**Registered Charity Number: 1190679** ## **FER PRODUCTION CIO** # **ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** # **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** **FER PRODUCTION CIO CONTENTS** ## **Contents** |Legal and administrative information
Trustees' Report
Independent Examiner's Report
Statement of Receipts and Payments
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Notes to the Financial Statements|**Page**| |---|---| ||1
2-9
10
11
12
13| **FER PRODUCTION CIO LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** **Trustees** Joseph Avakian Paul Gladwell Rebecca Mackenzie Sarah Voss **Chief Executive Officer** Jen Logan **Charity number** 1190679 **Contact address** 1 Ashdon Mews Ashdon Road London NW10 4EH **Accountant** J R Caladine FCCA CTA FCIE Caladine Limited Chartered Certified Accountants Chantry House 22 Upperton Road Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 1BF **Bankers** The Co-operative Bank Business Direct P.O. Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT 1 **FER PRODUCTION CIO TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** The trustees present their Annual Report and the Financial Statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024. ## **Constitution** Fer production was established on 27 July 2020 and registered as a CIO with the Charity Commission on 31 July 2020. It is governed by it constitution. ## **Objectives and activities** The principal purpose of the charity is to advance the Christian religion through the creation of contemporary artworks and through providing educational media, courses and materials. The charity produces individual and collaborative art, cultural artefacts and new rituals for people that provide engagement, experience and increased understanding of the Christian faith and how it informs their understanding of themselves and the contemporary world and out of the artworks provide courses and opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between artists of differing faiths and no faith. ## **The Trustees** Trustees are appointed by the existing trustees and are provided with appropriate training to undertake their role. The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature were: Andrew Hart (resigned 21 November 2024) Dave Hollow (resigned 21 November 2024) Sarah Voss Paul Gladwell (appointed 18 January 2024) Joseph Avakian (appointed 9 July 2024) Rebecca Mackenzie (appointed 9 July 2024) ## **Public benefit** Fer was established on 27 July 2020. Since then we, the Fer board of trustees, have worked to follow the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in relation to our charitable objects and on good governance and establishment. ## **Review of financial position** Total receipts in the year amounted to £20,788 (2023: £30,291) and total payments amounted to £19,531 (2023: £16,824). At 31 December 2024 the cash funds amounted to £18,010 (2023: £18,010). ## **Risk management** The trustees have considered the risks the charity may face and confirms that systems have been established to mitigate them. 2 **Fer, Trustees’ Annual Report, 1st January to 31st December 2024** As we conclude our fourth year as a registered charity here at Fer, we continue to deepen our commitment to social justice, Christian faith, and the arts; the three interwoven strands that shape all our work. At the heart of our mission is the conviction that transformation begins with listening: not with assumptions of belief, but with attention to the lived realities of those around us, especially where suffering, social exclusion, and pressing community difficulties persist. Our work tackles urgent societal challenges, from loneliness and exclusion to the housing crisis, to mental health and digital ethics, through imaginative, theology-informed interventions rooted in socially connecting creative arts designs and practices. We believe social justice and faith are not parallel concerns, but inseparable ones. Our creative theological responses, while grounded in Christian hope, are made accessible and helpful to those with no faith background, creating shared space for meaning making and action together. ## **Key Developments in the Year** ## **Beyond Mother Love: Reframing Human Value Through Unlikely Friendships** This year saw significant progress in _Beyond Mother Love_ , our flagship film project exploring human value and personhood through the lens of friendship between people with and without a wide range of cognitive impairments including living with learning disabilities, brain injury, condition-induced thinking difficulties and more. Rather than offering a conventional theological take on personhood, _Beyond Mother Love_ lets relationships speak for themselves and lead us into uncharted thought life, relationship, and community building territory. Through artistic expression born of theological reflections on these lived social experiences, we illuminate how unexpected friendships disrupt dominant hierarchies and reveal a deeper, Christian understanding of worth, rooted in the relational nature of God. The accompanying academic study, developed with King’s College London, focuses on non-disabled adults who have chosen to share life with disabled friends. It challenges the one-way narrative of care by highlighting mutual transformation and joy. This research, which we anticipate influencing both policy and scholarship, also informs _A Tribe Beyond_ , which is a participatory sub-project that centres neurodivergent voices in the creative process. ## **FoeFace: Digital Citizenship Meets Discipleship** Our second major initiative, FoeFace, is a rites-of-passage programme equipping young people to navigate online spaces with justice, empathy, and spiritual integrity. Delivered in three Church of England schools and set to reach 180 students in its next phase, _FoeFace_ addresses concerns around echo chambers, cyberbullying, and digital identity. It supports SIAMS goals and Ofsted priorities, while grounding students in Christ’s teachings to cultivate responsibility and resilience online. 3 Feedback from educators, parents, and students has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting both its relevance and impact. _FoeFace_ continues to innovatively bridge faith and social responsibility in a digital age. ## **Governance, Growth & Financial Resilience** This year marked an important phase of organisational strengthening. We welcomed a new chair, Joseph Avakian, along with Rebecca MacKenzie, Paul Gladwell and Sarah Voss to the board. Their diverse experience in theology, the arts, and administration positions Fer for sustainable growth. We extend gratitude to departing members Andrew Hart and David Hollow for their foundational contributions. Operationally, we continued and developed our regular review of our policies, refined processes, and expanded our volunteer base. We also secured our first charitable trust grant, alongside substantial private donations supporting both our core and project costs. These funds allowed us to maintain modest core staffing, including partial remuneration for our CEO, Jen, while continuing to operate leanly, avoiding rental costs, and maximising in-kind contributions. ## **Arts as a Catalyst, Not an Accessory** At Fer, the arts are not ornamental; they are essential. Artistic expression is where our social and theological commitments come alive to create hope, transformation and a better world for all, but particularly experiencing vulnerability and those in relationship with them. From film and fashion to participatory design and music, we collaborate with artists to tell stories that provoke reflection and invite transformation. Every project embodies our core principle: “Nothing About Us Without Us.” We uphold fair pay for artists, even when this limits our output, because the relationships, communities, and processes matter as much as the outcome. Our works are not just about representation; they are, in and of themselves, acts of justice. ## **Public Recognition & Partnerships** Our partnerships continue to flourish. Notable highlights include: - _Beyond Mother Love_ being featured in the Diocese of London newsletter and seeing increasing research community awareness - _FoeFace_ delivered in three Church of England schools, leading to more schools connecting with us, and now promoted via the London Diocesan Board for Schools - Ongoing support from sector leaders including Rev. Prof. Ben Quash (King’s College London) and Dr. Sara Schumacher (St Mellitus College) - Growing academic collaboration with King’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience on the Beyond Mother Love study ## **Strategic Focus** In 2024, we concentrated efforts on our three cornerstone projects: - _Beyond Mother Love_ : Advancing both the film and participatory qualitative research study - _FoeFace_ : Scaling and increasing versatility of delivery whilst strengthening impact assessment 4 - _Once Within a Space_ : Progressing architectural collaborations This focus supports deeper impact while aligning with current funding parameters. ## **Testimonials & Impact** “ _This is really exciting and current. It’s just so urgently needed and I've loved being involved_ - Project Educator, FoeFace “ _The children had rich discussions, and really developed, and valued the day_ .” - Headteacher, Church of England School “ _This kind of work allows God to scandalise our hierarchy of value_ .” - Theologian and parent of a disabled child “ _Fer exemplifies how theology and the arts can speak to a post-Christian culture with beauty and prophetic clarity_ .” - Marcus, Public Theologian ## **Looking Ahead** As we move into 2025, our priorities include completing the _Beyond Mother Love_ study to then be followed by our next phase of film development, further rollout of _FoeFace_ , and the next chapter of evolution of _Once Within a Space_ . We remain committed to our core mission: integrating social justice, responded to by faith, in imaginative forms through the creative arts in ways that are meaningful, measurable, prophetic, and practical, and positively transform us as individuals, communities, and a society. Thank you to all who partner with us; through time, relationship, creativity, funding, advocacy, and prayer. You make this work possible. Joseph Avakian, Chair of Trustees Date: 25th May 2025 5 ## **Fer, Our Artworks: A Summary of Current Projects** ## **Beyond Mother Love: Exploring 'Non-Persons' as Icons of a Three-Person'd God in Response to Heretical Anthropologies** ## The Feature Length Creatve Documentary Film As part of our ongoing research and development for _Beyond Mother Love_ , we have been meeting with various disability groups across the country. We are learning more about the challenges in forming friendships across cognitive divides, while also being moved by the beauty of the rare yet profound examples that do exist. One such example is the friendship between two women who met ten years ago while cast as shepherds in a living nativity play. Florence (pseudonym), who does not have a learning disability, was struck by Simone (pseudonym), who does, after watching her walk off stage mid-performance because she "felt like a cup of tea." Their tea-drinking has continued ever since. We have also kept up regular contact with several mixed-ability friendships that we first met two summers ago, including a pair of friends in Canada and Nebraska. One of them is contemplating assisted suicide due to an early onset dementia diagnosis. Through regular video calls, we’ve had the privilege of accompanying them as they reflect on the value of friendship—even when one may no longer remember the other. Their courage and tenderness evoke Jessica Kingsley’s words, as cited in John Swinton’s book _Dementia: Living in the Memories of God:_ “ _As I unfold before God, as this disease unwraps me, opens up the treasures of what lies within my multi-fold personality, I can feel safe as each layer is gently opened out. God's everlasting arms will be beneath me, upholding me... I will trust in God, who will hold me safe in his memory, until that glorious day of resurrection, when each facet of my personality can be expressed to the full_ .” In line with the principle of _Nothing About Us Without Us_ , Jen is working with other artists in developing a section of the documentary that moves beyond observation to ask: What kinds of ways of being and relating with others are we not seeing; are not even possible in our current social structures? This apophatic chapter of the film, _A Tribe Beyond_ , emerges from a series of workshops with neurodiverse and neurotypical artists: ## A Tribe Beyond A group of people (a “tribe”), with a balanced mix of cognitive differences, come together to cocreate a space for exploring deeper human experiences. For some, this is an antidote to the impoverished state of modern friendship. In this space: - People traditionally deemed unproductive or impaired lead the creation of a new social order. - Everyone learns to retrain their vision of who qualifies as a friend, embracing difference as a pathway to connection. - - Awkwardness is not avoided but embraced as a potential gateway to authenticity. 6 Through movement, sound, silence, playfulness, and improvisation, we explore alternate ways of relating that support true connection and cultural reimagining. In this co-created environment: - Silence with a non-verbal person becomes a valued mode of presence. - Repetition for a friend with memory loss is honored as a meaningful, rhythmic act. - Stimming behaviors like flapping or rocking are embraced as contributions to a shared sensory environment. - Bold self-expression is celebrated, inviting freedom from artificial modesty and expanding our collective emotional vocabulary. ## The Qualitatve Research Study This year we launched a qualitative study examining friendships across cognitive divides. We interviewed 15 individuals without a cognitive-altering condition (e.g., learning disability, brain injury, dementia) about their experiences of friendship with someone who has one. The resulting data is rich and complex. Our supervising consultant has expressed strong confidence in the depth and originality of the findings, which will be published in 2025 as a contribution to scholarly literature on friendship and disability. ## **FoeFace: New Rites of Passage for a Digital World** When young people join social media, they enter a digital life filled with poor models of human interaction and algorithmic pressures. Despite its impact, there is no cultural rite of passage to help them prepare. _FoeFace_ addresses this gap. _FoeFace_ is a digital citizenship project helping young people become peacemaking influencers online. With support from the Benefact Trust, we piloted _FoeFace_ in three London schools in 2024. Each full-day workshop included: - Interactive learning about Jesus’s teachings—His “algorithm” of loving enemies—and applying these principles online. - Simulated social media experience through our custom _FoeFace_ app, where students engaged in anonymous conversations with diverse peers. - A rite of passage ritual, in which students received a handmade ceramic coin to place behind their phone case as a reminder of their learning. - Humorous games like Social Media Sleuthing, Blind Texting Races, and “Rock, Paper, Scissors..FoeFace!” _FoeFace_ addresses key issues: - Gospel Access: Reframes Jesus' teachings in a way that resonates culturally. - Online Polarization: Equips students with redemptive, Gospel-shaped responses. - Lack of Resources: Provides an accessible framework for educators and youth leaders. - Absence of Ritual: Offers a meaningful rite of passage into digital life. 7 Before the day, we asked students to share their view on Jesus’ teaching to love your enemies before _FoeFace_ . Here’s what came back: ## Feedback Highlights: “ _I love the idea of the ‘Turn It Into Love algorithm’ and I keep my ceramic coin in my phone case to remind me of_ FoeFace.” _“Before_ FoeFace _I hadn’t heard of Jesus’ teaching to love your enemies.”_ _“I had heard it before but didn’t really get it. Now it makes sense.”_ We are grateful to Jon Yates—author of _Fractured_ , CEO of the Youth Endowment Fund, and cofounder of the National Citizenship Service—for his valuable endorsement and insightful consultation on this project. Jon writes: _“There is growing evidence that social media makes young people – especially teenage girls – more anxious and depressed. The best approach – I believe – is for under 16s to stay off social media entirely. But I also really welcome_ FoeFace _. This is a digital citizenship project that offers structured_ _guidance and education, helping to prepare young people for what they might see online. The team behind it are great people and I’d recommend people to engage with what they are doing”_ ## **Once Within a Space: Designing for Belonging** _Once Within a Space_ is our architectural project exploring a theology of domestic architecture. In collaboration with CultivAR architects, we are designing a concept home for 12 people— choreographed against loneliness and for long-term, place-based community. The project is now site-specific as we pursue a partnership with Brisbane City Council to propose building on underused housing stock. We were also honored to present this vision at a London symposium of architects and community leaders exploring intentional living. “ _Once Within a Space is the best thing I’ve seen on a Christian faith perspective of domestic architecture. I’ve been searching for years for something with this level of passion, rigour, and provocation_ .” — Tom HJ, Architectural Designer 8 ## **Other / Previous Fer Artworks** ## **Aesthetic Fast: Performance Art / Response to Modern Slavery** A theological aesthetic exploring ethical choices as relational art. Performers wear hidden gemstones from regions affected by trafficking, silver-plated to conceal their beauty during a personal period of “aesthetic fasting.” This fast is paired with ongoing support for abolitionist work. ## **Garment Streak: Instagram Liturgy / Response to Consumerism** In collaboration with Noctis Magazine and culminating in London Kids Fashion Week, this three-year performance art project involves 40+ creatives posting selfies in the same clothes repeatedly to dismantle the shame of outfit repetition online. ## **God is Younger Than We: Album and Devotional Music Videos** A music project exploring lesser-known Christian mystics and theologians, created with scholars at Cambridge’s School of Divinity. ## **That Which Carries: Fer Podcast** A podcast inviting listeners into dialogues about Christianity understood as narrative art—what Tolkien called “art that has come true.” ## **The Apron: Fourth Piece Suit** A theological fashion design project responding to gender-based violence and abuses of power through the symbolism of clothing. Together, these projects embody Fer’s commitment to theology as lived art—art that imagines, heals, and reorients. We remain grateful to our collaborators, funders, and participants who continue to shape and be shaped by this work. 9 **FER PRODUCTION CIO INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** ## **Independent Examiner's Report** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Fer production CIO ('the CIO') for the period ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 11 to 13. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: - (1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act; or - (2) the accounts do not accord with those records. 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. ## **John Caladine FCCA CTA FCIE** Chartered Certified Accountant Caladine Limited Chantry House 22 Upperton Road Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 1BF Date: 24th September 2025 10 ## **FER PRODUCTION CIO** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** ## **Receipts and Payments Account** |**Receipts**
Donations and grants
**Total receipts**
**Payments**
_Core costs_
Staff and consultancy
Website, IT and admin
Accountancy/independent examination
Payroll administration costs
Sundry
_Project direct costs_
Freelance consultancy
Equipment and resources
Travel and accomodation
Website, IT and admin
Sundry
**Total payments**
**Net movement in funds**
**Cash funds b/f at 1 January 2024**
**Cash funds c/f at 31 December 2024**|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
20,788
30,291
20,788
30,291
10,712
9,600
1,402
865
840
720
480
180
39
39
3,507
2,248
436
1,608
1,294
957
764
517
57
90
19,531
16,824
1,257
13,467
18,010
4,543
19,267
18,010| |---|---| There were restricted fund receipts of £9,500 (2023: £19,240) and payments of £10,073 (2023: £5,323) during the year. Of the funds held at the year end, £5,923 are unrestricted (2023: £4,093 unrestricted) and £13,344 are restricted (2023: £13,917 restricted). 11 **FER PRODUCTION CIO STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024** ## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** **----- Start of picture text -----**
2024 2023
£ £
Assets
Cash funds
Current Account 19,267 18,010
Liabilities
Creditors
Accountancy/independent examination 840 840
Approved by the trustees on 23rd September 2025
........................................... ............................................
Joseph Avakian Sarah Voss
Trustee Trustee
**----- End of picture text -----**
12 **FER PRODUCTION CIO NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024** ## **1. Accounting Policies** The financial statements have been prepared as receipts and payments accounts in accordance with section 133 of the Charities Act 2011. ## **2. Charitable funds** Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their CIO's objectives. Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The movements on restricted funds during the year are shown below: ## Restricted funds ||At 1 Jan|||At 31 Dec|||At 31 Dec| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||2023|Receipts|Payments|2023|Receipts|Payments|2024| |Beyond Mother Love|-|19,240|(5,323)|13,917|4,500|(5,073)|13,344| |FoeFace|-|-|-|-|5,000|(5,000)|-| ||-|19,240|(5,323)|13,917|9,500|(10,073)|13,344| Beyond Mother Love - a creative documentary and research project for people in mixed ability FoeFace - a digital citizenship project helping young people become peacemaking influencers online. ## **3. Transactions with trustees and related parties** None of the trustees received remuneration or were reimbursed expenses from the charity during the year (2023: £nil). 13