Annual Report 2020-2021
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER – 1175507
Kirkby Stephen Community Arts (KSCA) was founded in September 2016 to bring high quality activities and events to the rurally isolated community of Kirkby Stephen.
KSCA became a Registered Charity on 1[st ] November 2018 and this is the Annual Report to the Charity Commission on activities, objectives and finances for the period September 2020 to September 2021.
KSCA is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered charity number 1175507, and the objects of the CIO are:
“To provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure-time occupation for the inhabitants of Kirby Stephen and the Upper Eden Valley in the interests of social welfare for the said inhabitants with the object of improving their conditions of life.”
During the period of this report the trustees were:
Kate Lynch (Chair of Trustees)
Linda Walker (Treasurer Vicki Bertram Deborah Coleman John Ockenden
The trustees manage the CIO according to the constitution dated 1 July 2017.
The address of KSCA for correspondence is
Dalton House, Winton, Kirkby Stephen, CA17 4HL
| KSCA Accounts Sept 2020-Sept 2021 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income | £5,438.62 | Opening Balance Current A/c | £479.38 | |||
| Dep/Ac Interest | £1.83 | OpeningBalance Deposit A/c | £16,284.75 | |||
| Cash in hand | ||||||
| Total | £5,440.45 | Total | £16,764.13 | |||
| Less Outgoings | £1,957.72 | ClosingBalance Current A/c | £210.28 | |||
| ClosingBalance Deposit A/c | £20,036.58 | |||||
| Total | £20,246.86 | |||||
| Income/Expenditure | £3,482.73 | £3,482.73 | ||||
| Current Account Summary September 2020- September 2021 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Income | Expenses | |
| Cinema | £97.92 | £61.44 |
| Theatre shows/talks | £307.00 | £920.00 |
| Open Mic | ||
| Donations/Grants | £5000.00 | |
| Refreshment Sales | ||
| Vocal Workshop | ||
| Storytime | £33.70 | £58.45 |
| Songbirds | ||
| Theatre Project | ||
| Insurance | £89.00 | |
| Premises costs | £70.00 | |
| Equipment | ||
| Marketing | £175.00 | |
| Activity Packs | £583.83 | |
| Fun Palace | ||
| Training/ Expenses | ||
| Stomping Ground | ||
| Freegle | ||
| Raffle | ||
| Total | £5,438.62 | £1,957.72 |
The accounts were audited and found to be correct by J. Poulson on 16/12/21
Notes on the accounts
Due to the Covid pandemic activities were greatly reduced during this financial year with many audience facing events cancelled. Thanks to the generous grant from the John Strutt Foundation, and the cancellation of licence fees for the cinema, we managed to cover our costs despite the lack of other income.
The Steps Up Theatre Project with local schools was postponed because of the pandemic but is on target to go ahead in July 2022. This project ran at a cost of over £13,000 in July 2018 and we have ring-fenced this amount of funding in the deposit account to cover this, so our reserves are not quite as high as they appear!
Report on Performance and achievements through the year
It’s been another challenging year for Kirkby Stephen Community Arts, but it’s been rewarding to see activities re-starting, albeit with reduced audience numbers and increased administrative tasks!
The year started very slowly due to the national lockdown but, since Easter, we have seen a return to our more usual programme of events. We continue to work with amazing professional companies and freelancers, but our core administrative team is made up of volunteers who give up much time and energy to make these activities happen.
We hope that next year will continue to be fruitful, but we will monitor the government guidelines and the local Covid situation.
Willow Sculpture, Jubilee Park
In February, we engaged two Forest school practitioners to plant a willow play sculpture at Jubilee Park with some additional support from Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership. In part this was to encourage visitors to use this little-used piece of land but also to help create outdoor play opportunities for younger people whilst indoor activities are still not possible.
Window Wanderland
In March, we partnered with Kirkby Stephen Community Support and Highlights Rural Touring to create a Window Wanderland and to help ‘Light Up Eden’ for the Spring Equinox. 120 jam jar lantern making kits were freely distributed across the area – to children and young people, WI members, residents at Mill Gardens and individuals.
Beautiful ‘stained glass’ windows were created across the area – with materials and advice provided by artist and facilitator, Katie Mundy. These were then added to a district wide google map so people could go and see them themselves (below).
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=15-Moo9oPYmX07_JnWFHnwlKyxCdg3Lm&ll=56.479549275023466%2C-0.3706848183797895&z=7
Fables at the Kitchen Table
In April, we paid for Reception to year 4 groups at Brough Community Primary School to watch a live online theatre production of Stute Theatre’s ‘Fables at the Kitchen Table’.
Our storyteller, Soph usually travels the world collecting stories, but recently has had to spend much more time at home. Finding inspiration from a book of Aesop's Fables, and items that she has found in her kitchen, Soph brings to life some of our fables using puppetry, storytelling, costume, music and song.
Telling Tales and Songtime
Our regular weekly pre-school storytime sessions began again in April, initially held outdoors only due to restrictions. These have continued for the rest of the year, with a friendly and engaged small group of children and their grown-ups. Costs have increased as, due to covid, we now provide individually wrapped snacks but we have kept the entry cost as £1 per family to make sure it is as inclusive and affordable as possible.
Songtime didn’t start again until September, because of the risks associated with singing in indoor spaces. Since re-starting in September the group has returned enthusiastically, with some new volunteers helping Jan with refreshments.
Summer Arts Programme
During the summer, we supported Kirkby Stephen Community Support’s summer arts programme with marketing and administration. These activities were mainly funded by Cumbria’s Holiday Activity Funding, but the programme started with a KSCA funded free performance of Opera North’s Whistle Stop version of The Magic Flute on Church Green, Kirkby Stephen. Over 100 audience members enjoyed a 40min version of this wonderful piece of work – with audience members as young as 6months!
Theatre with Highlights Rural Touring
We were pleased to have performances back in Kirkby Stephen in late Spring, thanks to our partnership with Highlights Rural Touring.
Dinosaur Detectives (June) – a family puppet show based on the extraordinary life and finds of Mary Anning.
Balbir Singh Dance Company’s Love and Spice (June) - a beautiful love story told through kathak dance and live music, with spices cooked on stage and individually wrapped Indian snacks provided for the audience. ‘Amazing. Just so good to see live performances again. the company were so professional, engaging and accessible yet conveyed an unusual message in a very different way.’ Audience member
Kuumba Nia Arts’ SOLD (July) - A forgotten story giving one woman's first-hand account of brutality at the height of the slave trade, told through traditional African storytelling fused with live music and dance.
‘Fantastic, high-quality show. Very powerful’ Audience member
The projects above illustrate the Kirkby Stephen Community Arts programme.
If you would like any more information on our full programme please visit www.kirkbystephencommunityarts.co.uk
Many thanks to the Trustees and the Volunteers who have worked so hard to help us achieve our aims.
Access to the arts enhances communities and creates social bonds and a sense of communal identity across generations, incomes and abilities. This is what KSCA aims to do in Kirkby Stephen.