Barefoot Opera
Raglstered Charity No. 1167730
Annual Accounts
for the perlod
1 April 2023 31 March 2024
Contents:
Organlsational information
Recelpts & Payments account
statement of Assets & Liabilitles
Notes
Independent Examlnerfs report
Hastings Voluntary Action
Jackson Hall
Portland Place
Hastings
East Suss8X
TN34 1QN

Organisational Informatlon for
Barefoot Opera
for the year ended 31 March 2024
Name of charlty:
Barefoot Opera
Charity No:
1187730
Legal forni:
Charitable Incorporated Organi8ation (CIO)
Governlng document:
Constitution dated 15th June 2015. amended 10 June 2022
Addrn88:
6 The Uplands
St. Leonards-on-sea
East Su88ex
TN38 OHL
Tru$t•O8:
Ollvia Shaw (Chalr)
David Rogers (Treasurer - Appolnted 10.05.24)
Vlrglnia Gilbert (Treasurer- Resigned May 24)
Elizabeth Allen
Joao Figueiredo
Laurelle Hughes
Laura Mucho (Appointed 23.02,24)
Charles Neal {Re81gned 31.12.23)
Mary Long (Appointed 10.11.23)
Susan Cowell ( Appointed 23.02.24)
Dlrector:
Jenny Mlller
CAF Bank (online), 25 Klngs Hlll Ave, We8t Malling, ME19 4JQ
Laura D8v4son, Independent Examiner
HVA, JaGk8on Hall, Portland Place, Hastings, TN34 1 QN
To 8dvance educatlon about, promote public appreclation of, and
encourage particSpation in, tha art of opera and singlng for tho
public benefit by:
a) Developing singing at all levels from amateur to piofession81
standard.,
b) Encouraglng emerging professional singers to find new
approach8S to the rehearsal and performance of opera. and
c) Developing new audiences for opera, music recltals and concerts
with innovative, inclusive and accessible performances.
d) Promote singing for mental and physical health for all.
Banker•:
Independ•nt Examlner:
ObJoct8:

Barefoot Opera
Recelpts & Payments accounts
for the period
1 April 2023
31 March 2024
to
PreMou8 Year
Current Year
Restricted
funds
ecel
Grants
SponsorshiplFund ralslng
Ticket sales
Student fees
Programme sale8
BarlRaffle
Donations
Festival Fees
Mlscellaneou8 Income
Fr19nds Membership
Gift Ald Reclaimed
Less Stripe Comml88ion
Unre8lricled fuThJ8
24,243
6,462
14,101
1,888
Total funds
Note8
31,644
31,844
750
16,490
2,450
750
16,490
2,450
85
1,989
5,250
1.783
3.160
690
6,511
9,247
145
2,910
690
6,511
9,247
145
2,910
435
58,525
612
38,581
31,644
612
70,225
en
Directionlmanagement
Coachlng
Musicians
Travel expen8es
Venue hlre
Costume & set
Technlcal expense8
Transport costs
Food costs and preparation
Publicity
Website
Strip8 commission
Admlnlofflce expenses
Fundraising cost8
OtherlMi8¢
11,920
150
16.367
55
4,472
1,884
3,273
1,095
1,296
1,783
545
10,955
200
20,770
481
4,033
1,700
3,745
1,248
19
5,896
158
480
1,450
2,233
11,435
1,650
23,003
481
4,033
1,700
3,745
1,768
502
5,896
158
520
484
8,905
3,963
508
56,215
5,321
220
7,809
5,090
1,409
19,474
13,130
5.310
1,409
74,219
54,745
2,310
Net surplus (deficlt)
(23,101)
19,107
{3,994)
Movement between Fund8
21,759
(21,759)
17,105
Fund balances blf
114123
1,536
19,415
Fund balances clf
3113124
194
15,228
15,421

Barefoot Opera
statement of Assets & Llabilitles
asat
31 March 2024
Previous year
Restrlcted
Income
Unrestricted
In¢oma
Total
Totsl
Current a889ts
Current Account
Cash In hand
Receipts awaiting banking
31103124
31103124
194
15,181
47
15,374
47
19,368
47
194
15,228
15,421
19,415
Current Ilabllltlol
Uncashed chequ88
194
15,228
15,421
19,415
Charlty Law roqulres the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year whlch comply wlth Ihe
regulations set out In the Charlties Act 1993. The truste88 have elected to take advantage of the provislons that apply to
small charltles and have prepared a Receipts and Payments account and Stst8ment of As88ts and Llabilltle8.
Approved by the Trustees on
ned on their behalf by
Coiivia Shaw (Chair)
DavSd Roger8 (Trea8urerl

Barefoot Opera
Notes to the Accounts
for the period
01 Aprll 2023
to
31 March 2024
Restrlcted Funds
Income
Spent
Left
CEN-
Grants received
Arts Council England
Contribution from ACE
Cont. from Resenies/unrestrltted
b/fwd
(11,697.52)
31,644.00
12,390.01
21,758.62
Expenses
54,095.11
Amount carrled forward
b/fwd
843.35
Grants recelved
MSL Dlscover
Expenses
650.00
Contrlbutlon to reserves
Amount carried forward
193.35
ACE Contlnult O
Grants recelved
Arts Council England
Expenses moved to CEN
Amount carrled forward
her - CONT b/fwd
12390.01
12,390.01
Totsl Restrlcted Fund b/fwd
Total Income
Total Spent
Total Restrlcted Funds Held
1,535.84
65,792.63
67,135.12
193.35

Independent Examinerf8 Report to the Committee of
Barefoot Opera
I report on the accounts of Barefoot Opera
for the twelve month period ended 31 March 2024 which are set out on the previous pages.
RespeGtlve rn8ponslbllitles of commlttee & examln•r
The charlty's trustses are responsible for the preparatlon of the accounts. The charity's trustees
consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of tho Charities Act 2011 (the
Charities Act), and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility..
to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act
to follow the procedures laid down in the General Dlrections given by the Charity
Commission lunder section 145(5)(b) of the Charlties Act), and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
Ba818 of Indop•ndont oxamlnol• report
My examlnatlon wa8 carrled out in accordanc8 with th• General Direction8 given by the Charity
Commission. An examinatlon Includes a review of the accountlng records kept by the charity and a
compari80n of the supporting documentation presented with those records. It also includes
consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the
trustee8 concerning any 8uch matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evldence
that would be required in an audlt, and consequently no opinion 18 given as to whether tha ac¢ount8
present a 'Yrue and falV' view and the report is1Smited to those matter8 set out in the statement
below.
Indopondent •xamlnerfs 8tatemont
In connection with my examlnation, no matter has come to my attentlon..
1) which gives me reasonable cau88 to believe that in any material rospecl the requlr•ments;
to keep accounting records in accordance with sectlon130 of the Charities Act
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting r8¢ord8 and to comply with th•
accounting requirements of the Act
have not been met., or
2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of
the accounts to be reached.
Dawson
Finance Manager
Hasting8 Voluntary Action
Jackson Hall, Portland Place, Hastings. TN34 1QN
Dated..

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Trustees, Annual Report for the period
Period start date 01414-23 to To 31.03-24
From
Perlod end date
Charity name: Barefoot Opera
Charlty r8gistration number: 1167730
Objectlves and Activities
SORP rsfer8n¢e
Para 1.17
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document
To advance educgllon about, promola publlc 8pprooiatlon
ol, and en¢oura9e partlclpation In the art of opera and
slnglng for thg public benefit by:
aldeveloplng singing 8t all leve18 from amateur to
professional glandards
bkncouraging young PTofe$slonal 85ngers lo ffind naw
approaches to th8 rehearsal and performance of opera
cl developlng new audlences for opgro. rnuslc r8cllals and
concert8 Wlth Innov8Uv&, Inoluslnve and acc8S8lble
performances
dlpromollng singlng for Mental and phy8lcal health.
Summary ofthe main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.
Para 1.17and
1.19
We succèssfully applled for Arts Councll lundlng to support
our 8aref¢ol Opera Young Artists Tour, d revlval of Our
previous yèar'g producllon Cen8rentola by Ros8lnl, which
reached new venu6s, and èngaged wlth new community
group8 in our lour vonues, finding new particlpan18 from
th08e communllles and n8w audlencos. Typlcal audlence
feedback. Ma8lcal performancel Fant8Stlc, funnyl Superb
sln8ln8 and hl8hly Creatlve staglng. The accordlon was
astoundlng. Our communlty groups Included Hackney
Volco6, {p¢rformlng with Barefoot Young Arlisl$ 91 tho
Arcola Theatre D8lslonl,Ihe E8sI Grlnstead Choral SoGlaly,
Iperforming at thè Big Woods E8tale ngar East Grinslead),
Waterslde Academy, the Se8vSew Centre and Bexhlll 6
Fomi College (performing In St Leonards on Sea and Rye
Crèative Arts C&nlrel. TypSc81 feedback from communlty
P8rticipants:"To bg offer6d the opportunity to take part In
such a pollshed, expertly crafted and creallve produclS0n,
was suth a privil$ge and a loy,
We supported th8 Seavlew Centre Choir In their annual
Chrfslmas fundr8isSng concert. We held hyo muslc b¥sed
fundraising concerts al our company home address of 6
The Uplands, fe81urin9 young sing8r8. W8 continued lo
provide monthly workshops for young aspiring professlon81
Singers at the London studio available for our u59. We
developed our plans for touring our childrgns opera 'Rgd'
whlch we Gommissioned from Barefoot Opgra doublg
bassist and composer Lucy Mulgan,
Statement Gonfirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit
Para 1.18
Thg Irusleg5 have read and considgred the guidance by the
Charity Comrnission on publlc benefit.

Addltional informatlon (optional)
You ma
choose to include further statements where relevant about..
SORP pference
The charity provides small grants to
perfomiers who requlre 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 ar8 recorded
at Trustee meetings.
Para 1.38
Policy on grant making
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
crowdfundlng vla the JustGiving platform on-
line.
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.
Policy on social investment
includlng program related
Investment
Pala 1.38
Par8 1.38
Contribution made by
volunteers
Other
Achievements and Performance
SORP Teferenoe
Pl•ase refer to our 8ummary of our MaSn 8cllvlli•$, whlch
Were Integral lo these achievernents..
Aided significantly by an Art$ Council grant. we hove greatly
our partnership wlth all our touring venues successfullv
developed our outreach Into Communltles In the South
East, and we wlll bulld on these relatlonshlps. We
sold very well throughout, 70% of the Arcola audiences
were new to our company's work, and every show
recelved long applau5e/standlng ovatlon5.ovr new venue
Crowhurst Place Is entlrely new for the management as
well a5
Us, and yet we had an audlence of 350 all new to our
organlsatlon and very enthu51aStic,' "We thought it was
excellent. The performance was Imaglnative
and vocal quality was superb."Rye Creatlve Centre has
had a couple of vislting operas. but Is prlmarlly a visual
artsvenue. so again they and we were very
pleased with our audience outcome of a full house.
Desplte being near to Hastlngs, we had not previously
persuaded Rye cultural actlvlsts to come to our
perfom)ances, and we now have a stronger link to the
Rye community, "I
Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity's work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to SOGiety as a
whole.
P8r8 1.20

never liked opera until I came acr055 Barefoot. There is
somethlng about seelng it live and the raw. vital energy
they create that has captivated me" In
Hastings: we received a standlng ovation, and this from
Hastings Independent..
'Wlthout a doubt, I have never enloyed an opera more.
Seelng it in the round.lent it an Irnmediacy that no
proscenium could ever projerf. The crltic from
'L'Art de vlvre, wrote. A forward-thlnking company:
Ba￿foot Opera certainlymet its mandate of creating an
ensemble of body, breath, movement,,,belngcllmate-
consCiOU5, the costume deslgn cleverly incorporatsd
recycled plastlC5 and materials...taking this re-envlsloned
approach to opera across the UK wlll surely give many an
encounter wlth the art form they may not otherwlse
experlence".
Addltlonal Infomiatlon (optlonal)
You ma
choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against
objectives set
Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set
Pora 1.41
Investment perforrnance
against objectives
Para 1.41
Other

Financial Review
Review of the charity's
financial position at the end
ofthe
eriod
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held
Para 1.21
The charity's financial position at the end of
the year is stable after a busy and
successful
ear
The charity's trustees adopted a resenies
policy during the 2017-18 financial year.
The target level for the reser¢e was set at
£5,000, to be built up from any profits
generated from events.
Para 1.22
Amount of reserves held
Para 1,22
The reserves for the previous year were used
to help cover two late payments of
significant funding from the Art5 Councll, a
state which was rectified In August 2024. Our
current accounts are now healthy, holding in
excess of £30,000.
NA
Reasons for holding zero
reserrfes
Details of fund materially in
deficit
Pera 1.22
Pafa 1.24
As a malor portion of Arts Councll funding was
spent in advance of receipt (the monies were
recelved in August 2024) our accounts at the
end of March 23 showed a deflcit of £4000. As
this was rectified w811 after the new tax year, the
Trustees have decided to ch8nge our tax year
tin future from January to January, to reflect
better the flow of our fundin
Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern
Para 1.23
Addltlonal Informatlon (optlonal)
You ma
choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity's prlncipal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)
Th8 charlty's prlncipal sources of funds
are ticket sales, student fees, grants, and
fundraising.
Expenditure supports the charity's
objectlves by fundlng performances and
outreach workshops and by offering
financial assistance to students.
Para 1.47
The charity doe5 not have an investment
policy as it5 funds are entirely devoted to the
support of young artists, students,
performances, and outreach events.
Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted
Para 1.46
The founder and CEO of the company 18 planning to retire
from actively running the company and is seeklng a
replacement for her role. The prinicipal risk for th6 charity is
that she will not find a sultable rAndidale. The Twslegs are
¢losely Involved with the organisotion and finanoing of this
potgnlial hand.over, and candidates are being Iria119d in
production runs.
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity
Para 1.46

Other

Structure, Governance and Management
Description of charity's
trusts:
Type of goveming document
Para 1.26
Constitution dated 15 June 2015
How is the charity
constituted?
Para 1.25
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
(cio)
-LJ Ui iii IlJuI kjurated
' ).£tJr',Irltinn ('. IPII
Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees
Para 1.25
Appointed by existing trustees
Additlonal Informatlon (optlonal)
You m8
choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The trustees have agreed a process of
induction and training of trustees led by the
Chair.
Policies and procedures
adopted for the inductlon
and training of trustees
Para 1.51
The twstees meet every two months or
more if more urgent business requires it.
The organisational structure is agreed in
our constltution. We are not currenlly
working with a wlder organisational
nefvlork. However discusslons continue with
other arts organi5atlons in our area,
explorlng opportunities for collaboration.
The charity's organisational
structure and any wider
ne￿Ork with which the
charity works
Para 1.51
The trustees have embedded in our
constitution how to manage any conflicts of
interest. This is part of a wider risk register
we have put into place, alongside an
updating of our other policies:
Safeguarding both for vulnerable adults and
children,governance of volunteers, data
protection and environment.
Relationship with any
related partles
Para 1.51
Other
Reference and Administrative details
Chari
name
Other name the charit
uses
Re
istered chari
number
Barefoot O
none
1167730
era

Charity's principal address
6 The Uplands
Maze Hill
St Leonards
East Sussex TN380HL

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charlty
Trustae name
Office (if any)
Dates actsd if not for whole
year
Name of person {or body) entltled
to appolnt trustee (if any)
Trustees of the charity
Trustees of the charity
Olivia Shaw
David Rogers
Chairperson
Treasurer
Appointed March 30
th
2024
Elisabeth Allen
Joao Figuero
Laurelle Hughes
Laura Mucha
Trustees of the charity
Trustees of the charity
Trustees of the charity
Trustees of the charity
Appointed September 30
2023
Appointed September 30
2023
Appointed March 30
2024
Mary Long
Trustees of the charity
Sue Cowell
th
Trustees of the charity
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Cor
orate trustees - names of the directors at the date the re
Dlrector name
ortwasa
roved
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name
Dates acted If not for whole
ear

Funds held as custodlan trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets
held in this capacity
Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity's objects
Details of arrangements for
safe custody and
segregation of such assets
from the charity's own
assets
Addltional Informatlon (optlonal)
Names and addrossos of advlsers (Optlonal Informatlon)
Type of
Name
Address
advlser
Name of chlof ax•cutlv8 or names of senlor staff m8mber8 (Optlonal informatlon)
Anthony Flaum, Charlotte Tingley
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of ke
ersonnel details
Other o
tional Informatlon

Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees. report above.
Slgned on behalf of the charity's trustees
Signature(s)
QLVQ
CLJ K//A JfrIAGS IIAid
Cll A/£
Full name(s)
Posltlon (eg Secretary,
Chair, etc)
Date
24YL