2024-03-31-accounts - Switchflicker CIO

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Charity Number: 1202948

Switchflicker CIO

Report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

Switchflicker CIO Reference and administrative information

for the period ended 31 March 2024

Charity number 1202948

Registered office and operational address C/O Slade & Cooper Ltd Beehive Mill Jersey St Ancoats Manchester M4 6JG

Trustees Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Dr Monica Pearl Chair Dr Andrew Westle Deputy Chair Richard Barnes Treasurer

Key management Jayne Compton Executive Director

personnel

Bankers Santander Santander Business Banking Operations, Sunderland, SR43 4FW

Solicitors Laura Marsden, Counterculture Unit 115 Ducie House, Ducie Street, Manchester, M1 2JW

Independent Jennifer Daniel FCCA DChA, Slade & Cooper Limited Examiner Beehive Mill, Jersey St, Manchester, M4 6JG

Switchflicker CIO Trustees’ annual report

for the period ended 31 March 2024

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the charity’s constitution and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Objectives and activities

The objects of the CIO are

To advance the education of the public in the performing arts and to promote the performing arts in particular but not exclusively by producing, promoting, and touring high-quality contemporary work across the UK for the public benefit.

The ‘the performing arts’ includes music, dance, drama, and performance art.

Our main activities are to produce art projects and tour new work.

The charity’s main goals for the year 2022/2023 were to fundraise for, develop and present a programme of work by a wide range of live performance makers, and present this programme to as wide a public audience as possible. Everything Switchflicker CIO does is project-based. Some projects are artist-led, and some are conceived and led by Switchflicker CIO.

SWITCHFLICKER CIO:

Works locally, national and internationally
Is a leading producer of contemporary performance and interdisciplinary work in the Northwest
Connects emerging artists with established institutions / venues / festivals seeking to commission and present outstanding & diverse contemporary work
Produces challenging, diverse and inclusive arts practice and content
Develops producing practices that enable artists to overcome barriers to participation in the sector

The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. The trustees report the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity has brought to those groups of people that it is set up to help. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity's aims, objectives and activities remained focused on its stated purposes.

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.

Switchflicker CIO Trustees’ annual report

for the period ended 31 March 2024

Achievements and performance

The charity's main activities and who it tries to help are described below. All its charitable activities focus on producing art projects and touring new work and are undertaken to further Switchflicker CIO’s charitable purposes for the public benefit.

On 4 May 2023 Switchflicker became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and our financial year ends on 31 March 2024.

Switchflicker CIO’s activity during 2023/24 financial year was very busy, touring several new productions created and staged due to postponements from the pandemic years. We developed and delivered a mixed programme of live performances both indoor and outdoor, as well as workshops, talks, in-conversation, and digital performances for public benefit.

Our 23/24 projects championed the voices of artists who have been historically excluded and underrepresented in the arts, presenting urgent, bold cross-artform works to audiences in national and international contexts.

Key activity:

as british as a watermelon by mandla & Graham Clayton Chance toured to Julia Stoschek Collection in Berlin, Sharjah Biennial 15 in United Arab Emirates, The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and Theatrehaus G7 in Germany. The video installation and live show as british as a watermelon , examines systemic racism experienced by the artist in the process of migrating to the UK to seek asylum.
Ten Commandments by David Hoyle toured to Gaze Festival, Dublin and Homotopia Festival, Liverpool to sold-out shows on a national tour. The show explored issues around poverty, mental health, addiction, ageing and queer experience.
Closer to My Dreams by Chad Taylor was commissioned for the Without Walls 2024 programme. The show weaves poetry/rap with Hip Hop choreography to provide an intimate portrayal of the joys and struggles of urban Black British life.
Family Catwalk Extravaganza by Ghetto Fabulous toured to Eurovision in Liverpool, Eastleigh Unwrapped Festival, Peterborough Pride, Hat Fair, Timber Festival, Wonder Arts, Waterfoot Wakes, Certain Blacks, Deer Shed Festival, Stockton Internation Riverside Festival, Theatre Porto, Just So Festival and Greenwich + Docklands International Festival in London. The show is aimed at young people and their families to come together in a celebration of self-expression highlighting the LGBTQI+ community.

Ongoing

Organisational review of the charity’s strengths/weaknesses: As the industry slowly emerged from the pandemic with financial pressures due to rising costs and an increasingly challenging touring context, we are moving forward with a focus on trusts and foundations for multi-year funding to support the charity’s financial resilience and sustainability.
Representation: We affirm our commitment to focusing on producing work by artists from under-represented demographics, maintaining representation on our board, staff team, on and offstage freelance roles, and actively engaging audiences and participants from under-served and LGBTQIA+ demographics.

Switchflicker CIO Trustees’ annual report

for the period ended 31 March 2024

Beneficiaries of our services

The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commissionʼs guidance on public benefit when planning the programme of activity and determining how best to utilise funds raised.

The beneficiaries from our activities are the artists and creative team involved, and people experiencing the work as participants and audience members and through workshops/talks. We continue to actively try to increase the diversity of beneficiaries including staff, board, collaborating artists and practitioners, audiences and participants, and continue to implement our Diversity & Equality Policy.

Beneficiaries include:

Members of the public experiencing the work as audience members.

Artists working in a range of art-forms.

Other professionals working in the arts including producers, directors, choreographers, writers, photographers, production and technical personnel.

Funders and supporters of the work.

All the above are specific to each project but have a range of protected characteristics in terms of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Financial review

The financial statements show the current state of Switchflickers CIO’s finances for year ended 31 March 2024.

Switchflicker CIO’s principal sources of income are:

Earned: production fees and box office income from touring and presenting partners £61,250

Statutory: Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants in support of individual projects/programmes. £16,000

Fundraising: income through grants from trusts and foundations towards core and in support of individual projects/programmes. £4,230

The support of our partners is essential in our ability to continue supporting contemporary performance and interdisciplinary artists in the Northwest for local, national and international audiences. As most artistic projects are not self-supporting, the performing arts relies on a mixed economy of funding to survive.

Reserves policy

The aim of the reserves policy is to ensure that the charity’s ongoing and future activities are reasonably protected from unexpected fluctuations in its income and expenditure.

The trustees have examined the charity’s requirements for reserves considering the main risks to the organisation. In light of ongoing sectoral challenges arising from the wider economy and those specific to the performing arts sector, the trustees believe that the level of unrestricted funds held by the charity should be around £8,150 - which equates to 10% of turnover (£81,480).

Switchflicker CIO Trustees’ annual report

for the period ended 31 March 2024

Our current free reserves (excluding designated funds and fixed assets) are currently on target.

Plans for the future

Touring current projects for presentation in the UK and internationally, including Closer to My Dreams , as british as a watermelon , Family Catwalk Extravaganza and Ten Commandments .
Research and development of new touring work for 2026/27
The continuation of our work in supporting and developing creative talent to ensure a robust talent pipeline and promote workforce entry routes.
To expand our projects and services to best meet need, we aim to take work into schools to help the mental health and wellbeing children and young people post covid.

Structure, governance and management

Switchflicker CIO is managed by a board of trustees, chaired by Dr Monica Pearl.

Members of the board meet on a quarterly basis. Day-to-day management is delegated to the Executive Director Jayne Compton, who manages all project based freelance staff and artists.

The organisation is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered as a charity on 4 May 2023 in England and Wales.

The charity is constituted under a constitution 4 May 2023. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in note 6 to the accounts.

The board and senior team regularly review the skills, knowledge and experience required to properly govern the organisation including a skills audit. We are a newly formed charity and, in the future, when a need for new trustees is identified, we will follow the processes outlined in our Diversity and Equality Policy to match the knowledge and skills required and to increase representation at Board level. On 31 March 2023, of three trustees, 100% identify as LGBTQAI+ and 33% as female.

As set out in the Articles of Association new trustees are appointed by the existing trustees and a robust process is in place to advertise for or solicit new charity trustees, based on their skills, experience and what they can offer to the organisation alongside the other trustees. No other person or body is entitled to appoint a charity trustee, and we carefully follow our Articles and Memorandum of Association concerning the appointment and retirement of trustees.

We recognise the responsibilities placed by law on a trustee and a thorough induction process will be put in place for all new trustees which includes meetings with the Chair, senior team, and other Trustees, sharing the Trustee Code of Conduct, Memorandum and Articles of Association, the latest Annual Report and Financial Statements, past minutes, and reading materials and talking through processes and information on their role and responsibilities as a trustee.

Related parties and relationships with other organisations

There have been no related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure.

Funds held as custodian trustee on behalf of others

Not applicable

Switchflicker CIO Trustees’ annual report

for the period ended 31 March 2024

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity's financial activities during the period and of its financial position at the end of the period. In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, the trustees should follow best practice and:

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 and statements of recommended practice 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 charity will continue in operation

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on 26/11/24 and signed on their behalf by

Mr Richard Barnes

(Treasurer)

Independent examiner’s report

to the members of

Switchflicker CIO

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the period ended 31[st] March 2024 which are set out on pages 8 to 12.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 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 that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; and
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.

Jennifer Daniel FCCA DChA

Slade & Cooper Limited, Chartered Certified Accountants Beehive Mill, Jersey Street Manchester, M4 6JG

Date: 04 December 2024

Switchflicker CIO

Receipts and Payments Account

for the period ended 31 March 2024

Note Receipts Grants 3 4 Sub-total Total receipts Payments Legal support Sub-total 5 Total payments Transfer between funds Net receipts/payments Net receipts/(payments) before transfers Governance costs: Gross receipts from other charitable activities Payments relating directly to charitable activities	Unrestricted funds £ - 36,246 36,246 36,246 33,680 454 34,134 34,134 2,112 - 2,112	Restricted funds £ 20,230 25,004 45,234 45,234 36,750 - 36,750 36,750 8,484 - 8,484	Total funds 2024 £ 20,230 61,250 81,480
			81,480
			70,430 454
			70,884
			70,884
			10,596 -
			10,596

Switchflicker CIO

Statement of balances

as at 31 March 2024

Unrestricted Restricted Total funds funds funds 2024 Note £ £ £ Cash funds Bank and cash balances at start of year - - - Surplus / (deficit) shown on receipts and payments account 1,217 8,484 9,701 Bank and cash balances at end 1,217 8,484 9,701 of year Other assets Fund Debtors Unrestricted 895 Total other assets 895 Total Balances 1,217 8,484 10,596

Approved by the trustees on 26/11/2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Richard Barnes (Trustee)

Switchflicker CIO

Notes to the accounts for the period ended 31 March 2024

1 Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts & Payments basis.

2 Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity.

Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

3 Grants received

Grants received
Unrestricted £ National Lottery Project Grant - (Family Catwalk Extravaganza 2023) Without Walls - (Closer to my Dreams 2024) -	Restricted £ 16,000 4,230 20,230	2024 £ 16,000 4,230
		20,230

4 Receipts from charitable activities

Touring income	Unrestricted £ 36,246 36,246	Restricted £ 25,004 25,004	2024 £ 61,250
			61,250

Switchflicker CIO

Notes to the accounts for the period ended 31 March 2024 (continued)

5 Payments relating directly to charitable activities

Artist fees Production Costs Activity Costs Accomodation Costs Administration Costs Professional Costs Other Expenditure	Unrestricted £ 15,337 6,453 5,375 3,291 3,177 476 25 34,134	Restricted £ 29,704 6,348 271 406 21 - - 36,750	2024 £ 45,041 12,801 5,646 3,697 3,198 476 25
			70,884

6 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions

None of the trustees nor any persons connected with them received any remuneration during the year .

No trustees received travel and subsistence expenses during the year

No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year.

7 Outstanding debts and liabilities at 31 March 2024

As at 31 March 2024 there was no outstanding potential liability under any guarantee given by the CIO.

As at 31 March 2024 there was no outstanding debt owed by the CIO which was secured by a charge on any of the CIO's assets.

Switchflicker CIO

Notes to the accounts for the period ended 31 March 2024 (continued)

8 Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds

	Balance
	at 4 May				As at 31
	2023	Receipts	Payments	Transfers	March 2024
	£	£	£	£	£
General fund	-	36,246	(34,134)	-	2,112

Name of fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund

General fund Bank and cash balances available for general charitable activities.

8 Analysis of movement in restricted funds

Balance at 4 May 2023 £ Family Catwalk - Extravaganza project Closer to my - Dreams project Touring -	Receipts £ 16,000 4,230 25,004 45,234	Payments £ (16,000) - (20,750) (36,750)	Transfers £ - - - -	As at 31 March 2024 £ - 4,230 4,254
				8,484