Company Registration Number 05622380 Registered Charity Number 1174274
BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL
(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS For the year ending 31 March 2024
BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
The Trustees, who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered Charity Name Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival Charity registration number 1174274 Company registration number 05622380 Registered office Berwick Workspace, Office 211 Boarding School Yard, 90 Marygate, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland TD15 1BN
Trustees
For the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, the Board of Trustees is the Board of Directors of the charitable company and is referred to as the Trustees throughout this report.
The Trustees of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival during the period and up to the date of signing this report are as follows:
Laura Simpson (Chair) Dawn Bothwell - Resigned 26 October 2023 Siobhan Carroll - Appointed 23 May 2024 Rachel Gnagniko - Appointed 23 May 2024 Christopher Hardie May Adadol Ingawanij Luke Moody Andrew Robson - Appointed 23 May 2024 Matthew Stokes Jonathan Weston - Appointed 23 May 2024 Company Secretary Elisa Kay - Appointed 25 January 2024
Independent Examiner
Mr Pete O’Hara FCA Chartered Accountant, 26 La Sagesse, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3AF
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing Documents
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival Ltd is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 14 November 2005, registered in England and Wales under company number 05622380 and governed by its Articles of Association, originally registered upon incorporation and as amended by Special Resolution registered at Companies House on 1 August 2017 and as further amended on 22 March 2020.
The charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 16 August 2017.
The Directors of the company are also Trustees of the charity.
Eligibility for membership of the charity, and membership of the Board of Trustees, is governed by the Articles of Association. There are no restrictions in the governing document on the operation of the charity other than those imposed by general charity law.
Structure and Governance
The charity currently has a board of nine non-executive Trustees.
The Board meets a minimum of four times per year.
Detailed written Board reports and an agenda are prepared and circulated in advance of meetings.
Recruitment and Appointment of Board of Trustees
Trustees are elected to the Board based on discussions and recommendations offered by Trustees and outside advisors to the organisation, as well as through a range of advertising channels.
Trustee Induction and Training
New Trustees are inducted by the Chair of the Board and Director and are provided with a range of resources and publications to support their understanding of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival activities, including the latest annual report and accounts, a full role description and information on current and past productions. They also have the opportunity to see productions and are kept informed on an ongoing basis around developments in both the theatre and wider charity sectors.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees have reviewed the charity's needs for reserves in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission.
The Trustees aim to firstly hold a level of unrestricted Reserves which enables the charity to have sufficient financial resources to meet various liabilities which would crystallise if Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival’s funding were to be withdrawn and/or it were unable to continue operating. At present, the Trustees estimate that the Unrestricted Reserves required for such purposes amount to approximately £47,000.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT (Continued)
Reserves Policy (Cont.)
The Trustees then aspire to retain an additional allowance of £5,000 to enable the charity to respond flexibly to issues or appropriate initiatives which might be identified outside of its annual budgeting process.
The target level of Reserves held is therefore £52,000.
The charity’s total unrestricted Reserves at 31 March 2024 are £36,185 with ‘free’ unrestricted Reserves, defined as non-designated unrestricted funds, net of the £2,182 value of Fixed Assets, of £34,003.
The Trustees aim, through their budgeting processes, to reach the target level of free reserves within two to three years.
This policy will be reviewed by the Trustees on an annual basis as part of the charity’s budgeting processes.
Grant Making Policy
The charity does not currently engage in grant-making activity.
The Contribution of Volunteers
The charity makes extensive use of volunteers via a specific volunteer programme to support Festival activities.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Charitable Purpose
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival’s charitable objects are
(a) to promote appreciation of and education in the arts, crafts & associated technologies, especially but not exclusively those of the cinema & moving image
(b) to educate the public by encouraging the creative participation in the arts and crafts of cinema, video & moving image
(c) to educate the public in the history, aesthetics and theory of moving image in all their aspects.
Aims & Objectives
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (BFMAF) is an artistically ambitious organisation for artists’ moving image and new cinema based in North Northumberland on the English border with Scotland.
A work in progress, leading through collaboration, it has a resolute commitment to the mutual development of the artists, audiences, filmmakers and programmers that make the festival possible.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) TRUSTEES’ REPORT
For the year ended 31 March 2024
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)
Aims & Objectives (Cont.)
The Festival enacts pluralist ideas of moving image and contemporary cinema, its history and curation. Short, medium or feature-length Festival selections can include arthouse, documentary or genre cinema; artists’ moving image and sound; world premieres and freshly restored archival titles; or live, installation-based or performative works.
BFMAF also strives to understand and work towards optimal exhibition conditions for artists and filmmakers’ work within the resources and contexts it has available. In evaluating this, the accessibility of audiences and communities that it is involved with – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally – are of utmost consideration.
BFMAF was established in 2004 by artists Marcus Coates and Huw Davies in the Northumberland border town of Berwick- upon-Tweed.
The Festival’s vision is to be the UK’s leading festival for artists’ moving image and new cinema.
Its strategic objectives are to:
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present an artistically ambitious, internationally significant programme of artists’ moving image and new cinema.
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create a resilient, dynamic and ever evolving organisation where inclusivity, access and environmental responsibility are central to all activity.
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support creative practitioners, artists, filmmakers, critics and curators, instigating transformative moments in their careers and striving towards optimal conditions for their work.
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embody a ‘work in progress’ ethos where collaboration, innovation, research and mutual exchange shape our organisation’s present and future.
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develop the Festival’s reputation and associational life, bridging international, national and regional cultural communities.
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invest in an integrated digital presence, informed data culture and effective PR and marketing strategies.
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ensure our programmes are engaging and stimulating for all audience members, with specific provision for young people.
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deliver a programme which is informed by the social, cultural, historical, and environmental contexts of North Northumberland and its communities.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) TRUSTEES’ REPORT
For the year ended 31 March 2024
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)
Public Benefit
The Trustees understand and have discussed the implications of the provisions of the Charities Act 2006, which state that all charities must demonstrate that they are established for public benefit and have had due regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission. The Trustees believe that the charity meets both of the key principles.
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival presents ambitious and rigorously researched programmes of new cinema to the public. Based in England’s most northerly town, it is inspired by its borderlands location and embodies a pluralist cinema.
Now in its 20th year, BFMAF is recognised for its 4-day festival of screenings, exhibitions, performances, workshops and seminars, alongside its work year-round that focuses on supporting artists’ and filmmakers’ production, working with local young people and creating professional development opportunities locally and nationally.
The Festival has become a keystone in the cultural calendar of the UK. BFMAF serves as a resource for the broader creative networks we work within as well as the rural communities in which we are based. Our programmed activity reflects this duality through considered curation and targeted provision.
The organisation works to promote and support artistic ambition through screenings, exhibitions, workshops, residencies and seminars. It provides public benefit through:
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exposing audiences to new cinema and artists’ moving image that they would likely not have a chance to see elsewhere
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fostering critical thinking
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engaging with local communities to support their access to the work
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highlighting Berwick-upon-Tweed as a destination and positively impacting the local economy
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delivering skills and employability services locally and to the larger creative networks that we are part of
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encouraging new contacts and networks for groups and individuals taking part in activities around the Festival
In developing the objectives for the year, and in planning activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)
Risk Management
The Trustees of the charity regularly review the major governance, operational and financial risks which the charity faces as part of its annual business planning process and confirm that systems have been established to mitigate these risks.
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival has a risk management strategy in place which comprises:
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an annual review of the strategic risks the charity may face via the business plan
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● the establishment of systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified
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the implementation of procedures designed to minimise any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialise.
The Trustees are satisfied that appropriate financial systems and controls and employment policies and practices are in place and consider the key risks facing the charity at this time to be:
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The financial risks arising if the organisation is unable to attract sufficient funding (over and above its Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation grant) to realise its planned projects to the scale and quality to which the organisation aspires
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The loss of the Festival’s main venue, The Maltings, during its planned redevelopment
The Trustees have managed the potential impact of these risks by ensuring that:
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Prudent budgets have been set for the next financial year
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The charity maintains a low cost base
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Regular management accounts are provided, showing the performance against budget
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● Contingency plans are in place for the actions which would be taken if income appears unlikely to reach its target
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Reserves policies have been adopted which provide an appropriate amount of uncommitted Reserves which will always enable the charity to meet all its liabilities even if income targets are not achieved
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Regular dialogue with The Maltings team and Northumberland County Council, ensuring availability of the venue early in our planning cycle
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Contingency planning for replacement venues, including temporary structures
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year
“ Its 2024 edition, which ran 7–10 March, felt like a festival whose program was not only deeply engaged with larger political struggles, but also open and malleable in a way that many festivals claim but rarely enact in the relations underpinning the screenings .”
‘Instruments of Liberation: Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival 2024’, Ruairí McCann in Documentary Magazine, published by the International Documentary Association
19th Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival
The 19th edition of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (BFMAF) took place over 4 days from Thursday 7 - Sunday 10 March 2024 in Berwick-upon Tweed. The second Festival to take place in an early spring timeslot, the festival was extended by one day, launching on a Thursday with exhibitions, school screenings, and the gala opening of Phantom Beirut.
The Festival programme consisted of 27 cinema screening programmes at The Maltings, each with a live introduction or filmmaker Q&A, and 5 free film exhibitions in sites around the town.
47 films were shown in total, across screenings and exhibitions, with 36 countries of production. A total of 51 artists and filmmakers participated in the festival, with 27 attending in person, and 16 filmmaker Q&As taking place. Filmmakers travelled to the festival from Lebanon, Canada, USA, Singapore, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Belgium, and the UK.
A new Festival identity was created by designer Tom Joyes working in collaboration with illustrator Lucia Pham. Eye-catching designs featured the image of a bear breaking free of its chains, a symbol of Berwick that originates from the mediaeval seal of the town. Festival programme highlights
The Festival’s opening gala was the UK premiere of a new restoration of Ghassan Salhab’s 1998 debut feature film, Phantom Beirut, introduced in person by the filmmaker.
BFMAF participating artist Adam Piron wrote on Twitter: “ caught the beautiful restoration of Ghassan Salhab’s PHANTOM BEIRUT last night as the opener for @berwickfilmfest. a haunting work, both in theme, its formal boldness, and assuredness in how it unfolds. it’s something i’ll be thinking about for a while… ”
William Quinn in The Quinntessential Review wrote: “ the film’s blend of documentary and almost meditative drama will leave a lasting memory on many who see it. Whether it’s watching explosions rock the city from an otherwise idyllic beach, or the frank gazes of actors turned verbatim confessors, Ghassan Salhabs’s debut retains its power these many years later .”
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year (Cont.)
Filmmaker in Focus: a major presentation of work by Basma al-Sharif, whose satirical, immersive, and lyrical films confront the legacy of colonialism. The Focus included two shorts programmes, one feature film screening, a filmmaker conversation with Sarona Abuaker and Viviane Saglier, and an exhibition presentation of Deep Sleep. BFMAF’s presentation included the UK premiere of al-Sharif’s newest short film Capital.
Filmmaker in Focus: a presentation of work by Eduardo Williams, whose films explore a fluid mode of observation, looking for shared relations and spontaneous adventures within physical and virtual networks. The Focus included the UK premiere of William’s The Human Surge 3, a freeform odyssey of sociality and technology shot entirely on a 360-degree camera. Williams attended the festival and took part in two Q&As.
Berwick New Cinema Awards: The NCA programmes once again celebrated some of the most distinctive cinema being made around the world today. They featured 14 UK Premieres, 2 European Premieres, 4 World Premieres, and 3 World Festival Premieres. This included the UK premiere of Locarno Golden Leopard winner Dreaming and Dying.
Propositions: The UK Premiere of barrunto by Margaret Tait Award-winning artist Emilia Beatriz, an intimate exploration of environmental grief and resistance in shifting landscapes of loss, from the streets of Puerto Rico to sites of nuclear contamination and military occupation in Scotland.
Essential Cinema: This included the UK premieres of new restorations of Phantom Beirut, A Stolen Meeting (Leida Lauis, Estonia), and The Hour of Liberation Has Arrived (Heiny Srour, Oman), and a World Festival Premiere of Bye Bye Love (Isao Fujisawa, Japan). Filmmaker Nadia El Fani (France, Tunisia) joined the festival for a rare screening of her 2003 film Bedwin Hacker.
Exhibitions: World Premiere of Hexham Heads by Chloë Delanghe and Mattijs Driesen, with filmmakers in attendance. The film had added resonance with the Festival’s locale, as it draws on paranormal events that occurred in the nearby town of Hexham. UK Premiere of Dau:añcut // Moving Along Image by Adam Piron, with Piron attending the festival.
Artist development: studio visits, mentoring sessions and public talks by Festival team members took place throughout the year, and two artist development events were held during the Festival including a networking mixer and bookable one to ones with BFI Doc Society and Film Hub North staff.
Online Programme: This year introduced the New Cinema Awards Showcase, which offered online access for UK audiences to our New Cinema Awards strand between Tuesday 12th - Sunday 31st March. A total of 18 out of the 23 works in the strand were included in the showcase.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year (Cont.)
Catalogue: A new design and format was introduced for the 2024 catalogue, designed by Tom Joyes and with a cover illustration by Lucia Pham. As well as texts on each individual film title, four writers were commissioned to produce new writings responding to films in different strands of the programme. For Propositions, Daniella Valz Gen responded to barrunto; for Essential Cinema, Ren Scateni responded to Bye Bye Love; Sarona Abuaker wrote on the work of Filmmaker in Focus Basma Al-Sharif; and programmer Ilinca Vanau wrote an essay on the work of Eduardo Williams. These essays, along with the libretto from History of the Present written by Maria Fusco, are all available on the Festival website.
Public Programme
In Quarter 2 we advertised the new position of Public Programmer (0.6 FTE).
This permanent position has been created to explore new collaborative ways of working with individuals, communities and younger people within our community in Berwick-upon-Tweed. In November 2023, we recruited Dawn Bothwell, who joined us from her role as Programme Director at NewBridge Projects and as co-Director of Circa Projects in Newcastle. Dawn resigned from the Board of Trustees at the meeting in October 2023.
The Burr of Berwick
The Public Programme launched during this year’s Festival with The Burr, a roving public programme that responds to local and regional audiences’ interests and needs.
Film library: The library included access to existing public film archives of the British Film Institute, North East and Yorkshire Film Archives and Friends of Berwick Museums and Archives, as well as a new archive of films, ‘Made in Berwick’, made up of films commissioned over the past 20 years by BFMAF and a number of partners including Berwick Visual Arts, with some, preceding the Festival, made with support of the Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship (19932011). This archive brings together a legacy of films made in response to the site of Berwickupon-Tweed.
Partners: North East Film Archive, Northumberland Museums, London Community Video Archive, British Film Institute Archives, Amber & Side Films.
Local issues: At breakfast gatherings each morning during the Festival, local community initiatives met UK and international filmmakers who have produced films on topics relating to their work and shown in the Festival. Common themes connected conversations and created new relationships between local and further afield communities.
Invited guests and initiatives included, for Youth / the Future - 4 local first schools and 1 middle school; Home/Hyem - Palestinian Solidarity Campaign; Nature/Nurture - Connecting Threads/Destination Tweed, The North East Film Archives’ Nature Matters and Hospice Care North Northumberland; and Of/Duty - the King’s Own Scottish Borderers Regiment.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year (Cont.)
Hands-on workshops included ‘Film Poster Collective’ with artist, filmmaker and publisher, Deborah Bower of Foundation Press & Film Bee. Visitors, who ranged from people that have never made film before to film professionals, created film posters for an imagined film relating to social action they wished to see. This drew upon a history of radical film and print initiatives, encouraging thinking around personal circumstances and the change people wished to see in their communities.
The Burr of Berwick programme will continue throughout the year, popping up in different spaces, platforming issues and hosting audiences and groups.
Schools
150 Berwick school children each took part in two screening and animation workshops in six schools in Berwick & Tweedmouth led by locally based artists Robin Webb and Chloe Smith. The outcomes of their work were screened to 211 children during two special gala screenings at The Maltings on the opening day of the Festival, and also exhibited at Berwick Library and Berwick Visitor Centre over the course of the long weekend, so that children could bring friends and family to take a look.
Audiences
Across cinema screenings, exhibitions, special events, outreach, online and educational activities, our audience in 2023/24 was 6,921. Ticket sales saw a 28.7% increase from 2023, resulting in a 35% increase in box office income. Audience surveys told us that 51% of visitors had stayed in paid for accommodation during their stay in Berwick, confirming that a large proportion of our audience had travelled to Berwick specifically for the Festival and spent additional money during their stay.
Organisational Development
Office Move
In preparation for The Maltings’ redevelopment, in August 2023 we moved out of the Festival office there and into a new office in The Berwick Workspace. Situated just off the high street, the office is twice the size with better capability to accommodate more staff.
Fundraising
Fundraising efforts have been concentrated on securing multi-year funding from our two longterm funders, Arts Council England and BFI, as well as support from North East Combined Authority (NECA, formerly North of Tyne Combined Authority). This investment has enabled us to create new roles in programming, production and communications; and increase our budgets for artistic research, year-round programming, audience development, marketing and PR.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year (Cont.)
2023/24 was the first of Arts Council England’s new three-year investment cycle for National Portfolio Organisations. BFMAF retained baseline funding, and secured additional investment to create a new role of Public Programmer, deliver year round programming in Berwick, and build on our artist development activity.
It is our second year of three, with support from North East Combined Authority Scale Up Fund to increase capacity, marketing and PR activities, and develop our programme to reach bigger audiences (2022-25).
BFMAF will receive funding from BFI through the Audience Projects Fund for the next three Festival editions (2024, 2025 and 2026), investing in curatorial ambition and audience development for d/Deaf, Disabled and neurodivergent audiences.
We are grateful for the additional support we received in 2023/24 from Sir James Knott Foundation, Lough Fund (Community Foundation), Northumberland County Council Community Trust, Joicey Trust, Hadrian Trust, The Berwick Chamber of Trade, Newcastle University’s Institute for Creative Arts Practice, and Simpsons Malt.
Board of Trustees
Following an open recruitment process and analysis against our skills matrix, four new Board Members were appointed at the Board meeting on 24 May 2024:
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Siobhan Carroll is the Open Programme Convenor at Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art. She previously worked as Head of Programme at Collective, Edinburgh and as a Programmer at Nottingham Contemporary. She has also Produced projects including: Episode 11: To End the World as We Know It, with Arika, 2024.
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Rachel Gnagniko is a management consultant member of the Institute of Consulting, the Consultant for Good Network, and The Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners. Her expertise spans a diverse range of sectors, including Arts, Culture & Heritage, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Partnerships, Charities and Social Enterprise. Rachel passionately champions collaboration, embracing the transformative potential of partnerships and idea exchange. Drawing from her unique perspective as a French-Togolese citizen, she enhances the experiences of minoritised groups in various sectors. Adhering to her mantra, "Structure is Freedom", she leverages the strength of clear, meaningful processes to cultivate exceptional experiences within diverse and creative teams. Her approach centres on analysing processes, planning and supporting their implementation, and devising strategies for continuous improvement. This comprehensive methodology ensures sustainable success and growth for organisations and their leaders.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year (Cont.)
Board of Trustees (Cont.)
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Andrew Robson is a producer, researcher and funding manager, working in partnership with screen heritage organisations and moving image archives. An alumni of UEA’s Film Archiving MA where he interned at American Zoetrope, he co-founded the Marc Karlin Archive in 2010, bringing greater visibility to the radical filmmaker through screenings in collaboration with BFI Southbank, Whitechapel Gallery, the Arnolfini, Tate Liverpool, DMZ Doc Festival, AV Festival and the Open City Docs Festival, and culminating in the publication, Marc Karlin – Look Again (2015). In 2018, as Screen Heritage Producer with the BFI Film Audience Network, he oversaw the Screen Heritage fund for four years that encouraged independent cinemas and film festivals to deliver ambitious screenings UK wide, showcasing the collections of the National and Regional Film Archives with new audiences. Following on from his collaborative PhD with the Amber Film and Photography Collective, Andy continues to research the UK's independent film and video workshop movement of the 1980s/90s, in particular how the workshop model of integrated practice - the amalgamation of production, exhibition, distribution and education activities - which gave communities a voice, can be reworked today. Currently, in collaboration with BFI Film Audience Network and BFI Film Academy, Andy supports partnership and audience building opportunities between archives, exhibitors and filmmakers.
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Jonathan Weston is Curator at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA). Previously he was Curator for Sunderland Culture’s Art Council Collection National Partners Programme and Assistant Curator at Modern Art Oxford. He has worked in exhibition roles including for Whitechapel Gallery. As an independent curator he has worked on public contemporary art projects across Oxford and Essex. Curatorial interests include art in the public sphere, coastal communities in the North East, socially-engaged arts practice and the intersection between art and music.
Staff
In Q1 we undertook a review of the Programme team structure that would enable us to retain the diversity and range of voices, whilst offering improved pay and work security for two members of our existing team (from seasonal freelance contracts to two permanent year-round salaried roles), continue to offer two Programme Fellows annually (fixed-term contracts), and introduce an additional role of Public Programmer (one permanent part-time salaried role).
Alice Miller and Myriam Mouflih were appointed as Programmers in August 2023 (formerly Associate Programmers on a freelance basis and a recipient of Programme Fellowships); Ane Lopez and Ilinca Vanau joined as Programming Fellows in October 2023; and Dawn Bothwell as Public Programmer in November 2023.
Reba Martin, Communications Manager, left the Festival for new opportunities in December 2023 and Miranda Mungai was appointed to the role.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
For the year ended 31 March 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)
Summary of Achievements & Performance in the Year (Cont.)
Staff (Cont.)
Hamish Young handed over all responsibilities as Festival Manager in early June after two years in the job and five years with the Festival.
Jess Thornton reprised her role as Festival Producer from September 2023 to August 2024.
Festival Director Peter Taylor continues to receive support via the DWP Access to Work scheme, to help overcome barriers to work related to ADHD. This includes employing a support worker 8-16 hours per week.
Volunteers Programme
Millie McRobbie joined the Festival team in November 2023 as Volunteer Coordinator. The festival had 43 volunteers this year of which 20 people were from Berwick and the local area, a positive increase from last year at almost 50% of the team.
Financial Review
The out-turn for the year is an unrestricted surplus of £3,639 (2023: Surplus £441). The surplus will be added to Unrestricted Reserves, leaving a balance on Unrestricted Funds, including Designated Funds, at 31 March 2024 of £36,185.
PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS
The Maltings, which was expected to close for redevelopment from January 2024, will now remain open until spring 2025. Therefore, we will have one more Festival in our usual home, from 27 – 30 March 2025, before the building closes for between two and three Festival editions.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
TRUSTEES’ REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2024
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees (who are also the Directors of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In preparing this report, the Trustees have taken advantage of the small companies exemptions provided by Section 415A of the Companies Act 2006.
Signed by order of the Trustees
Laura Simpson Chair/Trustee Company Registration Number 05622380
26 October 2024
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
I hereby report to the Trustees/Members of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (Charity Registration Number 1174274) on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 set out on pages 17 to 26.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
Since the Company’s gross income exceeded £250,000, your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods or principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for 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)).
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 of the accounts to be reached.
Pete O’Hara, FCA, Chartered Accountant
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
26 La Sagesse, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3AF
26 October 2024
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
| Note Income Income from Investments 3 Income from Donations, Grants & Legacies 4 Income from Charitable Activities 5 Other Income 6 Total Income Expenditure Expenditure on Charitable Activities 7 Total Expenditure Net Income/(Expenditure) Balance brought forward at 1 April Balance carried forward at 31 March 14 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total 2024 Total 2023 £ £ £ £ 93 - 93 74 257,142 16,496 273,638 187,275 27,227 - 27,227 26,767 5,312 - 5,312 - |
|---|---|
| 289,774 16,496 306,270 214,116 286,135 16,496 302,631 213,705 |
|
| 286,135 16,496 302,631 213,705 |
|
| 3,639 - 3,639 411 32,546 - 32,546 32,135 |
|
| £36,185 £- £36,185 £32,546 |
The notes on pages 19 to 26 form part of the financial statements.
All of the activities of the company are classed as continuing.
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses in the year and therefore a statement of total recognised gains and losses has not been prepared.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION/BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2024
| Notes Fixed Assets Tangible Fixed Assets 10 Current Assets Debtors 11 Cash At Bank & In Hand Creditors – Amounts Falling Due Within 1 Year 12 Net Current Assets/(Liabilities) Total Net Assets 13 Represented by: Unrestricted Funds 14 Restricted Funds 14 |
2024 2023 £ £ 2,182 882 52,518 21,951 14,259 36,634 |
|---|---|
| 66,777 58,585 (32,774) (26,921) |
|
| 34,003 31,664 |
|
| £36,185 £32,546 |
|
| 36,185 32,546 - - |
|
| £36,185 £32,546 |
The notes on pages 19 to 26 form part of the financial statements.
The Trustees are satisfied that for the year ended 31 March 2024 the charity was entitled to exemption under section 477(2) of the Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees also confirm that the Members have not required the charity to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006
The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for:
(i) ensuring that the charity keeps adequate accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act, and
(ii) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of section 393, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Act relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charity.
These financial statements were approved and signed by a Member of the Board of Trustees on 26 October 2024.
Laura Simpson Chair/Trustee Company Registration Number 05622380
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
1. Accounting Policies
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival Ltd meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy.
Income
All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when there is entitlement, certainty of receipt and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Such income is only deferred when the donor or funder has specified that the grant or donation can only be used in future accounting periods or where the donor or funder has imposed conditions which must be met before the charity has unconditional entitlement.
Investment income, including interest on funds held on deposit, is recognised on a receivable basis.
Expenditure
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and is recognised when a liability is incurred.
-
Expenditure on raising funds are those costs of seeking potential funders and applying for funding
-
Charitable activities include expenditure associated with the planning and delivery of artistic productions and associated activities. This includes both the direct costs and support costs relating to these activities.
-
Support or Indirect costs are those costs incurred in support of the charitable objectives. These have been allocated to the resources expended on a consistent basis that fairly reflects the true use of those resources within the organisation, such as allocating staff costs by time spent and other costs by their usage.
-
Governance costs are those incurred in the governance of the charity and its assets and are primarily associated with the constitutional and statutory requirements.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
1. Accounting Policies (Continued)
Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation
Depreciation is provided on any fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the assets over their remaining useful lives as follows:
IT & Office Equipment
- 25% reducing balance
A full year’s depreciation charge is applied in the year of acquisition and no charge is made in the year of disposal.
Financial Instruments
The charity only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind which qualify as basic financial instruments. Such instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
Fund Accounting
General Funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Designated Funds comprise unrestricted funds set aside by the Trustees for a specific purpose.
Restricted Funds reflect income received which a funder or donor requires must be spent on a particular purpose or where funds have been raised for a specific purpose. Such income and associated expenditure is shown as Restricted in the Statement of Financial Activities, whilst any unspent balances at the year-end are carried forward as Restricted Funds.
Taxation
Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival meets the definition required of a charitable company for UK Corporation Tax purposes. Consequently, the company is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively for charitable purposes.
2. Going Concern
The Trustees have reviewed the circumstances of the charity and consider that adequate resources continue to be available to fund the activities of the charity for the foreseeable future. The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
3. Income from Investments
| Unrestricted | Restricted | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Bank Interest Receivable | 93 | - | 93 | 74 |
| £93 | £- | £93 | £74 | |
| The 2023 total of £74 was wholly attributable to | Unrestricted Funds. |
4. Income from Donations, Grants & Legacies
| Donations Grant Income Arts Council England – NPO Berwick Town Council British Film Institute DWP – Access Costs FB & PFB Lough Fund Finnish Institute UK & Ireland Hadrian Trust Joicey Trust North of Tyne Combined Authority Sir James Knott Trust Northumberland County Council |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ 2024 £ 2023 £ 578 - 578 450 125,288 - 125,288 71,288 1,039 - 1,039 (1,039) 50,000 - 50,000 40,000 - 12,597 12,597 - 10,000 - 10,000 10,000 - - - 518 500 - 500 1,000 2,000 - 2,000 2,400 53,989 - 53,989 47,937 5,000 - 5,000 5,000 8,748 3,899 12,647 9,721 |
|---|---|
| 256,564 16,496 273,060 186,825 |
|
| £257,142 £16,496 £273,638 £187,275 |
Of the 2023 total of £187,275, £184,357 was attributable to Unrestricted Funds and £2,918 to Restricted Funds.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
5. Income from Charitable Activities
| Submission/Entry Fees International Funding/Fees Sponsorship & Advertising Box Office |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ 2024 £ 2023 £ 9,538 - 9,538 9,485 2,058 - 2,058 3,871 4,000 - 4,000 4,000 11,631 - 11,631 9,411 |
|---|---|
| £27,227 £- £27,227 £26,767 |
The 2023 total of £26,767 was wholly attributable to Unrestricted Funds.
6. Other Income
| Merchandise Sales Exhibition Tax Relief |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ 2024 £ 2023 £ 165 - 165 - 5,147 - 5,147 - |
|---|---|
| £5,312 £- £5,312 £- |
The 2023 total of £26,767 was wholly attributable to Unrestricted Funds.
7. Expenditure on Charitable Activities
| Artistic Production/Project Costs Programme Costs Salaries & On Costs Support Costs Premises Costs Access Costs Administration & Office Costs Depreciation Governance Costs Independent Examiner’s Fees Book-keeping & Accountancy Fees Legal & Professional Fees Trustee Expenses |
Unrestricted Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Total 2024 £ Total 2023 £ 107,567 2,500 110,067 108,113 154,209 - 154,209 93,569 9,722 - 9,722 5,963 - 12,597 12,597 - 11,632 1,399 13,031 4,753 728 - 728 294 1,000 - 1,000 1,000 700 - 700 - 13 - 13 13 564 - 564 - |
|---|---|
| £286,135 £16,496 £302,631 £213,705 |
Of the 2023 total of £213,705, £210,787 was attributable to Unrestricted Funds and £2,918 to Restricted Funds.
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
8. Net Income/(Expenditure)
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting): Independent Examiner’s Fees – current year Independent Examiner – other services – current year Depreciation of owned Tangible Fixed Assets |
2024 £ 2023 £ 1,000 1,000 700 - 728 294 |
|---|---|
9. Staff Costs & Trustees’ Remuneration
| Gross Salary Costs Employer’s National Insurance Employer’s Pension Contributions |
2024 £ 2023 £ 146,389 89,398 5,266 2,381 2,554 1,790 |
|---|---|
| £154,209 £93,569 |
No employee received remuneration of more than £60,000 during the year (2023 - Nil).
The average number of staff employed during the year, calculated as full-time equivalents, was as follows:
| equivalents, was as follows: | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| No | No | |
| Artistic Production and Support | 4 | 4 |
Key Management Personnel are defined by the organisation as the Trustees.
No remuneration has been paid to any Trustees/Directors in the year (2023: £Nil).
£564 was reimbursed in the year to 2 Trustees for Travel and Subsistence expenses incurred in respect of their attendance at meetings of the charity (2023: £Nil).
Pension benefits are provided through a Group Personal Pension Scheme, which is a defined contribution scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in a separately administered fund. In the year to 31 March 2024 Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival made an employer's contribution of 3% of pensionable pay, provided that the employee made a minimum contribution of 5%.
These amounts are paid over to the scheme on a monthly basis.
No contributions were outstanding at 31 March 2024 (2023: £Nil).
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
10. Tangible Fixed Assets
| 10. Tangible Fixed Assets |
|
|---|---|
| Cost At 1 April 2023 Additions in year At 31 March 2024 Accumulated Depreciation At 1 April 2023 Charge for year At 31 March 2024 Net Book Value At 31 March 2024 At 1 April 2023 11. Debtors Trade Debtors Accrued Income Prepayments Other Taxes & Social Security Costs Other Debtors 12. Creditors – Amounts Falling Due Within 1 Year Trade Creditors Other Creditors Accruals |
IT & Office Equipment £ Total £ 6,102 6,102 2,028 2,028 |
| 8,130 8,130 5,220 5,220 728 728 |
|
| 5,948 5,948 |
|
| £2,182 £2,182 |
|
| £882 £882 2024 £ 2023 £ 4,800 718 40,174 16,609 636 714 6,231 3,910 677 - |
|
| £52,518 £21,951 2024 £ 2023 £ 13,453 8,640 8,104 7,402 11,217 10,879 |
|
| £32,774 £26,921 |
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
13. Analysis of Net Assets between Funds
| Fixed Assets Debtors Cash at Bank and In Hand Creditors – Amounts Due Within 1 Year 14. Analysis of Charitable Funds Unrestricted General Funds Restricted Funds DWP – Access Costs Northumberland County Council Fundraising Training Northumberland County Council Portable AV Equipment Total Restricted Funds Total Funds |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total 2024 Total 2023 £ £ £ £ 2,182 - 2,182 882 52,518 - 52,518 21,951 14,259 - 14,259 36,634 (32,774) - (32,774) (26,921) |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total 2024 Total 2023 £ £ £ £ 2,182 - 2,182 882 52,518 - 52,518 21,951 14,259 - 14,259 36,634 (32,774) - (32,774) (26,921) |
|---|---|---|
| – – |
£36,185 £- £36,185 £32,546 Fund at 1 April 2023 £ Income in Year £ Exp’ture in Year £ Fund at 31 March 2024 £ 32,546 289,774 (286,135) 36,185 - 12,597 (12,597) - - 1,399 (1,399) - - 2,500 (2,500) - |
|
| - 16,496 (16,496) |
||
| £32,546 £306,270 £(302,631) £36,185 |
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BERWICK FILM AND MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
14. Analysis of Charitable Funds (Cont.)
Name of Restricted Fund Description, Nature & Purpose of the Restricted Fund
DWP – Access Costs Towards the cost of a support worker
Northumberland County Council – Towards the cost of attendance of one key Fundraising Training member of staff at the National Arts Fundraising School
Northumberland County Council – Towards the cost of portable audio-visual Portable AV Equipment equipment
15. Related Party Transactions
The charity has a close working relationship with Arts Council England which is a registered charity and has provided significant project funding which enables the charity to carry out its charitable objectives. In total, grant funding of £125,288 (2023: £71,288) from Arts Council England was recognised in the year.
At 31 March 2024, Nil was owing to Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival from Arts Council England (31 March 2023: £Nil).
16. Taxation
The company is a registered charity and no provision is considered necessary for taxation.
17. Financial Commitments
No material financial commitments have been made in respect of future financial periods.
18.
Company Limited by Guarantee
The charity is incorporated under the Companies Act 1985 and is limited by guarantee, each member having undertaken to contribute such amounts not exceeding £1 as may be required in the event of the company being wound up whilst he or she is still a member or within one year thereafter.
There are currently 5 members of the company (2023 - 6 members).
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