The Dot Collective Registered Charity: 1169951
THE DOT COLLECTIVE ANNUAL REPORT
The trustees, who are also the members, of The Dot Collective present their annual report together with their accounts for the year ended 31 October 2021.
The Dot Collective is a charitable incorporated organisation (foundation) (CIO) and was incorporated on 31 October 2016 with registered charity number 1169951 and commenced trading on that date.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS
Charity name: The Dot Collective Charity number: 1169951 Charity’s public address: 60 Coleman Road, London, SE5 7TG Incorporation date: 31 October 2016
TRUSTEES
The trustees, who are also the members, of the CIO during the year were: Ms H J Mayfield Mrs. N L Newman Mr. R C F Hickson
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Constitution and Governance
The CIO is governed by its Constitution. On 31 October 2021 there were 3 members who were all trustees of the CIO at the time.
The activities of the CIO are supervised by the trustees, who meet as a Board between 4 to 6 times each year, or more often if necessary. The trustees delegate the day-today management of the CIO to its’ artistic director. The professional experience of the Board provides good support and advice to the artistic director through individual meetings, e-mail correspondence and board meetings.
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
The trustees recognise the need for a strong board with a broad base of skills covering theatre production management and development, artistic strategy, governance, legal expertise, human resources, development and fundraising. Potential new trustees are discussed by the board and met by at least one member of the board before consideration and appointment by approval of a simple majority of the trustees. All trustees are members of the CIO. The CIO instends to recruit 2 more trustees within the next two years. In this year recruitment was discussed and paused due to the decision to apply for NPO (National Portfolio Status) from the Arts Council England.
Risk management
The trustees, with the artistic director, consider risk across all areas of the CIO’s activities. Risk assessment of the operation is carried out on an ongoing basis and is reviewed annually. Where needed policies and procedures will be implemented in order to mitigate risk. Risk assessments are carried out on a project by project basis, ensuring that the RAMS are appropriate for the CIO’s activities.
Address: 60 Coleman Road, London SE5 7TG t: 07885456135 e: contact@thedotcollective.com
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objects
The objects for which the CIO is formed are to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of the performing arts by any means its trustees see fit, including through the provision of workshops, public events and performances, particularly but not exclusively for the benefit of elderly people living in care homes, in particular those living with dementia and learning disabilities.
Public benefit
The trustees have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the CIO’s aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.
Activities
In its fifth year, the CIO continued to be impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic, and as a result was unable to operate to its usual capacity during November 2020 - April 2021 which would have been to produce a number of creative projects for elderly people in care and those with dementia from December 2020 - April 2021. The CIO did use this time for preparatory production, planning projects and raising the funds to carry out the proposed projects when lockdown eased. The projects were the first to research and develop how to work within Covid restrictions, where the charity adapted its work to be able to provide in person activities for the benefit of elderly people in care. This focused on one key project: A Map to You as well as further research and development on how to tour theatre productions safely into care centers within lockdown/covid restrictions.
From November 2020 - March 2021 , the CIO raised funds for a new writing and befriending project, A Map to You . Funds were secured during this time from The Postcode Society Trust, London Catalyst, Haberdashers Foundation, Cicely Northcote Trust, Local Connections Fund. The Local Connections fund was secured to trial the project workshops. The trial included holding a series of one hour storytelling workshops on zoom for a dementia peer group run by Link Age Southwark. The group were sent ‘workshop kits’ to their homes, provided by The Dot Collective and delivered by volunteers from befriending charity, Link Age Southwark. This meant that all participants and their families, no matter their situation had access to the same materials including: note pads, water colour paints, postcards, stationary, props and costume. The weekly workshops took place on Zoom from The Dot Collective’s office to the homes of 10 participants and 2 care providers, where each week they explored a new theme and spoke about their experiences, memories and created short stories and poems. These were all recorded. The workshops, despite the obvious issues with being online and not in person, were a successful temporary solution and meant we could plan our project A Map to You i n part online until restrictions were eased and it was safe to work in person with participants. We also worked with Kings College London on their Civic Challenge project, connecting students with local charities to collaborate on project proposals with the chance to be awarded funding. The Dot Collectives team was successful and awarded The Arts and Health awards along with a £5000 grant from Kings College.
In April 2021 we were awarded an artist residency from local aerial circus training centre, Flying Fantastic to research and develop how to take an accessible production on tour in care environments post pandemic. The charity spent a week exploring a new adaptation of Alice in Wonderland , using aerial circus and showcased ideas to a neighboring SEN school who watched behind glass windows.
The Dot Collective Registered Charity: 1169951
In May 2021 the charity commenced main activities for A Map to You . This included more online storytelling and creative writing workshops with Link Age southwark dementia peer group, recruiting 3 professional playwrights and connecting them with 3 local families who were living/dealing with dementia through the pandemic. Each playwright befriended a person living with dementia and their family, visited them one-to-one in person (open-air) to hear their life stories, memories, and get to know them. Each playwright had six ninety minute sessions with their participant. Artistic Director, Laura Harling also worked in the same way with the Link Age Southwark group. In June 2021 the Link Age Southwark group finally had their last workshop session in person, a memorable occasion. All four playwrights spend July/August 2021 writing a 20 minute short play in response to the information/stories provided by the participants. These were shared with the participants for feedback cand further information during further workshops in September 2021.
Further funding was secured from The Arts Council England project grants and Arnold Clark fund to produce the short plays as an immersive experience in London for all participants and the public to attend. Funding was also secured from The City Bridge Trust to run the A Map to You project over 2 years.
In October - November 2021 A Map to You was staged at Longfield Hall, London as a professional, immersive theatre production. All participants saw their life memories and work on stage, and public audiences who attended were given a positive awareness of dementia. These plays were not about dementia, but inspired by the lives of those living with the disease, and portrayed what those with dementia can still do, not what they can’t do. The production received media coverage from Sky News and BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends. The plays were filmed, and recorded as audio books. They will be made into a printed book where all participants will receive a copy in 2022.
In September 2021, The CIO was awarded funding from Local Connections Fund to further develop our production of Alice in Wonderland, which took place over 3 weeks working at Flying Fantastic and inviting audiences from Alzheimer's Society, Link Age Southwark and Cherry Garden SEN school to watch ideas and give feedback.
Future plans
For 2021/22 the CIO plans to continue with project ‘A MAP TO YOU’, publishing the book, and editing the films. This will all be made available online with detailed info about the project and a community hub where participants can access creative resources. The CIO has recognised the growing importance of digital platforms. Although the CIO will always work on a face-to-face basis (as is more beneficial for our charitable objectives) we will support our work by introducing an online hub. The online hub will be a community space for carers and those in care to access creative resources. The second year of the project will be developed, finding new ways to work post pandemic, benefitting more people. This is to include a podcast, monologue short plays, and poetry developed with Southwark dementia groups.
The CIO plans to tour residential care homes and community spaces with their production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in June/July 2022 entitled Alice in Aerialand. The production will be developed as an aerial circus adaptation to entertain older people in care and children with complex needs.
Address: 60 Coleman Road, London SE5 7TG t: 07885456135 e: contact@thedotcollective.com
The CIO plans to apply for regular funding from Arts Council England under their National Portfolio (NPO), the CIO will apply for approximately £60,000 a year for 3 years in 2022. This will enable the CIO to employ artistic director and founder Laura Harling as well as a part time administrator to support the growth of the charity. It will also contribute to project costs. Decisions will be made in October 2022.
FINANCIAL
The CIO’s financial status has increased and recovered after the year of the pandemic, with funding secured. The charity's income is project funding from grants applied for.
The CIO and the trustees recognise the need for the CIO to have reserves. They aim to attain greater financial stability and sustainability through fundraising (both long term and short term) and plan to focus on raising public donations and further funding from grants to obtain unrestricted reserves.
By order of the Board Mr. R C F Hickson
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Thv Di)t ('(?IlcLtive Income and Expendiiure Account YLdt Endid 31 Oct()bcr 2021 2021 2020 l)rojects Gencr21 Tvt411 Income 5,-1?8 47.()4. Tiik¥t sales 4?,64) 4.1.895 5.3?8 Expenditurc (.{)%tlllllLS %Lt aI)d prvps 2.861 l.i4U 16.7.39 1,5411 -, 3() 88 175 579 ??1 I'rL'LIIIICL EeLb %ul)scripti(Ins and roi-11ues 'LnuL hirL .1 r£l1'LI and subsistLncL In%ur2nce ,,Idi-ertisin% and i)ubbciTh 690 17) 571) 740 4CTr8 4() ,.ILcI)lLntinC}' ??,943 588 23.)31 I,0()7 %utylu% ()f inc()mL ()i'er expLnditure 19,7112 ()()? 211,.3()4 4,?.}1
The Dnt Cnlleetive Balance Sheet As at 31 October 2021 2021 2020 Current assets c.xsh ar l)ank 1< lid In hand 25,476 5,*.12 Current liabilities -41)ndry' crcdit()rs 4 ()()? RLprL%ented b 3.444 4 ()()?