events, hosted x 11 industry workshops/events and welcomed an audience of over 1500 agendees across our programme.

TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Trustees are responsible for preparing a Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounng Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounng Prac*ce).

The law applicable to charies in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources, and of the applicaon of resources, of the Charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

Make judgments and es*mates that are reasonable and prudent;

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounng records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any me the financial posion of the Charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charies Act 2011, the applicable Charies (Accounts and Reports) Regulaons, and the provisions of the Charity's governing document. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevenon and detecon of fraud and other irregulari*es.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial informaon included on the Charity’s website in accordance with legislaon in the United Kingdom governing the preparaon and disseminaon of financial statements.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO THE EXAMINERS

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

There is no relevant informaon of which the Charity’s examiners are unaware; and The Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit informaon and to establish that the auditors are aware of that informaon. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial informaon included on the Charity's websites. Legislaon in the United Kingdom governing the preparaon and disseminaon of financial statements may differ from legislaon in other jurisdic*ons.

PLANS FOR 2023-2024

Raze has contributed significantly to the arts landscape of England, we have con*nued to unearth

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and champion the work of marginalised performers and performance collecves, and provide opportunies through our arst development projects, performance plaxorms and sector support acvi*es.

Plans for the upcoming year include:

In addion, we connue to capitalise on the many collaboraon offers that we regularly receive, including collaboraons with large and small venues and organisaons, charies, universi*es, local councils, privately owned enterprises, producers and the performers themselves.

APPROVAL OF THE REPORT

This report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 24/06/2023 and signed on their behalf by:

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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of The Raze Collective

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2023 which are set out on pages 11 and 12.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Shruti Soni FCCA FCIE Date: 26/6/2024

Shruti Soni Ltd 117a St. John's Hill, Sevenoaks TN13 3PE

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The Raze Collective Charity Registration number 1167655

Receipts and payments accounts For the year ended 30 September 2023

Receipts
Arts Council England grants
National lottery - Raze summer
East End Community - Jubilee Fund
Donation
Deliveroo Partnerships
Newham Unlocked
Income from performances & activities
Payments
Artistic & creative (commission & fees)
Production, management and design
Rent and Utilities
Website and software subscriptions
Office expenses
Marketing
Equipment and consumables
Legal & Professional fees
Training
Evaluation and other direct costs
Net of receipts/(payments)
Transfer between funds
Cash funds last year end
Total payments
Cash funds this year end
Total Receipts		 01/10/2022 to 30/09/2023 01/10/2022 to 30/09/2023
£
-
-
-
12,729
-
-
26,228
38,957
12,711
11,029
-
239
2,157
184
-
-
-
-
26,319
12,637
(21,335)
30,846
22,148


Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds
£
69,423
9,900
-
-
-
-
-
79,323
31,177
59,421
7,902
3,486
1,460
578
230
2,670
1,130
4,597
112,651
(33,328)
21,335
39,804
27,811

The transfer from unrestricted funds to restricted funds is representative of the expenditure of unrestricted income that was used as match funding within Arts Council grants. It comprises expenditure spent against unrestricted income from Tinder Donations, Ticket sales and hot-desks income, which becomes ring-fenced as part of Arts Council Grant project budgets.

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The Raze Collective

Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period 30 September 2023

Details Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Total funds
£ £ £
Cash at bank and on hand 22,148 27,811 49,959
Debtors - Accrual income 2,150 3,465 5,615
Creditors - Accrual expenses 1,440 7,919 9,359

The charity received donated services and facilities totaling £14,280 (2022: £8,900). This includes probono professional services of £4,400, office space facilities £6,380 and venue hire £3,500.

During the year, the charity acted as an agent for third-parties whose aims and objectives are consistent with those of the charity. Funds received from David Family Foundation £7,250 (2022: £7,900) and Space station £10,500 (2022: £7,500) were held in cash, and paid out to Fringe Queer Film & Arts Fest on the instruction of the principal and recorded within a separate general ledger sub-code and adjusted in financial statements. No funds were left at the end of the year.

The financial statements comprising of the Receipts and Payments Summary and Statement of Assets and Liabilities were approved and authorised for issue by the Board on 24 June 2024

Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees

Signature Print Name
Lynsey Bonell

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