2023-10-31-accounts

The Dot Collective Registered Charity: 1169951

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THE DOT COLLECTIVE ANNUAL REPORT

Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 October 2023

Legal and Administrative Information

The trustees, who are also the members, of The Dot Collective present their annual report together, as required by company law, with the audited financial statements of The Dot Collective (the Charity) for the year ended 31st October 2023. The Trustees confirm that the Trustees’ report and financial statements of the Charity comply with the current statutory requirements, requirements of the Charity’s governing document, and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019).

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.

Charity name: The Dot Collective Charity number: 1169951 Charity’s public registered office 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 Ms A Williams

Independent Examiners

Spencer-Davis & Co Chartered Certified Accountants 4-6 Peterborough Road Harrow HA1 2BQ

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank - Business Business Customer Services PO Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

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Address: 60 Coleman Road, London SE5 7TG t: 07885456135 e: [e-mail]

MISSION, VISION, VALUES AND ACTIVITIES

Our Vision

Creating theatre with access needs at its core, creates more engaging theatre for everybody.

Our Mission

The Dot Collective helps older people and those with additional needs and dementia stay connected with their communities, to feel self worth, learn new skills, enjoy the theatre at all stages of their lives, alleviating loneliness, improving health and wellbeing and making communities stronger through the provision of professional theatre and storytelling activities. The Dot Collective allows multiple generations to access professional theatre, to sit together within the comfort of their community and feel socially stimulated.

Our Values

We improve the quality of life for those in care.

We raise awareness of the importance of professional theatre within the community.

We educate the arts industry to understand that performance for audiences with access needs in the community is of the same value as a conventional theatre audience.

We boost confidence and self belief for those in care. We bring joy, vitality and warmth to every setting we enter. We have a ‘can do’ attitude.

We encourage everyone to share their unique skills, talents, passions and experience with each other. We are always connecting.

We know that connecting with other people is critical to everyone’s wellbeing. We respect the individual.

We see the person, not their age or ability and always truly listen to the person in front of us, seeking to understand their point of view.

We work in strong partnerships and link older people with our volunteers and with other services when that will help them and their communities thrive.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Constitution and Governance

The CIO is governed by its Constitution. On 31 October 2023 there were 4 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 times each year, or more often if necessary. The trustees delegate the day-to-day 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.

The Dot Collective Registered Charity: 1169951

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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 intends 1 more trustee with a background in finance within the next year.

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.

This has included additional RAMS and training for aerial circus performances and workshops that the charity plans to carry out going forward. Additions include:

• Rigger qualification for Artistic Director Laura Harling

• Public and employer liability Insurance to cover working at height up to 7 metres

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, ACHIEVEMENTS, PERFORMANCE

The CIO continued to be impacted by the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic, but with a year of adapting to government guidelines and care community restrictions, we were able to plan for the future which was the return of productions within care homes and caring community spaces.

November 2022 - March 2023

‘A MAP TO YOU’ project continued with funding from The City Bridge Trust. The project completed its 2nd year of funding by:

• producing a podcast called Life Stories From the Living - sharing the short stories of those living with

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Address: 60 Coleman Road, London SE5 7TG t: 07885456135 e: [e-mail]

dementia in Southwark, London. This meant holding weekly creative workshops with dementia groups and encouraging their voice, giving them the safe and comfortable environment needed to share their memories which were recorded by new playwrights and performers - then adapted and recorded for an 8 episode podcast published online.

The CIO was offered the opportunity by The City Bridge Trust to apply for a 3 year continuation of the grant, which was approved in September 2023 meaning our work in South East London with dementia peer groups can continue until 2026.

November 2022 - September 2023

Touring into residential care to recommence.

The CIO produced two professional theatre productions that toured care homes, dementia cafes, community spaces, arts venues and arts festivals.

The productions included:

• The Elves and The Shoemaker (November 2022 - January 2023) - This was a new production for The Dot Collective, and received funding from The Arts Council England (Grants for the Arts) alongside support from other trusts and foundations to tour this production to care homes at Christmas. The first Christmas production since 2018 into care homes in East Sussex, West Sussex, London, Portsmouth and Devon. It toured to 20 care homes, dementia cafes and community spaces and established new relationships with care communities including Aria Care. This production received 100% positive feedback, and affirmed the benefits and importance of touring our work in Christmas months in care homes, tackling the increasing issue of isolation and loneliness for those in care.

• Remount of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Aerialand’ (June - September 2023) - The production went into further development with the aim to increase accessibility and further audience reach. This included touring the production to schools and public festivals with an emphasis on reaching people with additional needs. The production received a longer tour spanning 3 months.

Together these productions reached

• 25 residential care homes for dementia and nursing for older people (for those living in care, their families and carers)

• 10 dementia groups & memory cafes (performances for those living with dementia at home)

• • 12 arts and cultural community spaces (performances for public raising awareness of dementia/additional needs and those living in care at home)

Live audiences reached: 3,800 New care contacts and partnerships: 18

The productions toured in: London, Suffolk, East Sussex, West Sussex, Portsmouth, Devon, Oxfordshire, Dorset, Kent.

The projects worked with existing and new partners, supporting the charity's growth.

March - April 2023: Artistic residency with The Seagull Theatre, Suffolk.

The CIO were awarded a fully funded 4 week residency under the newly appointed NPO (National

The Dot Collective Registered Charity: 1169951

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Portfolio Organisation) The Seagull Theatre. Over the period, The Dot Collective artistic team worked alongside additional needs groups FABBA and SQUARK and Dementia Cafes held by the theatre to research how best to integrate accessibility into professional theatre with dementia and additional needs at the core. We ran workshops with young adults with additional needs and older people with dementia and developed original theatre techniques used to create a short piece of theatre performed to the target audience at the end of the residency. The learning now influences how The Dot Collective creates accessible theatre on all projects.

August 2023

On 16th August 2023, The Dot Collective became a member of the Independent Theatre Council (ITC).

September 2023 - A Map to You at The Arcola

The Dot Collective were presented the opportunity to share the podcast stories of those with dementia at The Arcola Theatre - following on as a post show event from the main house production ‘In Other Words’ - a theatre piece that raised awareness about dementia. These post show performances of A Map to You - Life stories from the Living promoted the podcast, raised dementia awareness and furthered The Dot Collective’s reach establishing new relationships as a result.

FUTURE PLANS

December 2023 - The Elves and The Shoemaker 2nd year tour

To maximise our charitable outputs under the project funding e.g some production costs are covered in the first year meaning more emphasis to widen reach. We intend all of our touring productions to receive at least 2 years of touring (as per Alice in Aerialand) to support our environmental responsibility and to give each production the time for growth and expansion. This will also set a precedent for assuming costs and managing our environmental responsibility. Therefore we will tour The Elves and the Shoemaker for a 2nd year, redeveloping the production from our learnings from the previous tour and visiting new care homes, community spaces and arts venues with the production. The production aims to hold more public performances to raise funds that can contribute to unrestricted reserves.

January - October 2024

The Dream Sequence - research and development

The CIO will embark on a new project that brings together the learnings over the last few years. This includes building a project based on the feedback of projects:

A Map to You

Alice in Aerialand The Elves and the Shoemaker

Project Portmanteau

The Dream Sequence will unite communities living in care with professional performers to produce a unique, open-air, physical theatre touring production that explores the concept of dreams as sensory, cognitive, emotional occurrences. The narrative will reflect perceptions, experiences and association

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Address: 60 Coleman Road, London SE5 7TG t: 07885456135 e: [e-mail]

of dreams for those with cognitive impairments & special educational needs & disabilities (SEND). It will be multi-sensory & truly accessible.

Project development will take place in 3 stages:

1)Research: We’ll facilitate storytelling/physical theatre workshops with: dementia groups, care homes, SEND groups.

Workshops will encourage/support participants to express themselves to share their responses. This will shape 2 core project elements:

• •Narrative - physical & verbal

• •Accessible & engaging performance styles - based on techniques they respond to best

2) Development & devising with professional performer ensemble specialising in: aerial circus theatre, dance, clown, music. They'll draw from participants' material to steer a devised sequence of highly sensory, interactive performances that share participants' stories from multiple angles. The creation will focus on multiple ways of engagement: Non verbal/physical storytelling, BSL/creative captioning, sensory theatre (scenic design/audience interaction)to stimulate Olfalcoception/

Tactioception/proprioception ensuring inclusivity for those who are deaf, visually/cognitively impaired

3)Performances of ‘The Dream Sequence’

Performed as a 1 hour open-air production or each sequence as a stand alone piece (including digital sensory film), offering groups with profound & multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) meaningful engagement. The tour invites critical feedback for further development(2025)

4)Documentary short film: shares development of the production across all stages incl participants' input and participation to help:

• -raise awareness to public of accessible theatre

• -gather interest for future development

The project plays a vital role in the difference we want to make within accessible theatre, that:

• audiences of all abilities and ages can equally engage within one space

• breaks conventions of conditioned audience behaviour

• challenges stigma of theatre in care

• reduces marginalisation within theatre audiences

We began by working with people with dementia, uncovering forgotten stories & performing them to those who inspired them. Over 8 years of development, we've realised the community that benefits is bigger than we thought: anyone in care, carers, young adults/children with additional needs.

Working with these marginalised (often forgotten) groups consistently reveals:

• •diverse/untold stories that can be developed individually/part of a bigger project

• •unique/alternative ways to tell stories (aerial/non verbal/sensory)

• •accessible techniques to enhance workshops/performance

The Dot Collective Registered Charity: 1169951

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• •benefits of professional arts on mental/physical wellbeing (cognitive stimulation/reduced social isolation)

• •truly accessible art is engaging for all, challenging stigma

Feedback from our productions proved family audiences engage on a profound level, uniting audience demographic (Alice in Aerialand)

Previous projects have:

• •Created new plays based on life stories of those in care staged for the public with arts/cultural venues as immersive/promenade performances. (A Map to You 2022)

• •Touring theatre productions adapted from classic stories to care communities(Alice 2023)

•R&D creating theatre with accessibility at core (Project Portmanteau/Seagull Theatre 2023) The Dream Sequence combines all three.

October 2024 - 2025 Collaboration with Oxford Playhouse

The Dot Collective will work alongside The Oxford Playhouse over a year to facilitate a new project that listens and tells the stories of those living with dementia and in care at Isis Court Care Home Oxford. The first stage of the project will take place between October 2024 - February 2025, where new short plays will be created as a result of 10 creative writing workshops. There is a vision to develop this project further in 2025 - 2026.

City Bridge Trust 3 year funding extension - 2025 - 2026

The City Bridge Trust funding allows The Dot Collective to continue benefiting care groups in London, in particular in Southwark. This includes running creative workshops with care homes and dementia peer groups - including new (Time and Talents/Rose Court) and established (Alzheimers society/Link Age Southwark) relationships. The funding will be split across both A Map to You project extension - recommencing the podcast in 2025 and touring theatre productions in care (The Dream Sequence/Elves and the Shoemaker).

FINANCIAL

The CIO’s financial status has increased consistently from year to year as the charity grows and is more successful with funding, and we consider it to have recovered after the pandemic, with project funding secured and the growth of the project's reach has meant more funding is required to run the projects. The charity's income is project funding from grants applied for and public donations made through public events such as theatre performances.

The CIO and the trustees have a reserves policy of £5000 minimum to be utilised for project shortfalls when agreed by the board. The reserves are raised through charity donations and funds raised through public performance ticket sales revenue. The trustees recognise the need for the CIO to have increased 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 core, unrestricted multiple year funding to obtain unrestricted reserves. We plan to have reserves of 3 months costs which would be unrestricted funds of £10,131.

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Address: 60 Coleman Road, London SE5 7TG t: 07885456135 e: [e-mail]

J Naylie By order ofthe Board Ms Helen Jane Mayfield

The Dot Collective Income and Expenditure Account Year Ended 31 October 2023

		2022 2023 Total Total
	General Projects
Income Donations Grants Ticket sales
	1,784 79,279	18,350 1,784 28,480 79,279 5,723 14,408
	14,408
	14,408 81,063	52,553 95,471
Expenditure Costumes, set and props Project costs Freelance fees Subscriptions and royalties Venue hire Travel and subsistence Insurance Advertising and publicity General admin costs Accountancy
	8,041 5,487 60,863	380 8,041 7,031 5,487 40,522 60,863 0 0 2,911 1,115 7,325 18,866 641 593 1,261 2,083 273 2,564 120 120
	1,115 18,866 593 2,083
	2,564 120
	2,684 97,048	60,464 99,732
Surplus of income over expenditure	11,724 (15,985)	(7,911) (4,261)

The Dot Collective Balance Sheet As at 31 October 2023

	2023	2022
Current assets Cash at bank and in hand
	13,304	17,565
Current liabilities Sundry creditors
	120	120 17,445
	13,184
Represented by Projects General funds
	(7,976) 21,160	8,009 9,436
	13,184	17,445

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Dot Collective

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Dot Collective for the year ended 31 October 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity 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 Dot Collective’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 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 material matters have come to my attention in connection with my examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. Accounting records were not kept in respect of The Dot Collective as required by section 130 of the Act: or

2. The accounts do not accord with those records.

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 fo the accounts to be reached.

Jane E Spencer-Davis BA FCCA CTA Spencer-Davis & Co 4-6 Peterborough Road Harrow HA1 2BQ

31 August 2024