2023-03-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 01 04 2022 To 31 03 2023

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Barefoot Opera Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1167730 Charity's principal address 6 The Uplands St. Leonards on Sea East Sussex Postcode TN38 0HL

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole **year **	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Olivia Shaw	Chairperson		Trustees of the Charity
	Elizabeth Allen		Appointed 29 July22	Trustees of the Charity
	Joao Figueiredo			Trustees of the Charity
	Virginia Gilbert	Treasurer		Trustees of the Charity
	Laurelle Hughes		Appointed 29 July22	Trustees of the Charity
	Glenys Jacques			Trustees of the Charity
	Charles Neal			Trustees of the Charity

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Independent Examiner	Laura Dawson	Hastings Voluntary Action, Jackson Hall, Portland Place,
		Hastings TN34 1QN

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Jenny Miller, Director

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document Constitution dated 15 June 2015

• (eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

• (eg. trust, association, company)

Trustee selection methods

• Appointed by existing trustees

• (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

• policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;

• the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;

• relationship with any related parties;

• trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Trustees have assessed potential risks arising from the expansion of our activities involving community groups and schools, first encountered in the creation and performance of Bloom Britannia, and now becoming a regular feature of our activities. We have adopted a safeguarding policy to manage these risks when working with children. An additional statement specifically addressing work with vulnerable adults has been adopted.

Trustees have also identified the need for a general risk management policy and accompanying procedures to monitor all major risks inherent in our activities. A policy has been agreed and a risk register is gradually being populated.

Other policies adopted include ones to govern volunteers, data protection and environment. Discussions continue with other arts organisations in our area, exploring opportunities for collaboration.

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Section C Objectives and activities

To advance education about, promote public appreciation of, and encourage participation in, the art of opera and singing for the public benefit by:

• a) Developing singing at all levels from amateur to professional standard;

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

• b) Encouraging emerging professional singers to find new approaches to the rehearsal and performance of opera;

• c) developing new audiences for opera, music recitals and concerts with innovative, inclusive and accessible performances

d)Promote singing for mental and physical health.

Trustees have read the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The guidance has been considered at trustee meetings when planning the activities for the year.

The Charity’s activities are focused on assisting the development of operatic talent and exposing the general public to affordable and accessible operatic performances. The singers benefit from experience and exposure at an early stage of their careers. The public has an opportunity to experience opera in places that are local and familiar to them and at prices that are affordable, developing the audiences of the future.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

The public benefit is enhanced by opportunities for local students, musicians and other performers to participate in the development of events and in the final productions. This provides an introduction to opera for sections of the community previously unfamiliar with the genre, with the deliberate intention of demystifying the process and achieving a cohesion of purpose through involvement of schools, choirs or non-musical minority groups. This year for example we performed Red! a new jazz opera for children which we commissioned from composer Lucy Mulgan, with three primary schools from the most economically deprived areas of our locality. 180 children workshopped, rehearsed and performed to an audience of 300, most of whom had never seen a live opera before.

Our advanced student productions experiment with new ways of staging so that audiences experience the music and singing in a different and more engaging way. We involve young local budding costume designers in our work, mentored by experienced professionals. Audiences have included friends and family members of participants in the project, and we invite their feedback. Some of the community groups previously involved in “Bloom Britannia’ took part in our Young Artists Tour of Rossini’s Cenerentola in 2022.

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Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

• policy on grantmaking;

• policy programme related investment;

• contribution made by volunteers.

The charity provides small grants to performers who require financial assistance with accommodation, travel expenses or other costs associated with participation in our productions. Students submit their applications for grant funding in the form of short essays to the Trustees which are evaluated with input from the Director. Decisions are recorded at Trustee meetings.

Volunteers provide invaluable help as front of house staff at events, serving at receptions, providing accommodation for singers on intensive courses and distributing flyers and other publicity.

The Charity relies on grants from Trusts to support our work. We have been supported by Sussex Community Giving, Garfield Weston Trust, the Arts Council, Magdalen and Lasher, the Foyle Foundation and Hastings Council. We also call on crowdfunding via the JustGiving platform on-line.

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Training Summary of the main achievements of the charity We have continued our training programme this year with a small during the year number of workshops, each targeted at a particular technique and aimed at aspiring young singers. Young Artists’ Tour The Young Artists’ Tour has been a major feature of Barefoot’s activities for several years. Performances and ticket sales have increased steadily. The tour now visits London and other locations as well as the performances in our home base of Hastings. After a pared-down staging in 2022, we were able to obtain funding for a tour in Summer 2023 of our sparkling production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella). The enhanced production has all the hallmarks of a Barefoot Opera show: a dynamic international cast of young singers, a small on-stage band delivering the score, and a contemporary take on a classic tale. Cenerentola opened in Hastings and then spent a week at the Grimeborn Opera Festival, Arcola Theatre, London as well as performances in the Rye Festival in Sussex and Crowhurst Place, Lingfield, Surrey.

Bloom Britannia

Barefoot Opera’s new ‘people’s opera’ started life in 2018, when hundreds of people in the towns of Hastings, St. Leonards and Bexhill took part in singing and discussion workshops. The creative team met people from all walks of life, gaining a rich perspective on what it means to live in a town on the South Coast today. People learned how to write songs, improvise, and sing together. The team took away all of these insights and developed our brand new opera – ‘Bloom Britannia’. It tells the story of a fictional regeneration competition on the South Coast, on the day the winning town is to be decided. With hen parties, dodgy dealings on the seafront, and scandalous secret affairs, mayhem is guaranteed!

Our grand schedule for the full opera in 2020 was wiped out by the pandemic. With the Arts Council’s and Barefoot Opera Trustees’ support, our team created a new schedule for 2021. Music rehearsals were shifted to begin in late March 2021 and our full production took place in October 2021 over 3 days in St Mary in the Castle, Hastings.

A film of the production has been created and premiered at St Mary in the Castle in 2022, created a lasting record of a magical event.

Community Engagement

Our work with Arts on Prescription, working with adults suffering from mental health issues, and adults recuperating from a variety of other health issues has been limited by lack of funds. Planning is underway to revive this activity in 2024.

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

We co-organise a Christmas Carols fundraiser for the Seaview Centre for vulnerable adults. This is now an annual event.

Barefoot Opera worked with Hollington, The Baird and Ore Village primary schools to produce RED!, a new jazz opera for children. The work is all about bringing the joys and power of singing and drama to year 5 children. We performed with all the schools at the Stade on 15 July 2022 thanks to a grant from Hastings Foreshore Trust. This was a free event with professional singers and a band as well as 180 school children who had workshopped and rehearsed before performing before an audience of 300.

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

The charity’s trustees adopted a reserves policy during the 201718 financial year. The target level for the reserve was set at £5,000, to be built up from any profits generated from events. The reserve target has been met.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

• the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);

• how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

• The charity’s principal sources of funds are ticket sales, student fees, grants, and fundraising.

• Expenditure supports the charity’s objectives by funding performances and outreach workshops and by offering financial assistance to students.

• The charity does not have an investment policy as its funds are entirely devoted to the support of students, performances, and outreach events.

• investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Virginia Gilbert

Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Treasurer

Date 12 January 2023

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Barefoot Opera Reglstered Charlty No. 1167730 Annual Accounts for the perlod 1 April 2022 31 March 2023 Contents: Org8nl8ational Infornat￿n Receipts & Payments acwnt Statement of Assets & Li8bilitses Notes IndeperKlent Examine￿S report Hastings Voluntary Actlon Jackson Hall Portland Place Hastings East Sussex TN34 1QN

Organlsational inforniatlon for Barefoot Opera for the yoar ended 31 March 2023 Nam• of charlty.. Barefoot Opera Charlty No: 1167730 Legal forn): Charitabl8 Incorpcrfated OnJanisatK)n (CIO) Qovèrnlng docum•nL' Conslikntion daled 15th June 2015. amènd8d 10 June 2022 Addr•s¥: 6 The Uplands St LeonardW￿e8 East Sussex TN38 OHL Trustsei: C4ivia Shaw (Chak) Vir9inia Gilbert (Treasurer) EIRabth Allen JO￿ FvJueiredo Laurelle Hughgs GleDyS Jacqu88 Charles Neal Dlr•ctor: Jerry Millef CAF Bank (onling). 25 lfjrtgs Hill Ave. W•BI Mallng. ME19 4JQ Bank•rs.' Ind•p•nd•nt Ex•mln•r. Laura Dawson. Independent Examingr HVA. Jackson Han. PO￿and Pla￿, Ha811ngs. TN34 1QN To advance 8du¢alion about, promotè pubtic apprecia￿n of, and •ncour8ge participaticn in, the art of owra and singing for the publ￿ ￿nefit by. •) Developing singwig al all le￿1$ from amat￿r to prof8ssKJnal staThJar(I: b) Enc4xJraging èmwging profession81 singern lo find new approachas to the ￿hearSal and performa￿0 of opera.. antj cl Dewjopry aUd￿n￿$ for opera. rnusic recttals and con￿rtS with Innov8tlve, Musfve and a￿sSIble perlorniancw. d) Promote singing for mental and &thysical hoath for all. Objects:

Barefoot Opera Recelpts & Payments accounts for Ihe perityj 1 Aprll 2022 31 March 2023 Yv•r Re51rict ocei Granls Spon80T8hlplFund raislng Ticket S8189 Student fees Progr8mme $816s Barfftaffle Donations Festival Fees Miscellanews Income Frionds Memb&rshlp Grft Ald Rèdaimed Loss Stripe Commlsslon Total 89,877 24.243 24,243 6,462 14,101 1,888 6.462 14.101 1.888 18.159 2.430 46 85 1.989 5,250 1.783 3.160 85 1.989 5,250 1.783 3,160 4.460 12,046 21,550 1.155 2.280 435 34.283 435 58,525 154.982 24.243 23,527 4,353 65,588 1.317 13,532 13.438 19,387 942 2,214 13,638 1,075 418 10,797 11,273 748 182,244 Directlonlmanagement Co8chlng Musidans Travel expgnses Venue hire Coglume & set Technical expenses Transport costs Fch)d costs aTrJ prepwatlon PU￿1￿lY Wobsit Stripe commb8bn Admlnlofflce expèn8 Fundraising costs Oiherlmisc 11.480 150 13.807 55 4,472 11,920 150 18.367 55 4,472 1.884 3,273 1,095 1,296 1,783 545 2,760 3.273 6iJO 628 1.698 250 495 668 85 8.905 3,963 508 56,215 3.963 498 18,109 10 38.107 (27.2611 Net surplus (d8frft) {13,864) 16,174 2,310 44,366 Fund b8L8nceg bff 114r22 17.105 17,105 FuTrJ balances rn 31r3r23 1,536 17.879 19,415

Barefoot Opera Stat￿￿nt of Assots & Liabilltie8 31 March 2023 Curmnt a88•ts Current Account Cosh In hand Rgceipts awa￿n9 bonkk 31103r23 31ffj3r23 1A36 17.832 47 19,368 47 17.058 47 17,879 19.415 17,105 Curv•nt l￿b¥It1 L￿shed cPy88 1.536 19.415 r•9ulaVon8 81 out th Ihe Chwlt•8 Att 1993. Th tntste68 ha¥e electsd to lake advbntage ol the provl8ions tho1 apply to 8M811 and h8¥8 pTepor•d a R••$ •rl And SlalomMI ofAvpt• ONI Lblltkn. Approved by the Tn￿ on 4r#J on thotr boho11 by (Xlvta Sh8w {Ctt8lr) vIr￿lS G•Jert (fr￿$ur•I)

Barefoot Opera Notes to ihe Accounts for the period 01 Aprfl 2022 to 31 Marth 2023 Restrfrted Income s￿nt Left CENT- Grants ￿e1Ved Magdalen & Lasher blfv 6.500.(K> Expenses 18.197.52 Amount carrSed forward £{11.697.521 FEST- Grants received MSL Discover blfwd 4,242.50 Expenses 3,399.15 Contrlbutlon to reserves Amount carrled forward 843.35 ACE Contlnul RED Grants recewed HBC blfwd 10.744.99 Expense5 13,644.99 Amount carrled forward ACE Contlnult Other- comr b/ Grants received Arts Councll EnBland 12500 2.755.01 Expenses 2,865.00 Amount carrled forward £ 12,390.01 Totol Restrl¢ted Fund blfwd Total Income Total Spent Tot•1 Reslrfrted Fun¢ts H￿d 15800.IXI 24,242.50 38,106.66 £ 1.535.84 that the CENT Project has a timmin8 difference. the funds have been receNed In the next financial year.

Ind•p•ndent ExamiTrgrfs Report to tho Committ•e of Barnf¢)ot Opera I report on Ihe a¢¢tyJnts of Baref(￿1 Opera for the fv￿1ve month pedDJ ended 31 March 2023 we s81 L￿rt on Ihe prevK)us pages. Resp¢¢tlv• rn¥pon¥lbllllles ￿ commltttt & •x•mln•r The charivs trustees arn reSp￿sIble for the Fryaratlon of the accounts. The chariivs trustees consider that an audit is not ￿utred lef this year under socbc￿ 144 of the Charitres Act 2011 (the Charities Act), and that an indeFendent exaMinat￿)n Is needed. It is my responsI￿lIty. to examine the accounts under sectth 145 ofth8 Chari￿$ A to follow the procethres lald down In th6 General DreCt￿n8 gprnn ty the Charity CommissK)n (under seelion 145(51(bl of the Charilies Act). and to $ts1o vthether partltyjlar matt8rs have cc4ne lo my attenti B•$l• of Ind•p•nd•nt •x•mln•rf8 r•port My examinalw was c8rrled ￿t In acccydar￿8 Yllh the Generd DirKabns given by the Charity Commlssion. examlnauon irKgud8s a rewew of th9 accc4Jnting records képt by the chadty and comparison of Ihe suppjrting documentslk)n presented with Ilwjse records. It also inc￿eS consideration of ony unusu81 Items or disdosures in the aceounls. and seeking 8Nplanations from t￿ Irust9es concembng any such matters. Thè procedures undortaken do nol provth all th8 ewdènce Ih8t would bo required In an audit, and conseq￿ndY no cF4nhin is given as lo whelhgr the accounts présent a Inje and i￿￿ ond the roptyt l¥ lknltod lo th060 maiters ¥et out In the slatement below. p•nd•nt •Mmln•rfs ¥tst•m•nt In G￿neCt￿)n my axamin8tion. M matter has come lo my attenllon.. 11 %thlch gives me reasonable eause lo bolieve that in any mat8rial rosFCt the r8qulremonts: lo keep accounting ￿￿dS in accordance ￿1th section130 of the Charlles Act to preparo acCo￿t$ a￿Ord whh thg acc￿n￿ry rttords and lo Ly)mpty ￿th the accounting requirements of the hgve I￿1 been mel.. or 2} to wthich. in rny opinkin. attentknn shoukl be drawn In ord•r to onoblo a pr¢per understandlng of the accounts lo be reached. La Dawson Financ6 Manager Hastings Voluntary A¢th)n Jackson Hall, Part￿nd Place. Ha$lSngs. TN34 1QN Dated..

Ind•p•ndent ExamiTrgrfs Report to tho Committ•e of Barnf¢)ot Opera I report on Ihe a¢¢tyJnts of Baref(￿1 Opera for the fv￿1ve month pedDJ ended 31 March 2023 we s81 L￿rt on Ihe prevK)us pages. Resp¢¢tlv• rn¥pon¥lbllllles ￿ commltttt & •x•mln•r The charivs trustees arn reSp￿sIble for the Fryaratlon of the accounts. The chariivs trustees consider that an audit is not ￿utred lef this year under socbc￿ 144 of the Charitres Act 2011 (the Charities Act), and that an indeFendent exaMinat￿)n Is needed. It is my responsI￿lIty. to examine the accounts under sectth 145 ofth8 Chari￿$ A to follow the procethres lald down In th6 General DreCt￿n8 gprnn ty the Charity CommissK)n (under seelion 145(51(bl of the Charilies Act). and to $ts1o vthether partltyjlar matt8rs have cc4ne lo my attenti B•$l• of Ind•p•nd•nt •x•mln•rf8 r•port My examinalw was c8rrled ￿t In acccydar￿8 Yllh the Generd DirKabns given by the Charity Commlssion. examlnauon irKgud8s a rewew of th9 accc4Jnting records képt by the chadty and comparison of Ihe suppjrting documentslk)n presented with Ilwjse records. It also inc￿eS consideration of ony unusu81 Items or disdosures in the aceounls. and seeking 8Nplanations from t￿ Irust9es concembng any such matters. Thè procedures undortaken do nol provth all th8 ewdènce Ih8t would bo required In an audit, and conseq￿ndY no cF4nhin is given as lo whelhgr the accounts présent a Inje and i￿￿ ond the roptyt l¥ lknltod lo th060 maiters ¥et out In the slatement below. p•nd•nt •Mmln•rfs ¥tst•m•nt In G￿neCt￿)n my axamin8tion. M matter has come lo my attenllon.. 11 %thlch gives me reasonable eause lo bolieve that in any mat8rial rosFCt the r8qulremonts: lo keep accounting ￿￿dS in accordance ￿1th section130 of the Charlles Act to preparo acCo￿t$ a￿Ord whh thg acc￿n￿ry rttords and lo Ly)mpty ￿th the accounting requirements of the hgve I￿1 been mel.. or 2} to wthich. in rny opinkin. attentknn shoukl be drawn In ord•r to onoblo a pr¢per understandlng of the accounts lo be reached. La Dawson Financ6 Manager Hastings Voluntary A¢th)n Jackson Hall, Part￿nd Place. Ha$lSngs. TN34 1QN Dated..