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← Alexander Whitley Dance Company

2025-03-31-accounts

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, have pleasure in presenting their report and the financial statements for the charitable company for the 12 months ending 31 March 2025. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice, applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). (Effective January 2015)

Image from Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s performance at the Fashion District Festival Performance Showcase in Spitalfields Mark et

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objects for which the Company is established, as set out in the governing document, are:

For the public benefit to advance education in and knowledge, understanding and appreciation of contemporary dance in particular, but not exclusively, by developing and producing live public performances and workshops, master classes and residential courses.

Alexander Whitley Dance Company exists as a platform for enquiry: bringing together artists and academics from a wide range of disciplines to explore, develop and disseminate ideas about movement. Building on a distinguished performing career, AWDC was founded in response to the new spheres of knowledge and creativity being opened by digital technology and a widening interest in dance from thinkers in other fields including science, design, and architecture.

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

Alexander Whitley Dance Company (AWDC) is an internationally acclaimed artist-led creative studio that has been redefining the boundaries of dance over the past decade through its pioneering work with digital technology. The company creates multi-disciplinary performance experiences across stage, screen, immersive and interactive platforms, which have been presented across many of the world’s most prestigious theatres, festivals, and media channels.

Creative learning fuels our mission, inspiring curiosity, discovery, and play. We aim to highlight the significance of choreographic knowledge and physical thinking, including their crucial role in technological innovation.

Tailor making movement-based experiences and opportunities for diverse audiences, we prioritise accessibility, lowering barriers to access in dance and digital technologies. Through workshops, training, and artist development utilising our in-house software platform Otmo, we offer inspiration and nurture creativity for new generations of practitioners.

The Company’s plans are laid out in its business plan and are regularly monitored. The company’s aims are to:

“In this critical moment as we prepare to open East Bank fully, AWDC and its Digital Body Festival is helping us to showcase what East Bank has to offer as a place for entertainment, inspiration and discovery, and the unique lens which its focus on digital innovation brings to this. I fully support the company’s vision and would welcome further collaboration.”

Tamsin Ace, Director East Bank

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

ACTIVITIES

In shaping the Company objectives for the year and planning activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. In FY25, the company innovated continuously through its use of digital technology and undertook the following activities for the public benefit.

Otmo Live software used at H&M&LA music event in Los Angeles, USA

During FY25, AWDC:

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

& developing innovative solutions (Partnering with UCL, Target3D, Marshmallow Laser Feast, London College of Fashion and Sadler’s Wells East).

“It's going to be the next big thing in dance teaching” - Otmo market research participant

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Image from Otmo software
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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

Impact

The company’s work inspires and educates:

AWDC engages arts attendees and industry (contemporary dance, ballet, visual arts, video and digital arts, contemporary and classical music), dance students, school children and families, as well as science, technology, and new media audiences. Over 5,500 audience members/participants benefit annually from UK and international touring and associated education activities and 106,000+ via online music/video content.

FY26 Plans

Data Protection

AWDC’s data protection and privacy policy is GDPR compliant and published on our website.

Financial Review

For AWDC, FY25 was one of continued investment in research and digital innovation, development of major projects that have been years in the making that will be launching in 2025 & 2026; and further transition of our business model to include more diverse sources of income.

In FY25 incoming resources were £318,132 (FY24 £375,548) of these, £132,985 came from grants. Total resources expended were £291,103 (FY24 £402,765). As a project-funded company, it can be challenging to bridge the gap between projects. Critical core funding came from the final payment of a 3-year grant from the John Ellerman Foundation which supported the Artistic Director, Executive Director and Digital Education & Engagement Director (1- 2 days per week).

In Q4, the company staff was restructured in response to temporary financial challenges resulting from a series of unsuccessful core grant bids. The Executive Director’s role was reduced from 5 days to 2.5 days pw and freelance support staff were made redundant while the company rebuilt its

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

financial resources through grants, donations and company fees from projects. Staffing levels are now gradually being increased as the financial situation has stabilised.

Arts Council England (ACE) is one of AWDC’s principal funders (albeit via project grants) and the organisation reports to ACE through mandatory National Lottery Project Grants interim and final project reports. In FY25, AWDC received an ACE National Lottery Project grant of £29,995 to progress the creation of a new double bill stage production commissioned by Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

Other public funding came from an Innovate UK DCMS Create Growth grant (£29,887) for further development of Otmo.

In FY25, earned income from performances, educational activities, commissions, digital-dance projects & other income totalled £91,085 representing 29% of the company’s turnover.

We are very grateful to those individual donors who have supported the company. Private donations received were:

£ 23,494 Individual donations
£ 4,697 Gift Aid
£. 16 Give as You Live
£ 28,207 Total donations received

We are also grateful to the following trusts, foundations and local authorities for their support during the year:

£ 44,590 John Ellerman Foundation – 3rd of 3-yr award for core salaries
£ 25,000 Foyle Foundation- purchase of Optitrack motion-capture system
£ 19,895 Nesta REACH -AWDC loan/investment readiness
£ 15,000 Cockayne Foundation grant for Double Bill creation
£ 12,500 Edwin Fox Foundation - core support
£ 4,000 Leche Trust grant for Double Bill creation
£ 4,000 Big GiveChristmas Challenge/Reed Foundation - Double Bill creation
£ 3,000 Coln Trust - Support for development of_Otmo creative software_
£ 2,500 Big Give Arts for Impact/Reed Foundation - Otmo-based activities
£ 2,500 Nicholas Berwin Trust core support
£ 5,980
 Hackney Borough Council/Discover Young Hackney for workshops
£138,965 Total grants

Reserves

AWDC is a charity that operates on a project basis with minimal long-term fixed and core costs. Project activity is committed to and developed only when a significant percentage of the required resources have been identified, and contracts are entered into only when sufficient resources have been identified to meet contractual obligations. In FY25, AWDC had a surplus of £27,029 for the year, with £51,467 total funds carried forward, of which £28,200 is restricted.

The Board regularly monitors the level of reserves to ensure that they are commensurate to the level of financial activity and with enough funds to address unforeseen circumstances and future overheads with a goal of gradually building greater reserves over time. Our target reserve figure is £32,000.

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The Company was incorporated on 13 November 2013 and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association as amended by special resolution 19 December 2016. The Company is limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The Company was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 3 February 2017.

Organisational Structure

The Board oversees and administers the charitable Company, scrutinizes the finances, discusses, and supports the management in financial matters.

The Board meets quarterly and monitors the Company’s progress against the current business plan. All day-to-day operating decisions are made by the Executive Director, Donna Meierdiercks and Artistic Director, Alexander Whitley. All artistic planning and policy decisions are made by the Artistic Director, within the business plan framework approved by the Board. Board members give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits from the charity.

The skills make-up of the Board is regularly reviewed, particularly when a member resigns, and people with strengths in areas less represented on the Board are proposed. In line with the Articles of Association, new Board members are appointed at a meeting where a minimum of two serving Directors are in attendance. On appointment, Board members are given the Company’s Memorandum and Articles and most recent business plan, plus the most recent minutes and the Charity Commission’s “Trustees Welcome Pack” and “The Essential Trustee: What you need to know” (‘Good Governance A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector.’)

The pay for management and artists is reviewed annually and normally increased in accordance with guidance from Equity and Independent Theatre Council to reflect a cost-of-living adjustment. In view of the nature of the charity, the Board benchmarks against pay levels in other charities of a similar size operating in the arts sector.

Diversity is at the heart of the company. AWDC employs an ethnically diverse, international team of freelance collaborators, dancers, and staff. 69% of AWDC’s board & senior team (aged 26-60) are female, ethnically underrepresented or LBGTQ+ and we are committed to creating accessible & inclusive spaces for diverse audiences to participate & engage in our creative processes.

Financial Controls

Financial controls are reviewed annually. The company’s next review of its financial controls is scheduled for the September 2025 meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Financial reporting:

Routine financial management is delegated to the Executive Director and Artistic Director.

All income is made payable to Alexander Whitley Dance Company and paid into the company’s bank account: The Co-operative Bank, P.O. Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT,

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

UK. The majority of inward payments are made by BACS and includes grants from funders, performance fees, commission funds and donations from individuals.

All outward payments require dual authorisation against invoice. The company does not have a credit card but has a £25,000 overdraft facility from The Co-operative Bank.

Fraud Risk:

The Trustees have reviewed the principal risks associated with the company, including fraud, and have concluded that there is minimal risk of fraud. There are solid financial controls in place, little cash handling, delegated authority levels, and dual authorisation on bank accounts. Management accounts are produced and reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Risk Management

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The Trustees consider the detailed operation of the company and the associated risks at their regular Trustees’ meetings.

Trustees' Remuneration and Benefits

There were no Trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the 12-month period ended 31 March 2025 (nor for the year ending 31 March 2024).

Choreographic, rehearsal and touring fees (not for service as a Trustee) were paid to Artistic Director Alexander Whitley during the 12-month period totalling £39,059 (FY24: £54,450) gross of tax. His rate of pay was approved by the Trustees of the charity on 9 December 2024. Alexander Whitley is not party to the Trustees’ discussions about his remuneration as Artistic Director.

Artistic Associations

Alexander Whitley is a former New Wave Associate at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, former Choreographic Affiliate of the Royal Ballet and AWDC is a former Associate Company of Rambert. Alexander Whitley was an Associate Artist at DanceEast from 2014 to 2016 and the company has been based there since December 2016 receiving regular advice and in-kind support for productions. Alexander Whitley is an Associate Artist at Queen Mary University of London, a tutor on the ‘Design for Performance & Interaction’ Masters course at The Bartlett School of Architecture – University College London and is a member of the Board of Governors of The Royal Ballet Companies.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Name of charity Alexander Whitley Dance Company
Charity registration number 1171464
Company registration number 08773567
Principal address Jerwood DanceHouse
Foundry Lane
Ipswich IP4 1 DW

Trustees

The trustees serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:

Hope Alexander (Appointed 18 June 2024) Toby Coffee (Appointed 18 June 2024) Thomas Higham (Chair from 6 March 2025)

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Alexander Whitley Dance Company Report of the Trustees For 12 months ending 31 March 2025

Emma McFarland Mahesh Ramachandra (Appointed 24 September 2024) Kaushik Ray (Resigned 16 April 2024) David Ripert Denis Shafranik (Resigned 9 December 2024) Kade Stroude (resigned 17 September 2024) Dr Cindy Sughrue OBE (Chair) (Term ended 5 March 2025) Florence Uchida (Resigned 21 February 2025) Alexander Whitley Independent examiners Counterculture Partnership LLP Unit NH.204, E1 Studios 7 Whitechapel Road London E1 1DU Principal staff Donna Meierdiercks, Executive Director

Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by

____ Date_______ 1st September 2025 Thomas Higham (Chair)

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  

 

 





  

 



    

9th September 2025

10

  



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

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
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
		 



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
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

		 
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



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

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


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		 


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



  

  

   
 

   
  
 
   
  
  
  

  
   
  

 

  

   



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Tom Higham

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  





     

  







  



 

 



 

  

    



 

 

 

 



 

13

  



  



















		 




		 




		 




















		 


















14

  



 



  

  
  
 
 

 



 

  
 
 

   
 
    

   
   

15

  



   
 




   

   
   
   
   

   
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   







		 





		 







16

 













		 










 












 



 

 



17

  


























		 





















		 





















		 























		 










18

  












		 








		 








		 














		 
























19

  















		 

















		 

















		 

















		 










20

  

                  

21

  
















		 










































22