QUEER TANGO LONDON REGISTERED CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION 1201560 REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 QUE4 ER TANGO LONVON REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED31 DECEMBER 2024 CONTENTS Page Legal and adtninistrative inforrnation Chairs Report i-io Trustees report 11-13 Statement of financlal activlties 14 Balance shèet 15 Notes to the financial statements 16 QUEER TANGO LONDON LEGALAND ADMINISTRATWE INFORMATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Charlty Number: 1201560 Trustees: Ray 8atchelor.' Chair Margaret Trotter.. Treasurer Tom Cottle Claudio Tedesco Gawalne Preston Samantha Marcus Gordon Pullenger Registered Office 205 Well Street London. E9 6QU Emdil.- contact ueertan olondon.o Maln Dance Venue: Bishopsgate Institute 230 Bi5hopsgate Dalston Lane London EC2 4QH Bankers: Uoyd5 Bank PLC 19120 Upper Street London Nl OPJ CHAIR'S REPORT / 2024 QUEER LONDON Building on Queer Tango London's successes of 2023, in 2024, Queer Tango London {QTL) developed our programme of regular milongas (tango dance events) at the Bishopsgate Institute, interspersed with a variety of exercises in outreach work. Queer Tango Danclng at the Blshopsgate Institute We held 24 regular QTL Milongas in the Upper Hall at the Bishopsgate Institute. This included two 6-session Absolute Beginners Courses delivered by i I￿. the QTL Teaching Team (Ray Batchelor. Gawaine Preston, Samantha Marcus, Claudio Tedesco, Margaret Trotter) one starting in January and one in September. Guest teachers. ren out of the 24 regular QTL sessions were conducted by specially invited Guest Teachers. Our purpose in inviting Guest Teachers is to give our QTL dancers a range of dance experiences far wider than that which we ourselves can deliver. Guest Teachers in 2024 were- Philip Bonczyk - {2 x QTL milongas) exceptionally, a queer tango teacher from the UK, who has danced queer tango for several decades. Natasha Lewinger & Haris Mihall - widely respected, talented young tango teachers, wholly in tune with the QTL "queer spiriy,, and - reflecting a trend among many young dancers in Argentina and Uruguay these days - both perfectly comfortable in both leader and follower roles which they exploited in their classes for us. Manu Sanz- a key figure in the emerging international queer scene, Manu is best-known internationally as the co-organiser of the queer tango meeting Chamuyoqueer in Valencia, and now (2025), the emerging Queer Tango Umbrella. QUEER Manu Sanz! LONDON FRACTION FIIR Someone really special Friday 31st March FREEDOM Ariadna Zaehnsdorf & Keila Luciano - in 2024, these radical queer tango dancers and teachers had invitations to visit across Europe. QTL was able to secure their services through QTL Trustee, Margaret Trotter, meeting them at a queer tango research event in Vienna organised by Arno Plass. Monlca Romero & Omar Ocampo, aka"Los Ocampo" part of an Argentinian aristocracy of tango dancers who have danced and taught together for decades. Unlike some of their generation, Monica and Omar have a deep-seated compassion which has led them quite naturally to an open, friendly, queer sensibility- Monica leads, Omar follows, and they use up-to date language for the roles of this dance. Gaston Enrique Olguin & Manuco Firmani - (2 x QTL milongas) Gaston Enrique Olguin has a deep knowledge of the biomechanics of the human body and has creatively incorporated it into his teaching. His relationship with QTL goes back to 2016, when he taught a whole season of classes for us. With fellow queer teacher. Manuco Firmani, also from Buenos Aires, we enjoyed their expertise at two of our QTL milongas. Walter Perez- a long-established, highly respected queer tango teacher from New York, but Argentinian by birth, Walter is a familiar and much-loved figure on the international circuit. Our Chair, Ray Batchelor, first met Walter at a queer tango festival in New York in 2010. We were delighted he was able to be with us. IQUEER From New York- LONDON Walter Perez! Friday 4th October Ray Sullivan - a queer tango teacher from Miami, Florida. who had recently published his book One Tango at a Time, shared a lifetime's insights into dance teaching, including in Ray Sullivan's case, insights gained from a career as a successful ballet dancer. The QTL Practlcas QTL Milongas are normally held on the first and third Fridays of each month (with Summer Break). The gap between the last of one month and the first of the next can be quite long, and this can be a problem for dancers who are learning. Mindful of that, two QTL Dancers, Simon Lindsay and Luke Pagarani, offered to run a QTL Practica on the weeks QTL was not running a milonga. A Practica is an open tango dance session to which dancers at all levels can come, with skilled dancers on hand, but without formal classes. QTL secured a venue for the Practica at the Bishopsgate Institute on a series of five Wednesdays and the experiment was run. It was a success in that numerous people came, danced, and enjoyed the informal atmosphere - but ultimately it was decided they did not come in sufficient numbers, and that too few were actually beginners. When the dancer volunteers found they were unable to continue coming regularly on a Wednesday, the experiment stopped running at Bishopsgate Institute. QTL is grateful to the volunteers for the pilot and for their continuing the Practica on an ad hoc basis. It was agreed that the idea was sound in principle, and might be one to which QTL could return at some future juncture. Queer Tango Outreach Work RBKC Launch of LGBTQIA+ Archive Archivist, Sophia Hall, Local Studies & Archives for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, invited QTL to offer some informal queer tango dance opportunities during LGBT History Month to people coming to their "Let's Make History" event on 8th February 2024 at the Chelsea Theatre. The event featured a showing of Gateways Grind, a film about the famous lesbian club, The Gateways. It was organised to launch their new LGBTQIA+ Archive (I"ointly with the City of Westminster). QTL were delighted to oblige, and Chair Ray Batchelor sat with the filrn's two makers on a Q&A panel before the film was shown. The event was a success. Sophia wrote to us later in the year to say that "[the] 'Let's Make History, event at Chelsea Theatre in February has been selected as one of The National Archives Highlights, of 2024: Gre er London Archives ctor Flnancial Conduct Authority (FCA) LGBT History Month To mark LGBT History Month {February) QTL were invited by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to run a queer tango workshop consisting of a short presentation by Chair, Ray Batchelor, about the history of queer tango, followed by an Absolute Beginners, Class delivered by Ray, Gawaine and others from the QTL Teaching Team. There was then an opportunity to dance for an hour or so afterwards, to authentic music played by QTL DJ, Claudio Tedesco. Queer Tango History? On. 22￿ February, Sheldon Mills, Executive Director, Consumers & Competition at the FCA welcomed us in a short address and had intended to return to his office History- or DIYTHP And does it matter. g QUEEII 22nd February 2024 LONDOTrI and work - but found what followed so interesting that he spent the rest of the evening with us. Some unlooked-for coverage in the national press In the run up to the General Election in the UK, some newspapers ran so-called "Culture Wars" news stories. One on 15th May 2024 in The Daily Mail carried the headline "Quangos, £1 m bill" (on queer tango and "afro hair"!). The event referred to by the Daily Mail cost the FCA £400, and, as the FCA is 100 % funded by the organisations it regulates, no public money was spent. On 16th May, Sunday Telegraph journalist, Charlotte Gill, emailed QTL to say they were running her story claiming that charitable organisations were rebelling against using the word "queer" She said she named Queer Tango London, and did we have anything we wanted to say (in less than 100 words, and within 24 hrs) about that? We were not shown the article. We sent a short statement. When published on 191h May, "Backlash from rights groups as number of charities using queer in their name rises" Gill cited one source uneasy with the term, and quoted a few sentences from our statement without comment. Queer Tango Consultancy work in developing the Play Partners In a rare departure for QTL. Chair Ray Batchelor was engaged by playwright, Eliza Cass, as a Queer Tango Consultant to support Arts Council funded research work she was carrying out with two actors and a director in developing a play, Partners. Ray was supported in this work by QTL Friend and experienced queer tango dancer, Mike Evans. Eliza explains: PARTNERS is a piece of new writing for two performers about where and how we can find connection in the deepest isolation and grief. The show follows the journey of a queer, intergenerational friendship and unlikely artistic partnership brought about by a mutual obsession with the TV show Strictly Come Dancing. QUEER LONDON DANCIN TO CHANGE. THE WORLD In form, it's a play in which the two performers and audience conjure the performance space together. Seated in a circle with the audience, the performers never leave their chairs. Dancing the tango they're speaking the tango, through words, conversational rhy1hm and the quality of the emotional space madelcollapsed between them. Ray and Mike delivered one dance workshop which was an introduction to queer tango {29.07.2024), and a second (01.08.2025) - more innovative - which explored the relationship between dance and language - how they are similar, and how they are different. The workshops were very well received by actors, director and playwright. Eliza wrote afterwards: .a HUGE thank you for the workshops last week. We were so thrilled with everything you brought, and it felt like a real privilege to learn from you and Mike and to watch you dance" Queer Tango London at the King's Cross Summer Sounds Festival At the Invitation of Martin Collins, CEO of the Arts Trust htt s.'l/www.artstru t.co.ukl which runs the Kings Cross Annual Summer Sounds Festival, the QTL Teaching Team delivered a series of four introductory dance workshop in late July and early August 2024 at The Place, WC1 H 9PY for socially isolated, local queer residents of the Kings Cross area. The course was part of a lead up to two open air Queer Tango Workshops at the Summer Sounds Festival proper on 17th and 24th August. In the event, rain meant that the 24th August workshop switched to an indoor location. l)ij, All our contributions were successful. Martin Collins wrote afterwards: We really loved having you at the festival, I think you brought something really special to the season. I have attached the feedback from the classes in the run up to the festival. .there were some Interesting comments, '1 found the classes the most exciting and therapeutic experience I had in a while. l am still trying to dissect why it has such a massive impact on me, Welsh Internatlonal Tango Festlval 6th Edition.. Intercambio Class + Discussion of Tango Politics Chris Barnet, who runs the Welsh International Queer Tango Festival, invited QTL Chair, Ray Batchelor and dancer and activist, Helen Fenton, back to the 6th edition of the Welsh Intemational Tango Festival, 27th November_ 2nd December 2024 in Swansea to teach "Intercambio for All" (intercambio - the swapping of roles during a dance) and to run a Workshop on "The Politics of Tango" The dance workshop was well attended. Ray and Helen had meant politics with a small 'p', rather than party politics, and had hoped for some consideration of the role of women and of men in contemporary tango. In the event, the word seemed to have the effect of scaring many away, and the discussion group consisted chiefly of queer tango dancers - a significant group had come from Queer Tango Bristol - and only a very few from the mainstream. Though worthwhile, the makeup of the group seemed to us to be evidence that any formal approaches to considering these things more widely may need more groundwork. if they are to succeed. Buenos Aires International Queer tango Festival Throughout the year, several QTL Trustees attended international Queer Tango Marathons and Festivals. Apart from the pleasure of dancing in unfamiliar locations and with new people, it has the welcome side-effect that collectively, QTL is able to build up contacts, and remains abreast of what is happening in queer tango at the international level. NU Though travelling in a private capacity, rather than as formal representatives of QTL, Trustees Gawaine Preston and Ray Batchelor spent some time in December 2024 in Buenos Aires. Dt LA5 There, they were able to take part in the famous International Queer Tango Festival and making contact with many other queer tango dancers from around the world - and yes! They had a great time. The Chair of QTL sang in Buenos Aires They were also able to connect (or re-connect in Ray's case) with Edgardo Fernandez Sesma, perhaps the most significant queer tango activist bar none. At Edgardo's request, they attended a party at SIGLA, a community Centre, to celebrate 11 years of the Campaign Against the Abandonment and 111-Treatment of Seniors which Edgardo has led. Ray had met the group before several times over many years. On one occasion to thank him for his work, two ladies had sung tango songs a capella. At this paty, to return the compliment, Ray sang a tango, Por una Cabeza. He wrote afterwards in a social media post: . I have most warmly to thank the good, kind, generous people of the Campaign Against the Abandonment and111-Treatment of Seniors here in Buenos Aires. Their enthusiastic reception of this potentially cheeky, but well-intentioned, modern contribution to Argentinian popular culture took my breath away... l am humbled. And perhaps to the relief of some, silenced. Temporarily... Dr Ray Batchelor Chair, Queer Tango London 26th October 2025 10 QUEER TANGO LONDON TRusfEES' REPORT FOR THEYEAR ENDE031 DECEMBER 2024 Queer Tango London is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation {CIO) registered with the Charity commission on 13 January 2023, registration number 1201560. Structure, Governance and Management Ih The charity was constituted as a small charity on 4 September 2017 and registered with HMRC. As the charity grewthe Trustees adopted a new constitution and applied to the Charity Commission to becorne a CIO and were registered on 12 January 2023. The constitution15 a Foundation Model and with the following 7 Trustees in office-_ TRUSTEES Ray Batchelor.. Chair Margaret Trotter-. Treasurer Tom Cottle Claudio Tedesco Gawaine Preston Samantha Marcus Gordon Pullenger The Trustees may appoint up to 3 more Trustees to joln the board, who will hold office for 3 years. Trustees carry out the management and operations of the charity in a voluntary capacity as there are no paid staff. Trustees do teach and perform at Queer Tango events and are eligible to be paid on similar terms a5 non-board members, however no Trustees were paid for their work. Trustees meet regularly to organi5e events and hold an AGM every year. Result5 for the year 2024 The charity raised income of £14,401, spent £13,138, and added £1,263 to reserves. At 31 December 2024 the unrestricted reserves of the charity were £11,039 Objertives For public benefst to promote and foster the understanding, and appreciation of queer tango and the values of equality, diversity and inclusivity associated with it. To advance education and learning in queer tango, in particular but not exclusively, by providing queer tango dance events, classes, demonstrations, performances, talks, lecture5, exhibitions, publications, and collaborative projects. To further such other purposes which may be charitable according to the law of England and as the trustees see fit from time to time. Achievements and Performance Queer Tango London practices queer tango, that is authentic Argentinian tango- the couple th dance which emerged from Argentina and Uruguay in the late 19 and early 20th cent(Jries - but danced without regard for the conventional male/female allocation of leader and follower role5 according to 8ender. Queer tanEo emerged out of and supports the LGBTQ community, but it can be and 15 danced by anyone Sympathetic to its aspirations. The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Events Through our partnership with Bishopsgate Institute, QTL hosted 28 milongas and practicas and delivered 9 further classes, workshops and milongas by invitation for other organisations including the Kings Cross Annual Summer Sounds Festival and LGBT History month events for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Financial Conduct Authority. We engaged Philip Bonczyk a UK queer tango teacher and sought to engage queer teacher/performers who also run international Queer Tango Festivals around the world. Our dancers meet them, and get to know about these important events, which are a growing phenomenon. The artists ran two classes at each event, at beginners and improver levels. They included Los Ocampo, Natasha Lewinger and Haris Mihail, Gaston Olguin and Manuco Firmani from Argentina and Uruguay, Manu Sanz, Ariadna Zaehn5dorfand Keila Luciano from Spain, Walter Perez from New York, and Ray Sullivan from Miami. For 50rne of the younger generation performers, we support them to perform professionally in the UK with fees and accommodation and help to build their reputation5 through introduction5 to other tango organisations. Trustee5 Ray, Sam and Gawaine were the regular teachers at our milonga5, Margaret and Claudio ran several classes and Claudio and Tom alternated as DJS. All Trustees represented the charity at festivals and milongas nationally and around the world. includlng Germany, Spain, France, Canada and Argentina Financial Revlewi prlnclpal risks and uncertainties The Statement of Financial Activities and Balance sheet show that reserves, at l January 2024 were £9,776. We added £1,263 surplus for the year bringing reserves to a total of £11,039 at 31 December 2024. Trustees have considered the current and future activities of the charity and the known level of incomè and expenditure and are satisfied that the level of reserves can Meet the commitfflents of the charity for the following year. Our principal income conslsted of participant fees for our cla55e5 and milongas. amounting to £12,301. We also raised £2,100 from engagements Wlth other organisations and charities. Costs of 13,138 included payments to teachers and performer5 of £4,140 and payments to Bishopsgate institute of £6,045 for rent and profit share. Trustees were reimbursed for expenses incurred but received no fees as DJS or for teaching classes. Our principal risks relate to the cost of premises hire and future comfflitments to performers. We have contracted with the Bishopsgate Institute to hold two events per month at a fixed minimum rent with shared profits, renewable annually. This stability of venue and costs means we can plan and contract In advance and therefore mitigate these risks. Events sincethe end of the year and futuro developrnents QTL continue to host 2 Friday milongas a month at BishopsEate Institute. running two classes at each, at beginners and at improvers levels. For 2024 we created and ran 6 "Tango Weekenders" in collaboration with Tango E14 who are open on Saturdays. We engaged International teacher/performers and advertised them broadlyto other UK Queer Tango organisations so that their dancers could plan weekend visits to London to meet and learn from the artists. The participating artists are Astrld Weiske from Berlin. Los Ocampo, Natasha Lewinger and Haris Mihail, Gaston Olguin and Manuco Firrnani from South Arnerica, and Alex Shnit from Israel. We are collaborating with queer tango festival organisers to hold our tirst International QueerTango Festival at Bishopsgate Institute in May 2025. The "Queer Tango Umbrella" collaborators are Astrid Weiske, foLAnder of the International Queer Tango Berlin festival- Manu Sanz and Arno Plass of Chamyou Queer, Valencia's queer tango festival- Ray Sullivan of Conexion, Miami's queer tango festival,. Gaston Olquin from Argentina and Birthe Hamoeller from Denmark, creator of the Queer Tango Project. OurAGM wlll be held on 26 October 2025. Trustees, Responslbllities Statement The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees. Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and UK accounts standards The Trustees must be satisfied that the financial Statements give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources. In preparing these financial statements the Trustees are required to: Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently- Observe the method and principle5 in the Charity SORP; MakejudBments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent,- Prepare the financial statement on the going concern basls unless It is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operatlon,. Approved by the Trustees on 26 October 2025 Slgned on behalf of Queer Tango London by.. Tf Ustee signature Trustee name MARGARET TROTTER /rf•-ZzQ QUEER TANGO LONDON STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD 13JANUARYT031 OECEMBER 2024 Unre5trlcted Funds Restrirted Funds 2024 2024 Total 2024 Total 2023 Incoming resource5 Charitable activities 14401 14401 13365 Total incoming resources 14401 14401 13365 Resources expended Charitable expenditure on.. Dance teachers and mucisicians Premises Bisopsgate Instutute Events Avertlsing, IT Legal and Donations Total resour¢es expended 4140 3140 2905 1868 1085 13138 4140 3140 2905 1868 1085 13138 2820 3654 1411 1489 12374 Net movement in funds 1263 1263 991 Brought forward funds 9776 9776 9776 Fund balances carried forward 11039 11039 10767 14 QUEER TANGO LONDON BALANCE SHEET 31 DECEMBER 2024 2024 2023 FIXED ASSETS CURRENT ASSErs Bankand Cash Debtors & Prepayments 14810 768 9178 3680 15578 12858 CREDSTORS . amounts falling due within oneyear Creditors 4539 3082 NET CURRENT ASSETS 11039 9776 NET ASSETS 11039 9776 FUNDS Restricted funds Designated funds Unrestricted funds 11039 9776 TOTAL FUNDS 11039 9776 Approved by the Trustees on 26 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by: Trustee signature Trustee llame: MARGARETTROTTER 15 QUEER TANGO LONDON NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 ACCoU￿1NG POLICIES l. Basis of preparatlon of flnantial statements The flnancial statements are prepared under the historical c05t convention and include the results of the charity's operations which are described in the Trustees Report and all ol which ale continuing. Tho accounts have been prepared In accordance with the St3tement of Recommended Practice, "Accounting and Reporting by Charlties with applicable accounting standards on the accrual basis. Fund Accountin& Risk and Re5erve5 Poll Unrestricted funds tompri5e accumulated surpluses and deficits on general funds. They are avallable for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general charitable objectives. Designatèd funds are amounts that have been set aside at the discretlon of the Executive Committee. RÈstficted funds are funds that are spent in accordance with specific restriction Imposed by the donors or which have been Fai5ed by the charity for specific purpose. The cost of raising and administrating suth funds is charged against the specific fund. Incoming resources Incoming resources represents the total income recelvable during the year comprising event sales and performance fee5. Rèsources expended Resources expended are Included In the Statement of Financial Activitie5 on an accruals basi5. Charitable expenditure comprises cost5 of artists fees and resources in furtherance of the charity's objects. Reserves at 131112024 Incoming Outgoing at 3111212024 Unrestricted £9.776 £14,401 £13,138 £11,039 Unrestricted funds are £11,039 Related Party Transactlons The Board of Trustees consist of queer tango dancers, teachers and Djs. Trustees are the voluntary workers of the charity and can also re￿1ve fees as dance teachers and performers on Similar terms as non-commlttee member5. No Trustee received remuneration for being a Trustee.