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2024-03-31-accounts

Registered Charity Number 1196015

BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION)

REPORT AND ACCOUNTS For the year ending 31 March 2024

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

As the Board of Trustees, we present our report and financial statements for the year to 31 March 2024.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Charity Number 1196015 Registered Office 34 Strathleven Road, London SW2 5LA Independent Examiner Pete O’Hara FCA, Chartered Accountant, 26 La Sagesse, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3AF

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Documents

BitterSuite Experiences CIO was established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 1 October 2021. As a CIO it is governed by its constitution and Articles of Association.

Structure and Governance/ Board of Trustees

The charity currently has a board of four non-executive Trustees.

The Trustees of BitterSuite Experiences CIO during the year and to the date of signing this report were as follows:

Joshua McNorton (Chair) Fleur Ker-Reid Ash Patel Stephanie Tyrrell

Recruitment and Appointment of Board of Trustees

A recruitment campaign to increase and diversify the Board was undertaken during the year. This followed a process to identify knowledge and skills gaps within the current Board and the development of a new Trustee Recruitment Policy.

Trustee Induction and Training

Trustees are provided with a range of resources to support their understanding of BitterSuite Experiences’ activities and outlining Trustee duties and responsibilities.

Management

Day-to-day operation of the charity is delegated to Stephanie Singer, Creative Director and CEO and supported by Eleni Kyriacou, Interim Executive Producer.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Charitable Purpose, Aims & Objectives

The principal object of the charity is "to advance the arts for the public benefit by the promotion in particular, but not exclusively, of the arts of music and drama".

Vision & Mission

We want a world where people are given new meaningful experiences and reasons to be together, to congregate and experience something which is fundamentally about being alive. We imagine a world which is driven by a celebration of curiosity, connection and joy.

BitterSuite’s mission is to transform the experience of music and how we listen. We are pushing the boundaries of conventional theatre and music, experimenting and discovering what is possible with sensory art, working with the widest possible groups of people to deliver unique concerts, events and participation programmes. We want to grow towards being a diverse company producing multi-disciplinary media that targets and excites the senses.

Our Programme

Multi-Sensory Concerts

BitterSuite Experiences are committed to transforming the experience of live music. We want our audiences to feel the music in a way like never before. Stimulating the senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing and all the others to build transformative experiences allowing audiences to hear the music through the body.

Our concerts are composed & choreographed carefully and intentionally so that every stimulation is designed to enhance the way you are listening to and understanding the emotional meaning of the music. The result is an imaginative, musical journey where for the time you are with us you live and breathe the music.

Participation Programmes

Sensorial work has a profound and positive impact on wellbeing and mental health. Our workshops apply, introduce and explore the senses and our intention is to heighten our participants awareness of what and how we feel, and how this can be applied to music and creativity. Our workshops build empathy skills and pro-social skills.

In addition to one-off workshops we also co-create sensory immersive experiences with participants. Our workshop participants include general public engagement to specific and tailored outreach targeting groups with sensory and behavioural needs with a particular focus on SEN, SEND, Deaf and blind groups, and hyperactivity.

BitterSuite Lab

The Lab is our space for experimentation and collaboration. Within the Lab we deliver brand activations, consultancy, facilitation for R&D, idea generation and more. In the Lab we are motivated by the question… What can the senses offer to a process? In this space it's sensorially focused and doesn't tie explicitly to sound or music.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)

Public Benefit

The Trustees understand and have discussed the implications of the provisions of the Charities Act 2006, which requires all charities to be able to 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.

- Principle 1 There must be an identifiable benefit, or benefits

The benefits from our work are increased wellbeing for individuals of all ages and backgrounds.

- Principle 2 Benefit must be to the public, or a section of the public

Each element of our work is able to provide benefit to the public in general.

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 BitterSuite Experiences’ 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 £9,000.

If possible, the Trustees then aspire to retain an additional allowance of £10,000 to enable the charity to respond flexibly to issues or appropriate initiatives which might be identified outside of its annual budgeting process.

The required level of Reserves is therefore in the range of £9,000 to £19,000

BitterSuite Experiences currently has total Unrestricted Reserves of £4,529 at 31 March 2024. Free Reserves, defined as Unrestricted Funds minus any Designated Funds minus the value of Tangible Fixed Assets are £4,529.

The charity intends through its financial management and budgeting processes to reach its aspirational level of Reserves over the next 3 years to hold sufficient to cover its liabilities and to enable it to continue to respond flexibly.

The Reserves Policy is re-visited by the Board annually in the light of progress against budget and is updated at the time of drafting the annual accounts.

Investment Policy

The charity has the power under the Memorandum and Articles of Association to make any investment which the Trustees see fit.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

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.

BitterSuite Experiences has a risk management strategy in place that comprises:

The Trustees are satisfied that appropriate financial systems and controls are in place, together with appropriate employment policies and practices.

The Trustees consider the key risks facing the charity at this time and the mitigating actions taken to be as follows.

The Trustees also manage the general financial risks by ensuring that:

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Summary of the Charity’s Main Achievements During the Year

Over the course of the last year we:

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)

Summary of the Charity’s Main Achievements During the Year (Cont.)

Our programme of work included:

Bodies Tilted

Bodies Tilted is an immersive multi-sensory piece, set to a live score inspired by the music of Christine and the Queens, in which audiences can take part either as an Experiencer or as a Witness. Experiencers are blindfolded and paired up one-to-one with a performer for an intimate journey through music using movement, touch, taste and even scent. Witnesses explore the choreography as it unfolds, and work together to build elements of the piece.

This piece was commissioned by Redcar (Christine and The Queens) and the Southbank Centre for their 2023 Meltdown Festival. Choreography was led by Eileih Muir, and the experience was soundtracked by a vivid, playful score created by Stephanie Singer.

The score was divided into four movements and used voice and breathwork to reference the Christine and the Queens single ‘To Be Honest’ and his breakout single ‘Tilted’. Together it built up into an exhilarating soundworld for the audience to get lost in.

The wider creative team included artists and experts in the fields of music, art, theatre, movement, poetry, somatic practice, food, perfume, psychology and neurology. The piece was delivered in collaboration with our core team and Rambert & The Place students. We ran the performance 26 times across the month of June and reached 2,500+ audience members with the work.

Audience feedback

“My highlight of Meltdown Festival” - audience member

“I feel elated, like on fire” - audience member

“I feel the earth, wind and water and fire here” - deaf blind audience member

“I’ve never experienced anything like this. I want it every day.” - audience member

“Absolutely bloody brilliant” - Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre “Genius.” - Professor Morten Kirngelbach Professor of Neurology, Oxford University

Earth Hackney - Bodies Tilted had 2 sellout runs at the iconic London venue to industry professionals.

Wilderness Festival - Bodies Tilted toured to Wilderness Festival and had 4 sellout runs within the healing fields, reaching audiences of 800 during the run.

Wunderman and Thompson - Bodies Tilted was then independently funded by Wunderman and Thompson to feature at one of their London conferences in sensory work for top advertising professionals at companies including Coca-Cola, Thompson and Thompson and more.

Oxford University

Oxford University cultural department contacted the Bodies Tilted team to develop a unique auditorium offering suitable to be showcased at the new Oxford venue the Schwarzman Centre. The Oxford University cultural programme discussed the potential of producing the run of Bodies Tilted in the future and proposed a R&D contract starting in 2024-25 to build the next phase of the Bodies Tilted piece.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE (CONTINUED)

Summary of the Charity’s Main Achievements During the Year (Cont.)

Cheltenham Music Festival

We produced a unique sensory experience for Caroline Shaw’s quartet with the Phaedra Ensemble, producing 4 shows that reached 100 audience members per show. The piece was an original commission for Cheltenham Music Festival. The director described the show as the highlight of the festival.

VIOLET - Arts Council England

As part of the second phase of the Arts Council-funded activity ‘Violet’, we developed 2 hours of new music and brought together a unique survivor choir to work together across four days to collaborate, produce and record a unique song for the Violet project. The project was attended by 11 survivors and supported by the Mayor Of London Policing and Crime Departments and the Victims Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE.

Survivors described the sessions as

“Damn Good Craic”

“Made my day, even my year”

“Thank you, thank you thank you for giving this project to us, sometimes it’s easy to lose hope about the world around us, and this project gives me a little hope that good exists”, “MORE CHOIR. THANK YOU. PLEASE”

Financial Review

The outturn for the year is an unrestricted surplus of £4,385 (2023: Surplus of £144), leaving Unrestricted Funds at 31 March 2024 of £4,529.

FUTURE PLANS

Looking ahead, we plan to:

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 TRUSTEES’ REPORT

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees are responsible for managing the business of the charity and may exercise all the powers of the charity unless restricted by the Charities Act or the constitution of the charity.

The Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements for each financial year which show a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year.

In preparation of the financial statements the Trustees should follow best practice and:

  1. Select suitable accounting policies and apply them.

  2. Make judgements and exercises that are reasonable and prudent.

  3. Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the charity will continue on that basis.

The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity.

The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

DECLARATIONS

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (issued in March 2005 by the Charities Commission England and Wales).

This report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 11 December 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Joshua McNorton Trustee/Chair

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

I hereby report to the Trustees/Members of BitterSuite Experiences CIO (Charity Registration Number 1186728) on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 set out on pages 9 to 15.

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 charity 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

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 charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those 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 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

11 December 2024

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES PERIOD TO 31 MARCH 2024

Note
Income
Income from Grants, Donations &
Legacies
2
Income from Charitable Activities
3
Total Income
Expenditure
Expenditure on Raising Funds
Expenditure on Charitable Activities
4
Total Expenditure
Net Income/(Expenditure)
5
Balance brought forward
Balance carried forward at 31
March
9,10		 Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total
2024
Total
2023
£
£
£
£
6,025
30,000
36,025
12,782
33,006
-
33,006
62,667
39,031
30,000
69,031
75,449
-
-
-
-
34,646
23,714
58,360
65,146
34,646
23,714
58,360
65,146
4,385
6,286
10,671
10,303
144
10,159
10,303
-
£4,529
£16,445
£20,974
£10,303

The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of the financial statements.

There are no recognised gains and losses during the year other than as shown above

All the activities for the year are continuing activities.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION/BALANCE SHEET At 31 MARCH 2024

Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets
Current Assets
Debtors
7
Cash at Bank and In Hand
Creditors:
Amounts Falling Due Within 1 Year
8
Net Current Assets
Total Net Assets
Represented By:
Unrestricted Funds
9, 10
Restricted Funds
9, 10		 2024
£
2023
£
-
-
3,000
-
25,562
11,203
28,562
11,203
(7,588)
(900)
20,974
10,303
£20,974
£10,303
4,529
144
16,445
10,159
£20,974
£10,303

The notes on pages 11 to 15 form part of the financial statements.

The financial statements were approved by the Board, and authorised for issue, on 11 December 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Joshua McNorton Trustee and Chair

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS At 31 MARCH 2024

1. Accounting Policies

Charity Information

BitterSuite Experiences CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The registered office is 34 Strathleven Road, London SW2 5LA.

The charity is a public benefit entity.

Basis of Accounting

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 – 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland' ('FRS 102'), and with the Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP FRS 102) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" and the Charities Act 2011.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, modified to include certain financial instruments at fair value.

Advantage has been taken of the provisions in the SORP for Charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a statement of cashflows.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity.

Income

All income, including grant income, is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA), net of VAT, when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Such income is only deferred when the donor or funder has specified that the grant or donation can only be used in future accounting years or where the donor or funder has imposed conditions which must be met before the charity has unconditional entitlement.

Turnover is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, net of discounts, VAT and other sales-related taxes.

Income from Investments

Interest receivable on fixed interest securities and bank deposits is included on an accruals basis.

Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and is recognised when a liability is incurred.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS At 31 MARCH 2024

1. Accounting Policies (Cont.)

Expenditure (Cont.)

Irrecoverable VAT

All resources expended are classified under activity headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

Fund Accounting

The charity has a number of restricted income funds to account for situations in which a funder requires that a grant must be spent on a particular purpose or where funds have been raised for a specific purpose. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in Note 13 to the financial statements.

All other funds are considered Unrestricted Funds and are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

Taxation

BitterSuite Experiences CIO is a registered charity and, as such, is not liable to taxation on its income in the current year.

Financial Instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues’ of FRS102 to all its financial instruments.

The charity only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

Going Concern

The Trustees are aware of the risks inherent in the charity’s current position of having negative Unrestricted Funds.

The Trustees have therefore considered and approved a business model and budget through which the charity is seeking to develop new grant funding and income streams to support its planned activities in 2024/25 and beyond.

Consequently, the Trustees believe that it is appropriate for the financial statements to be drawn up on a going concern basis.

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS At 31 MARCH 2024

2. Income from Grants, Donations & Legacies

Grant Income
Arts Council England - FEEL
Finnish Opera House – Violet
Disruption
OKRE Fund - FEEL
Donations
General Donations		 Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
2024
2023
£
£
£
£
-
30,000
30,000
-
-
-
-
62,667
-
-
-
12,635
-
30,000
30,000
75,302
6,025
-
6,025
147
£6,025
£30,000
£36,025
£75,449

Of the 2023 total of £75,449, £147 related to Unrestricted Funds and £75,302 to Restricted Funds.

3. Income from Charitable Activities

4.

Unrestricted Restricted 2024 2023
Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Earned Income - Fees 33,006 - 33,006 -
£33,006 £- £33,006 £-
Expenditure on Charitable Activities
Unrestricted Restricted 2024 2023
Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Direct Costs
Project Costs 33,906 23,114 57,020 64,243
Support Costs
Other Overhead Costs 440 - 440 3
Governance Costs
Independent Examination 300 600 900 900
34,646 23,714 58,360 £65,146

Of the 2023 total of £65,146, £3 related to Unrestricted Funds and £65,143 to Restricted Funds.

5. Net Income/(Expenditure)

2024 2023
£ £
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
Independent Examiner - Examination Fees 900 900

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS At 31 MARCH 2024

6. Staff Costs

The charity employed no staff in the year (2023: None).

No remuneration was paid to or waived by Trustees/Directors in the year (2023: £Nil).

No expenses were reimbursed to Trustees in respect of their attendance at meetings of the charity (2023: £Nil).

7. Debtors

Debtors Debtors
Trade Debtors
Prepayments
Accrued Income
Creditors - Amounts Falling Due Within One Year
Trade Creditors
Accruals
Analysis of Net Assets between Funds
Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
£
£
Fixed Assets
-
-
Debtors
-
3,000
Cash at Bank and In Hand
6,650
18,912
Creditors – Due Within 1 Year
(2,121)
(5,467)
£4,529
£16,445		 2024
2023
£
£
-
-
-
-
3,000
-
£3,000
£-
2024
2023
£
£
6,688
-
900
900
£7,588
£900
2024
2023
£
£
-
-
3,000
-
25,562
11,203
(7,588)
(900)
£4,529
£16,445		 £20,974
£10,303

8.

9. Analysis of Net Assets between Funds

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BITTERSUITE EXPERIENCES CIO (A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS At 31 MARCH 2024

10. Analysis of Charitable Funds

Fund at 1 Income for Expenditure Fund at
April Year for Year 31 March
2023 2024
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted General Fund 144 39,031 (34,646) 4,529
Restricted Funds
Arts Council England - FEEL - 30,000 (13,555) 16,445
OKRE Fund - FEEL 10,159 - (10,159) -
Total Restricted Funds 10,159 30,000 (23,714) 16,445
Total Funds £10,303 £69,031 £(58,360) £20,974
Name of Restricted Fund Description, Nature & Purpose of the Restricted Fund

Arts Council England – FEEL Towards the costs of the FEEL project OKRE Fund - FEEL Towards the costs of the FEEL project

11. Related Party Transactions

Details of transactions with Trustees are disclosed in Note 7.

There were no other transactions in the year with related parties, such as are required to be disclosed under the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (Effective April 2008) (2023: None).

12. Financial Commitments

No material financial commitments have been made in respect of future financial years (2023: None).

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