2024-04-05-accounts

Report of the Trustees for the year ending 5[th] April 2024

Purpose and objectives

Founded in 2012 as a voluntary community group, York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust (YMPST) continues to fulfill its main purpose of supporting and continuing the performance tradition of the city’s medieval Mystery Plays. Given the current financial challenges affecting the arts in the UK, the Trust views its role as critical in ensuring continuing performance, awareness and enthusiasm for this historic tradition.

The Trust’s objectives are:

• Disseminating historical and contemporary information about the York Mystery Plays including operating a website: https://ympst.co.uk;

• Supporting and promoting the performance of the Plays by and for the people of York;

• Working to make productions accessible to all, regardless of age, gender, ability, race or belief;

• Developing strong working relationships with the arts and culture sectors to support public access to performances;

YMPST continues to operate as an organisation run by the community for the community. Accessibility is a key principle upon which the Trust operates: creating opportunities for participation in or viewing the drama. This principle is exemplified by its recruitment processes, decisions on ticket pricing and the accessibility of venues chosen. Despite rising administrative costs, the Trust has maintained its membership fee at £10 per adult member, aiming to make membership as affordable as possible and seeks to supplement its financial position through other fundraising activities.

During the period of this report, the Trust engaged in a number of activities in pursuit of its objectives:

Activities and achievements

Objective 1: Disseminating historical and contemporary information about the York Mystery Plays including by operating a website;

The YMPST website is regularly updated to include information about current or forthcoming productions in the city and promotes opportunity for involvement as well as providing details of the Trustees and key documents.

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A six weekly newsletter, edited by two Trustees, is circulated to 1000+ supporters. This is a significant communication method for advertising director posts, audition opportunities or ticketing information. The newsletter not only promotes YMPST activities but any related activities in the city.

Social media play an increasingly important role in disseminating information with Facebook, X and Instagram routinely used. The YouTube site now has a range of previous productions which are free to view and are accessed by students nationally and internationally for study purposes.

The Annual General Meeting was held on Zoom on 2 November 2023 to facilitate access beyond York - some members being in the USA – and an opportunity was taken to invite Dr Mike Tyler to speak on “Mystery Playing: A tricky project - as it was, is now and ever more shall be.”

Objective 2: Supporting and promoting the performance of the Plays by and for the people of York;

Objective 3: Working to make productions accessible to all, regardless of age, gender, ability, race or belief.

The Trust paused significant performance activity during the period of the report. Having been very pro-active during the pandemic and the following year, the Trustees felt it necessary to consolidate funds and develop new ideas.

One small scale production took place in June 2023 as part of the St John the Baptist Festival in Goodramgate, York. A director, cast and production team were drawn from the community to perform the Baptism of Christ at Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate which was open to the public at £5 per adult ticket. The timescale for the production enabled YMPST to participate in the filming of an episode of Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys. Michael Portillo was exploring York’s contribution to the 1951 Festival of Britain when the Mystery Plays were revived; he took part in rehearsals and interviewed the cast and director. The episode was aired on Channel 5 on 3 April 2024.

On 20 May 2023, YMPST hosted a visit to Beverley where Dr Diana Wyatt (Records of Early English Drama) gave a guided talk on the Beverley Mystery Play tradition to those attending. The Beverley plays were last performed in 1530 and no text exists.

In celebration of its tenth year and to thank members and supporters, the Trust held a party at Bedern Hall in York. Those attending were entertained by the Ravens Morris Longsword Dancers and Mummers who had processed to the venue through the city.

Objective 4: Developing strong working relationships with the arts and culture sectors to support public access to performances.

To further develop its network of contacts across the city and widen access to the Plays, the Trust undertook a scoping exercise to determine the viability of a touring production of the Nativity plays in December 2024. A series of meetings was held with theatre and Mystery Play contacts across the city to gauge opinion and take advice on the logistics and resources required to stage the Plays in different suburbs of York. As a result, the decision was taken to go ahead and venues were sought and booked for December 2024.

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A further initiative undertaken was to assist in developing the next generation of directors. The Trust negotiated with Dr Tom Straszewski, an experienced Mystery Play Director, to provide paid mentorship to three novice directors who would produce one of three short plays from the Creation cycle. Advertisements were placed in a variety of media and institutions with three young directors appointed. The performance itself took place outside the period of this report and will feature in the 2024-25 Annual report.

Financial review

Our total income for the year was £3,220 (compared to £6,784 in 2022/23) and our total expenditure was £2,386 (£9,954 in 2023/23). We had carried forward £9,929 from 2022/23 and finished the year with a balance of £10,763.

We only put on one production during the year, The Baptism of Christ. This cost £733 to stage and generated an income of £445, resulting in a loss of £288.

Our other main sources of income were all down on the previous year: fundraising £1,413 (compared to £2,149), subscriptions £590 (£680), and general donations £230 (£344). On a more positive note our Christmas Social generated an income of £290 and rises in the bank interest rate meant we earned £217 interest on our savings account. Total income was £3,564 lower than in 2022/23, partly as a result of the reductions shown above, but primarily due to the lack of a major production to generate ticket income.

Our main area of expenditure was The Baptism of Christ at £733. Our relative inactivity over the year meant that most other areas of expenditure were slightly down on the previous year. A review of our insurance requirements and a change of insurer also resulted in our insurance policy costs reducing from £357 to £249. An additional area of expenditure was our Christmas Social at £450. Total expenditure was £7,568 lower than in 2022/23 but this was again primarily due to the lack of productions (2022/23 included both a Wagon Play and a Nativity).

As most of our banking is done online we undertook a review of our security arrangements and as a result made some changes to the way our PayPal account operates.

Accounting and reporting by charities

In previous years the Trust’s funding model for productions has been that the income generated by one production should cover the bulk of the costs for the next one (the exception being the Wagon Plays which generate no income for the Trust). However, increases in production costs (particularly venue hire for rehearsals and performances) combined with our desire to keep ticket prices affordable mean that we now expect most productions to fail to cover their costs. We therefore need to ensure that we have sufficient reserves (topped up by fundraising and grant funding) to continue to cover such losses and fund productions such as The Wagon Plays which generate no income.

Each production is allocated a budget which is managed by a trustee who acts as producer and works with the director of the production to ensure the budget is adhered to. Any changes to the budget need to be agreed in advance by the committee.

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Not all of the Trust’s activities generate income so budgets and plans are reviewed regularly by trustees throughout the year. A financial report is a standing item on the agenda of trustees’ monthly meetings.

Structure, governance and management

YMPST has been a Charitable Incorporated Organisation since December 2017 and is a registered charity, Number 1176113. It is governed by its Constitution and its official address is York Theatre Royal, St Leonard’s Place, York YO1 7HD.

The Trust has no paid employees but may pay fees to directors of its productions. The Trust is run by a management committee of nine Trustees who carry out their duties in their own time and from their own homes. Trustees during 2023-2024 were: Linda Terry (Chair), Maurice Crichton (Secretary), Phil Turner (Treasurer), Gary Bateson, Anna Briggs, David Denbigh, Simon Tompsett and Janice Barnes-Newton.

During the period of the report, Maurice Crichton stood down and was replaced as Secretary by Simon Tompsett. In addition, Mark Comer, Dr Emily Hansen and Tristan Heaven were co-opted onto the Committee.

Members seeking to join the Committee are advised to meet with the Chair to discuss the requirements and commitment needed; this involves not only their personal aspirations but an understanding of the time required, an identification of the skills they can offer and their fitness to act as a Trustee (as a Fit and Proper Person). Applicants are required to send in an application form together with a signed declaration of financial probity for consideration by the Trustees. If successful, the applicant can be co-opted during the year and a recommendation by the Trustees of the applicant must be carried out at the next AGM for members’ consideration and approval. Under the terms of the Constitution, Trustees serve a given period of office and are required to step down at the appropriate time. The Trust’s timetable for managing this process ensures that the skills of long-standing Trustees are not lost at the same time.

An annual business planning day enables the Trust to review its activities and determine its priorities and strategies for the forthcoming period. This also enables the Committee to review its policies and ensure that appropriate measures are in place for the safe and effective management of the Trust and its activities. Committee meetings normally take place monthly either on Zoom or in person. Meetings are held in a Trustee’s home to ensure the most efficient use of administrative funds. Decisions taken at the Planning day are reviewed as part of the monthly agenda. Members are informed either by the regular newsletter or by email. Trustees’ email addresses are available on the website for members to raise issues directly; otherwise issues can be raised or suggestions made at the Annual General Meeting.

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOII ENtsLANt) ANU WA1è5 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the perlod To ￿4r￿￿24 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Restricted nds Endowment n(ts Totsl funds Last y•ar th• n••r•8tt toth• n•u•¥t£ trj n•ar•t £ trJtho £ A1 Recèipt Subscript￿jnS Genaral Fundr8 Publ￿ events Mgmborevonts General Don8tK)n$ Bank Intere81 Grants & lurK1raisin forprcJLKlions Summer prcNYu¢lion ticket & refr¢¥hmwt S8leA IBaptY6ml N8llvil Ikket & fqfreNn•ni s•kn• ub tota ross income 1.413 2.149 291 230 217 291 220 217 130 Itthdin Gmt Ajd 63 soo us AR) 1220 $.784 2 A6set and In%stm•nt sales, (sw tablol. tota 3.220 3320 A3Pa Webslle stall(￿0 RefrE3hw*nts Events Insurance Fundralslng Sumrner prodvction (Bapts'sml NaiNity PayPal fees M￿cell￿ne0 Roimbursemonl ofgrgntOV&FpaYT￿ll monts 137 137 61 137 92 21 451 249 449 733 249 449 733 357 706 2.020 5,224 10 10 $4S soo Sub total A4 A8Set and Inv8Stm•nt urchases, (see table Sub total 2,386 2,386 9,954 Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfars bètw8an lund$ A6 Cash funds last end Cash funds thls year end 10,763 1fl,763 9.929 CCXX R1 a¢￿)Un￿ ISSI

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted Restricted funds lo rw•$t £ Endowmenl fLtnds to noarost£ Categories Dètslls n•arost É B1 Cash funds Pafal knnt S8vW Ajc (lknmtyJthslMre 8SI 9.7JO Total cash funds 10.763 •XM($)) Unre5trictod funds Restrlctsd fvnd¥ to £ Endowmènt fund8 tt¥ ￿•r•¥t£ Detalls FuThlto whleh Dètalls Cgjt IooiDrwD Cunynt v•lu• Fthid to whl¢h a•Mt b•k) Cvrr•nt valu• D•tall8 ¢0•110oiDn•ll 84 Ass•ts rotainèd for tho charlty'8 own u80 Fund to w1￿h When onal Details BS Liabllltles Sigrth by or ￿ Irustees L*hall of 811 the trustee8 Swjnat￿￿ Print Name Date of oval Phlip Tumer 15110124 Linda Terry 15110124 CCXX R2 aecoJntg ISS)

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examlnerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner"s Report Report to the trusteesl members of Tr Y<xk Mysw Plays SIJFPXters Trusi Sh A¥wTI 21r24 Charity no (If any) 1176113 ded Set out on pages 1and2 I rewt to the truth my examination of the accwnts of the a￿ve chaity (Ihe Tnth8f) f(Y the year &Kled 0510412024 Rasponsibilities and s the charity twths of the Trust, ycu are respwible for the preparation of the acccyjnts in ￿COrdanCe with the requirements of the CharFlies Act 2011 (llhe Acr). I report in resFECt of my examination of the Trusl's accounts carrted Ixrt u￿ler Secti￿ 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying crtrt my exarninatM)n, I have fc4kyNed the awlicab￿ Directi(￿5 given by the Chatity Commissi( under Secti￿ 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have clxn￿et￿ my examinalion. I confimi that no material matters have ccrne to my attention in connection with the examinati￿ Nhich gives mé cause to believe that in, any maten'al Independent examinerfs statement acccurtTng re¢(ds were not kept in a¢cordan¢8 wilh section 130 of the Act the accounts do ncl accfxd wilh the acc(JJrfiing records I have no cc#xems ￿ have c(Kne across no other matters in ci)nnecti with tr examinati(m to ￿lch attention shcAJkl te drawn in ordw to enable a proper U￿lerS￿nd￿lg of the accounts to be reached. ' Pknse delete the words in the Ix8Gkets rf they do not 8ppty. Signed: 2Y.12 14 SALLY cHRISTiTrJE Relevant prof8881onal qualmcatlonls) or bo (If any): FJIA. Address: 15LpA YORK YD30 ￿s￿A Y N)oQTH IER October 2018