## Wensleydale Concert Series ## _**Registered Charity 1172472**_ _Lairdswood Cottage, Carperby, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4DB Telephone: 01969 663026 Email: concerts@wensleydaleconcertseries.co.uk_ ## **Annual Report 2021** ## **Trustees** Our Trustees during 2021 were: Carol Haynes Carperby, Leyburn Elizabeth Sowter Carperby, Leyburn Jacqueline Simper Carperby, Leyburn Sir Joseph Pilling Gayle, Hawes Jonathan Sparey Bellerby, Leyburn Brian Kershaw Woodhall, Leyburn ## **Our 2021 Season** After our 2020 season was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic we successfully re-established concerts during the summer of 2021 under Covid-safe conditions with a series of six concerts. Covidsafe conditions meant we restricted the audience numbers to 70, asked people to wear masks on entry and when moving around the building and marked safe spacing in the venue to keep unrelated audience members apart as much as possible. We also stopped providing interval refreshments to reduce crowding and handling used crockery. Because of Covid concerns in winter and spring 2021 we decided to concentrate our season into just three months: July-September. The six concerts were designed to support as many artists as possible whose concerts were cancelled in 2020, but we did not invite overseas artists who were due to perform in 2020. 17[th] July 2021 Thomas Guthrie, baritone with Daniel Grimwood, piano 24[th] July 2021 Daniel Grimwood, piano, Peter Cigleris, clarinet, and Gemma Rosefield, cello 11[th] August 2021 Scott Bradley, guitar 25[th] August 2021 Philip Sharp, piano 6[th] September 2021 Robin Michael, cello, and Huw Watkins, piano 22[nd] September 2021 Alicja Fiderkiewicz, piano All concerts were well attended, most sold out, and appreciated by audiences and artists alike. Artists were particularly grateful to be invited and expressed thanks to audiences that they were able to play again after such a long and difficult break. A number of artists commented that these were first performances following cancellations from the pandemic. ## **Finances** Generous donations during 2020 meant that our bank balance was healthy, and season ticket purchasers for 2020 kindly allowed us to transfer their tickets to 2021, avoiding refunds. More generous donations in 2021 meant that our bank balance grew and remains healthy in 2022. Our heartfelt thanks go to those generous individuals who have offered financial support through gifts. ## **Priorities for 2022/2023 and onwards** Our 2022 programme of seven concerts is again supporting artists who were due to perform in 2020 and 2021 and have been postponed for a year. Because of uncertainties international artists have not been included in 2022 programmes. Hopefully 2023 will see a return to more normal conditions but concerns over changing visa rules following Brexit make the invitation of international artists in future uncertain. At the time of writing our 2023 programme is finalised with a series of seven concerts and includes UK artists with considerable international reputations. This has only been made possible by generous gifts and sponsorship from individuals. In late 2019 we were offered support for 12 months from the Coop Community Fund. This funding has now been received and is specifically aimed towards a project promoting the series to a much wider audience in and around Wensleydale and further developing community links. This will involve outreach activities in schools, residential homes and to housebound individuals, but was not realistically possible in 2021 or 2022 because of ongoing pandemic concerns. We intend to restart this outreach in 2023. We have tried to improve access to concerts by providing transport to help people who prefer not to drive or struggle with access, particularly at St Andrew’s Church, Aysgarth. So far this has consisted of offering free tickets to anyone accompanying people who would otherwise struggle to access concerts. Because of Covid restrictions we made limited progress in 2021 using these funds, but have made numerous contacts which we hope to develop in 2022/2023. Carol Haynes September 2022 ## **Wensleydale Concert Series Financial Summary Jan 1st -Dec 31st 2021** ## **Income** |Ticket Sales|Online (Ticketmaster)|£3,999.90| |---|---|---| ||Cheque/Cash|£445.00| |Door sales (tickets/programmes/cash|donations)|£297.80| |Other Income|Gift Aid|£1,272.20| ||CAF Donations|£2,000.00| ||PayPal Giving|£337.88| ||Amazon Smile|£24.50| ||Individual Donations|£620.00| |**Total Income**||**£8,997.28**| |**Expenses**||| ## **Community Bank Account** |Barclays
20-45-45|90771023| |---|---| |Opening Balance Jan 1st|£7,542.16| |Closing Balance Dec 31st|£9,779.60| |Outstanding transactions|0.00| |Artist Fees & expenses|£5,522.04| |---|---| |Venue costs|£580.00| |Piano Tuner|£375.00| |Printing|£55.49| |Advertising Materials|£227.31| |**Total Expenses**|**£6,759.84**| |**Income over expenditure**|**£2,237.44**|