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2021-04-05-accounts

Mainspring Arts CIO

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

5th April 2021

CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1187951

Frank S Lachman 16b North End Road Golders Green London NW11 7PH

Mainspring Arts CIO

Legal and Administrative Information

5th April 2021

Registered Charity Number 1187951 Registered Office International House 12 Constance Street LONDON E16 2DQ Directors and Trustees Andrew Locke Roshani Palamakumbura Karis Okereke Dr Joanne Limburg Stacey Linstead Examiner Frank S Lachman Chartered Accountant 16B North End Road London NW11 7PH

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Directors' and trustees' report

The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of the Companies Act, have pleasure in presenting their report and the financial statements of charity for the year ending 31st March 2020.

Directors' responcibilities

Company Law which is also applicable to charitable companies in England and Wales requires the directors, who are also trustees of the company, to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the results of the company for that period.

In preparing those financial statements, the directors/trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors/trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing document

Mainspring Arts is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by its Constitution, which was adopted on 13 February 2020

Trustee selection methods

Trustees are selected through a recruitment process involving an open call, followed by shortlisting and interviews by current trustees and senior staff. Trustees may sometimes invite specific people to apply where they are known to be desirable candidates.

In selecting individuals for appointment as trustees, the current trustees consider the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity. Trustees are appointed for a term of two years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.

Trustee induction and training

New trustees are invited to attend a trustee meeting and are provided with:

New trustees meet with the charity co-directors who take them through the charity operations, and are invited to take part in an NCVO Charity Trustee Induction training session. In this session they are briefed on their legal obligations under charity law and given an overview of good charity governance. They may also take part in a safeguarding training course.

As the charity works with neurodivergent adults, all trustees undergo a relevant DBS Check.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Directors' and trustees' report

Review of developments, activities and achievements

Introduction

2020 was a challenging year for arts organisations - but it was also the year that Mainspring Arts became a registered charity. Our newfound charity status cemented five years’ experience running inclusive projects for neurodivergent artists, marking a step up in impact and ambition.

Shortly after gaining charity status, we received a generous donation from a high net worth individual. This, coupled with ongoing support from the AOK Trust, put us in a strong position when the pandemic took hold. Although we sadly had to cancel Springboard, our regular scratch night, we were able to figure out alternative ways of reaching our beneficiaries digitally.

Our first entirely digital project was Two Metres ApART, an online gallery of work by neurodivergent artists. Over twelve weeks, we presented the work of twelve exciting artists via our website and social media channels. Keen to repeat this success, we commissioned two neurodivergent artists to create work that could be experienced from home: Strings & Things, a series of sensory stories, and Private Plays, a series of performance encounters.

The response to our digital projects was overwhelmingly positive, and we were delighted to be able to support artists and audiences during this difficult time. Feedback we received also suggested that digital work is more accessible for many neurodivergent people, as it removes the need to travel or be in unfamiliar or crowded spaces. This is an important lesson, and one we intend to take forward as we plan new projects.

Another major success this year was hitting our funding target for In Other Words , our anthology of stories by autistic authors. After two years of crowdfunding this was a huge milestone and a cause for much celebration. We’re thrilled to share these remarkable stories with the world.

During the year we sadly said goodbye to two of our trustees, Sumita Majumdar and Tina Bhati. We are enormously grateful for their valuable contribution, and we’ll miss them! In their place we welcomed four new trustees to the board: Joanne Limburg, Andrew Locke, Karis Okereke and Roshani Palamakumbura. We were briefly joined by Bhavani Esapathi and Nadia Johnson, but unfortunately they were not able to continue in their trustee roles.

Our new board represents a remarkable breadth of experience, perspective and insight: our trustees have backgrounds in fundraising, politics, literature, arts education, the music industry, visual art and art therapy. We are excited to begin this new chapter together.

While it’s undoubtedly been a tough year, it’s also been a year of transformation for Mainspring. We’ve become a registered charity, we’ve developed new ways of engaging with the neurodivergent community, we’ve reached greater audience numbers than ever before, we’ve raised more money than ever before, and we’re planning some exciting new projects. We’d like to thank all the artists, freelancers and audiences who have made our work possible this year, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride as we continue to grow and develop.

Our objectives

We are dedicated to increasing neurodiversity in the arts.

Mainspring Arts started life in 2015. In the six years since, we have had the privilege of working with 67 neurodivergent artists, whose work spans creative writing, music, dance, scriptwriting, performance, illustration, poetry, animation, installation and more. We have witnessed these artists nurture their talent, grow in confidence, develop new skills, find their peers, push their boundaries, pursue new opportunities and produce incredible work. We are constantly amazed by them, and grateful to have been a part of their journeys. We know firsthand that the neurodivergent community is an overflowing well of creativity and talent - and yet, for too long, there has been a dearth of representation of neurodivergent people in the arts.

This is partly due to the fact that many neurodivergent people have difficulty accessing mainstream opportunities. Too often, their needs are dismissed or poorly met. Without the appropriate support, the barriers to starting a career in the arts can be overwhelming.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

At the same time, neurodivergence is not widely understood. Myths and misconceptions are rife, and neurotypical representations of neurodivergence often reinforce them. This lack of understanding makes life more difficult for neurodivergent people, and makes the need for representation even more urgent.

Mainspring Arts exists to remove those barriers to participation, and shatter those stereotypes. We aim to promote equality and diversity in the arts in England and Wales by creating artistic opportunities for neurodivergent people, and presenting and promoting the artistic work of neurodivergent people to the public.

We aim to promote social inclusion for neurodivergent people by:

Our activities

Our primary focus this year was developing a digital programme so that we could reach our beneficiaries while in-person events were not possible. To this end, our main activities were:

These activities promoted equality and diversity in the arts by enabling neurodivergent people to have their work presented professionally to the public, thus contributing to more diverse representation in the arts.

All our projects are tailored specifically to the needs of the participants, thus removing the barriers that prevent neurodivergent people accessing mainstream opportunities and levelling the playing field in terms of inclusion and access. These activities promoted social inclusion for neurodivergent people by enabling them to engage with the arts from home in a way that was targeted specifically towards them.

In planning our activities for the year and making decisions, we kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Achievements and impact

At the beginning of the period, we were preparing for an edition of our regular scratch night, Springboard. However, it wasn’t long before the coronavirus pandemic took hold and we sadly had to cancel the event. As the country went into lockdown, we set about thinking of alternative ways to celebrate and support neurodivergent artists.

Two Metres ApART

We planned Two Metres ApART, a digital museum of work by neurodivergent artists, and received a grant from the AOK Trust to fund it. We wanted to do something positive in response to lockdown, at the same time as providing a small financial boost to neurodivergent artists during a difficult time.

Over 12 weeks, we presented the work of 12 neurodivergent artists through our website and social media channels. Each artist received a fee and expenses. There was no set theme or size/length - artists could submit whatever they wanted. We did this so that artists could submit something they had previously produced and didn’t need to do any additional work if they chose not to.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Over the course of the project, the Two Metres ApART pages on our website received a total of 9,281 pageviews. We also received local press coverage for several of the artists. We feel that this project successfully showcased the work of neurodivergent artists to the general public, contributing to our aims of increasing neurodivergent representation in the arts and increasing public understanding of neurodivergence.

In Other Words

In May 2020, we hit our target for the publication of In Other Words, an anthology of short stories by eight autistic authors. The book was the result of Square Peg Stories, our very first project (2016-17), which was a series of creative writing workshops and mentoring sessions led by published authors. The book was accepted for publication by Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher with a focus on unheard voices.

The success of our crowdfunding campaign was helped in large part by a significant donation we received at the beginning of the period, with a further grant from the AOK Trust getting us the rest of the way. After almost two years of crowdfunding, we were delighted to be able to get the ball rolling on the publication of these fantastic stories. For the rest of the year we supported the authors and publisher during the editing, cover design and typesetting processes, with the book going to print just before year-end ready for publication on 24 June 2021.

Strings & Things

Also in May 2020, we commissioned neurodivergent artist Julia Collar to create Strings & Things, a suite of sensory stories aimed at young children and people with severe (SLD) or profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). The five stories were free to download from our website, and were designed to be delivered and experienced at home using only simple household objects to stimulate sensory perception. Each story took the audience on a different adventure led by a magical ball of string, helping them to process the emotional impact of lockdown and social distancing.

The stories were a huge success, and we received lots of positive feedback from people who had downloaded them, some of whom were teachers using them in schools. In the three months after we launched them the Strings & Things page received 8,904 pageviews, and by the end of the period had received a total of 11,854.

Private Plays

After the success of Strings & Things, we wanted to commission more work that audiences could experience at home. We commissioned neurodivergent artist Steven Fraser to produce Private Plays, a series of three performance encounters designed for autistic audiences. The plays launched in October 2020 and again, were free to download from our website. Each play comprised a zine containing a script, instructions, illustrations and photographs. The idea was for the audience to read the scripts individually, to themselves, in their homes. The illustrations and the location - which worked as a set - would spark the imagination.

The three Private Plays explored autism and identity, focusing on different senses and forms of intimacy. As well as making theatre possible while venues were closed, Private Plays enabled autistic people to access theatre by removing the stimuli many find uncomfortable in traditional theatre settings (loud sounds, bright lights, unfamiliar spaces). The plays brought performance and self-expression to new audiences, allowing neurodivergent people to access exciting theatre in a comfortable environment without leaving their homes. From their launch until the end of the period, the Private Plays webpage received 974 pageviews.

Mainspring Virtual Studios

Keen to find new ways of engaging digitally with the neurodivergent community, in March 2021 we launched Mainspring Virtual Studios. This project is funded by the AOK Trust and comprises three online creative writing courses: Beginner, Intermediate and Writing for Children and Young Adults. All courses are taught by neurodivergent professionals, and each course has space for six neurodivergent participants selected through an open call.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Mainspring Virtual Studios was designed to recreate the success of our previous in-person courses, Square Peg Stories and Square Peg Scripts. As with those courses, our digital courses will provide a valuable group learning opportunity, one-to-one support and a peer network, and in some ways they are more accessible than our in-person courses. For example, participants can take part from home, removing the need to travel or stay overnight in an unfamiliar place, both of which can be anxietyinducing for neurodivergent people. They are also easier and more cost-effective to run, meaning we can run more of them and benefit more neurodivergent people.

Increasing diversity and levelling the playing field

Mainspring Virtual Studios saw us change our method of selecting participants in two important ways. For previous projects there has been a lack of ethnic diversity in our applicants, and we recognise that we need to take steps to address this. For this reason, we dedicated two places per course to BAME applicants, and saw an increase in BAME applicants compared to previous projects as a result. Secondly, we selected participants via a random ballot. Applicants were not required to answer any questions or submit any work - we simply asked them to provide their name and contact details.

Often, application processes for arts opportunities require a considerable amount of work and admin, representing a significant barrier for neurodivergent people. We wanted to remove this barrier. In addition, we don’t want to act as gatekeepers to the arts: it is not for us to decide who is or isn’t worthy of support. We hope our new ballot system makes the application process fairer and more accessible, while removing the anxiety and disappointment associated with rejection.

Financial Review

Financial position

Cash at bank at the end of the period was £19,211. £2,600 of this was allocated to the Mainspring Virtual Studios project. The remainder was unrestricted funds as a result of individual giving: at the beginning of the period we received a donation of £25,000 from a high net worth individual. We received £7,800 in restricted grants from the AOK Trust, which were designated for the following projects: Two Metres ApART, In Other Words crowdfunding campaign, Strings & Things, and Mainspring Virtual Studios.

Reserves policy

The main risk to the charity is loss of income as a result of reduced donations or grants. To mitigate this, it is our policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds (if possible) equating to three months’ operational costs (£3,000) to cover us in the event of a loss of income or unforeseen expenses. The balance at year end exceeded this target. As we currently do not have long-term or agreed regular funding in place, and due to financial uncertainty resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, we are holding these funds to ensure we can continue to operate for the following 12 months in the event we are unable to secure further funding.

The company endeavours to maintain a level of reserves that will enable it, if the situation arises that funding is curtailed, to carry on its activities whilst alternative sources of funding are obtained.

The unrestricted reserves as at 5th April 2021 were £18,461 surplus. The movement in reserves is shown in note 8 to the accounts.

Principal sources of funds

Our principal sources of income for the year were donations and grants. In particular, we received a generous £25,000 donation at the beginning of the year. All our grants came from the AOK Trust, with whom we maintain a strong relationship and who have indicated that they will continue to fund us into the next year.

Reference and Administrative Details

Charity name: Mainspring Arts

Registered charity number: 1187951

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Directors' and trustees' report

Charity’s principal address:

Mainspring Arts International House 12 Constance Street London E16 2DQ

Trustees

Trustee name

Office (if any) Dates acted (if not for whole year)

Treasurer 13 Feb - 23 Nov 2020 13 Feb - 23 Nov 2020 1 March - 1 April 2021 1 March - 28 June 2021 From 1 March 2021 From 1 March 2021 From 1 March 2021 From 1 March 2021

Related parties

The charity has relationships with other charities on a project-by-project basis.

Going concern

The directors confirm that:

A going concern basis is appropriate for these accounts.

The company has sufficient reserves to continue for at least 12 months after the date of signing these accounts.

Risk management

The company undertakes periodic reviews for different areas of risk including insurance cover,health and safety policies in the workplace and whilst performing, working with young children,financial affairs; personnel practices; ICT technology.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Section 419(2) of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signature:

Full name: Stacey Linstead

Position: Treasurer

Date: 20th January 2022

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Mainspring Arts CIO

ACCOUNTANTS REPORT

Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the period ended 5th April 2021 which are set out on pages 9 to 13 .

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees of the company (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 report

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:

(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

(2) the accounts do not accord with those accounting records; or

(3) 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

(4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and 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 (FRS 102).

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.

Frank S Lachman FCA

Member Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Chartered Accountant Independent Examiner

16b North End Road London NW11 7PH Dated: 20th January 2022

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Statement of Financial Activities For the Period 13th February 2020 to 5th April 2021

Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds
Notes 2021
Income from:
Donations and Legacies 2 29,487 7,800 37,287
Total income 29,487 7,800 37,287
Expenditure on:
Charitable Activity Costs 3 10,077 8,749 18,826
Total expenditure 10,077 8,749 18,826
Net income for year 19,410 (949) 18,461
Transfer between Funds (949) 949 -
Funds carried forward 6 18,461 - 18,461

The statement of Financial Activities reflects the results of continuing activities for the period. There were no recognised gains or losses other than the net outgoing resources for the period. The net outgoing resources for the year have been calculated on the historical cost basis. The notes on pages 11 to 13 form part of these accounts.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Balance Sheet at 5th April 2021

Notes 2021
£ £
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand 19,211
Total current assets 19,211
Creditors falling due within one year 4 750
Net current assets 18,461
Net assets 18,461
The Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted Funds 5 18,461
Total Charity Funds 18,461

a) For the period ended 5th April 2021 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

(b) No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

(c) The directors acknowledge their responsibility for:

i. ensuring the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386; and

ii. preparing accounts which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its profit and loss for the financial year in accordance with the section 393, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act relating to accounts, so far as applicable to the company.

(d) The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime, and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the . company

Approved by the directors on 20th January 2022, and signed on their behalf by Stacey Linstead

The notes on pages 8 to 10 form part of these accounts.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Notes to the Financial Statements For the period ended 5th April 2021

1 Accounting Polices

(a) 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 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Mainspring Arts CIO 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 note(s).

(b) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the items of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. Income from grants, whether capital or revenue grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants has been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

(c) Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party. It is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Costs are allocated to a category either because such costs are directly incurred in relation to such category, or because they are support costs in respect of which an apportionment has been made between the categories.

Support costs consist of infrastructure costs for salaries, premises, office administration. Such costs are apportioned on a reasonable and consistent basis to the various categories with a view to determining, as accurately as possible, the total resources expended for each category. The basis of apportionment used is either a function of staff time applied to a given activity, or an estimate of the proportion of costs associated with the same, or a combination of both.

Direct and Support costs are separately shown by natural classification in Note 5 to these accounts for each category of cost.

(d) Taxation

The company as a registered charity ( number 1187951 ) is exempt from taxation on most investment income insofar as it is applied for charitable purposes. The company is also exempt from taxation on capital gains.

(e) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

(f) Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Notes to the Financial Statements For the period ended 5th April 2021

2
Donations and legacies
Restricted
Unrestricted
Funds
Funds
Grants for General Running Costs
AOK
7,800
-
Donations
Sundry donations
-
29,487
7,800
29,487
3
Charitable activity costs
Support
Costs and
Governance
Charitable
Activity
Costs
Unrestricted
Restricted
Charitable Activity Costs
Telephone & Internet
96
-
Fundraising
8,170
-
Insurance
170
-
Workshop leaders and mentors fees
-
400
Artists' fees and expenses
-
2,495
Directors' fees
-
5,080
DBS checks
159
-
Marketing
-
762
Stationery and printing
-
12
Web hosting
347
-
Training
385
-
Accountancy
750
-
Total
10,077
8,749
4
Creditors due within one year
Accruals
5
Reconciliation of movement of funds
Income
Expenses
Restricted Funds
7,800
(8,749)
Unrestricted Funds
29,487
(10,077)
37,287
(18,826)		 Restricted
Unrestricted
Funds
Funds
7,800
-
-
29,487		 Total
Funds
2021
7,800
29,487
37,287
Total 2021
96
8,170
170
400
2,495
5,080
159
762
12
347
385
750
18,826
2021
750
750
Transfers
Funds at 5th
April 2021
949
-
(949)
18,461
7,800
29,487
Support
Costs and
Governance
Charitable
Activity
Costs
Unrestricted
Restricted
96
-
8,170
-
170
-
-
400
-
2,495
-
5,080
159
-
-
762
-
12
347
-
385
-
750
-
10,077
8,749
37,287
(18,826)		 -
18,461

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Mainspring Arts CIO

Notes to the Financial Statements For the period ended 5th April 2021

6 Analasys of assets over funds

Unrestricted Funds: Net Current
Assets
Total 2021
18,461
18,461
18,461
18,461

During the year, none of the trustees received any remuneration from the trust and no expenses were reimbursed to any of them.

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