2023-12-31-accounts

Registered Charity no: 247947

CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

Report of the Trustees and Receipts and Payments Accounts

Year Ended 31 December 2023

CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

~~Index to the accounts~~ Year Ended 31 December 2023

	Page
Chairman’s introduction	1
Report of the Trustees	2 - 5
Independent examiner’s report	6
Receipts and payments accounts	7
Statement of assets and liabilities	8

Chairman’s Introduction Year Ended 31 December 2023

The trustees’ report which follows presents the work of the Contemporary Art Society for Wales for the year ending December 2023.

This is my last year as Chair of CASW. I was elected to the role in 2017, after four years as Vice Chair, with the expectation that I would serve for five years – but a combination of circumstances led to me being re-elected in 2022. At that stage I agreed to continue as Chair for a further two years only, so at the AGM in 2024 I will be welcoming my successor.

As Chair I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and spending time with people who share an interest in art in Wales – and I have learned so much in the process. One of the many highlights was the 2018 exhibition which celebrated CASW’s distributed art collection. This remarkable exhibition, organised by Peter Wakelin, opened at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay and then toured to three other venues across Wales. It reached an enormous number of people (the total number of visits was 35,901) and generated great interest in the work of the Society.

The last seven years have been a busy time for CASW, with added difficulties caused by the pandemic. The numbers below give an indication of the variety and scale of activities during that seven-year period: 56 – number of artworks (grouped as 27 acquisitions) that CASW has gifted to public bodies in Wales

• 10 – number of public bodies that have received works from CASW

• 9 – number of postgraduate students who have received the CASW Student Award

• 7 – number of study tours abroad (despite 2 years without travel because of the pandemic)

• 26 – number of visits to exhibitions in the UK

• 80 – number of talks about art organised by CASW

Indeed, the final event of 2023 – a talk by the acclaimed animator Joanna Quinn – attracted a capacity audience who enjoyed an engaging presentation plus a practical demonstration of Joanna’s skill as an animator.

The future looks bright for CASW. The Executive Committee has adapted to the challenges of recent years; they have worked with great commitment, and I’m sure they will continue to do so. In addition, a very generous gift from Bryan Hibbard’s estate offers opportunities for new developments in the years to come.

Thank you to all members for supporting CASW. Please spread the word and encourage others to join.

Sandra Harding

March 2024

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CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

~~Report of the Trustees~~ Year Ended 31 December 2023

The trustees present their report with the financial statements for the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023. The trustees have followed the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and related guidance.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Charity number 247947

Principal address

Southview, 1 Cefn Coed Crescent, Cyncoed, Cardiff. CF23 6AT

Trustees in alphabetical order

S E Bowkett D C Brook C Childs I Y Davies G R Davies G D Foy S Harding R C Hennion E Hicks – elected 29 July 2023 P Jenkins – elected 29 July 2023 A J Parker – retired 29 July 2023 J F Points D Robbins G S Roper A Salisbury J Salisbury C Thomas – elected 29 July 2023 P F Vining S Ll Williams F B A Woodley – retired 29 July 2023

Independent Examiner

Williams Ross Limited 4 Ynys Bridge Court Gwaelod y Garth Cardiff CF15 9SS

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CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

~~Report of the Trustees~~ Year Ended 31 December 2023

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its constitution and rules, first adopted in 1967 and last amended in 2022. The objects are ‘to foster and promote engagement with, and appreciation of, the visual arts among the people of Wales’.

Induction of new trustees

New trustees are invited to join the Executive Committee by recommendation from existing members and by nominations from the members of the Society in general. The Executive Committee takes the responsible position of focussing on the skill-set required to fulfil the tasks of the Society and how those are matched by prospective trustees offering their services.

Code of Conduct and practice

A Code of Conduct and Practice incorporating Conflicts of interest, Investment Policy and Financial Controls, and Risk Management was adopted in 2023. The Executive Committee has an indemnity insurance and general cover which takes into consideration the range of activities undertaken and age of the membership.

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Support for the visual arts, including educational and social activities

In 2023 CASW was able to return to a full range of activities following the complications caused by the pandemic in previous years. The Tuesday evening talks, free and open to the public, continued as online events for the first half of the year and then moved to in-person events in the autumn. The online format allows wide participation via Zoom and live streaming, thus extending outreach, and recordings of the events have been added to the CASW YouTube channel. The in-person events, in Cardiff University, allow opportunities for social interaction. We plan to follow a similar delivery plan for the Tuesday evening talks in 2024.

Artists Joanna Whittle, the gentle/radical collective, Elza Tantcheva-Burdge, Susan Adams, Emma Bennett and Casper White contributed to the CASW Tuesday evening talks this year.

The Saturday illustrated talks for members in Lisvane Memorial Hall continue to be popular. In the first half of the year Hugh St Clair explored the lives of Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines. This was followed by Dr Ceri Thomas celebrating the work of Joan Baker, Kyffin Williams, Ogwyn Davies and Ernest Zobole, and Morfudd Bevan reviewing the 131 artworks that CASW has gifted to the National Library of Wales. In the autumn Rosie Hennion Clement and Dr Peter Wakelin discussed researching and writing artists’ biographies; David Moore explored the life and work of Ray Howard-Jones; and Joanna Quinn talked about the art of animation and her career as an animator.

During 2023 CASW offered study tours to Paris and to Scotland – a chance for members to explore galleries and discover exhibitions in the company of friends. The Paris travellers visited seven museums in five days. The travellers to Scotland were equally adventurous, dividing their time between the Isle of Bute, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In addition CASW organised day visits to Bath (to view exhibitions by Lucie Rie and Kaffe Fassett) to Brecon (to see the work of David Jones plus artists of the Llanthony Valley) and to Fishguard (to hear David Tress talk about his paintings). Details of the study tours and visits were captured in the annual CASW Newsletter, distributed to all members in January 2024.

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CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

~~Report of the Trustees~~ Year Ended 31 December 2023

All events - whether talks, day visits or study tours – have a social element. This year the Annual Dinner returned to The Classroom, part of Cardiff and Vale College, where, in an after-dinner talk, Geraint Talfan Davies explored aspects of the Welsh Government’s plans for a national contemporary art gallery. Earlier in the year CASW contributed to discussion at the Senedd about the Welsh Government’s dispersed model to allow greater access to the national collection and contemporary art by communities across Wales, and the Chair has accepted an invitation to join a stakeholder group to help inform these developments.

During 2023 CASW established a working group to consider how the Society could engage with its members going forward. Following a questionnaire to members, the working group produced a draft strategy document outlining ways of increasing membership and of increasing the profile of CASW within the contemporary art scene in Wales. Developing CASW’s engagement with social media was seen to be a key consideration. Work on developing CASW’s website – covering redesign of all aspects including the acquisitions database - has continued during the year.

Annual awards

The 2023 CASW Student Award of £1,500 was given to Seren Ambrose-Ellis, a post-graduate Student at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, as part of a rolling programme across post-graduate courses in Wales.

The 2023 CASW National Eisteddfod Purchase Prize was awarded to Jonathan Retallick and Shauna Taylor for four paintings selected by, and gifted to, Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw near Pwllheli.

During the year CASW supported the biennial international Artes Mundi programme which included an exhibition presented at five venues across Wales. In addition, CASW sponsored a project linked to contemporary Welsh art, organised by Engage Cymru and the National Arts & Education Network, to support the introduction of the new curriculum in Wales. This classroom resource will be available to schools next year.

Gift of artworks to the Society

During the year CASW gifted two powerful artworks by Rozanne Hawksley to Amgueddfa Cymru: Interesting War News (1980-81) and Poppy Day (2007). These works have been added to CASW’s distributed collection, an arrangement made possible through the generosity of Rozanne Hawksley’s estate.

Public benefit

The trustees have reviewed the Charity Commission’s guidelines on public benefit and agreed that CASW has fulfilled its objectives as set out in the constitution.

ADDITIONAL MATTERS

Towards the end of 2023 CASW received an interim distribution of £107,003 from the estate of Professor Bryan Hibbard who died in 2021. Bryan was CASW Vice Chair from 2002-2007 and President from 2008-2018. He and his wife Elizabeth supported CASW in many ways, including organising study tours for members. The Executive is currently exploring ways in which this generous gift could be used for the Society; details will be reviewed once the final distribution is known.

AGM

The AGM was held on 29th July at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea. The following members retired from their posts on the Executive Committee: Arthur Parker (after two terms, during which he served as the Society’s Secretary) and Dr Frances Woodley (after her first term, during which she

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CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

~~Report of the Trustees~~ Year Ended 31 December 2023

coordinated the production of the Newsletter and the Annual Report). Professor Gerda Roper, who had reached the end of her first term, had agreed to stand for re-election.

Eryl Hicks, Dr Peter Jenkins and Dr Ceri Thomas were elected as members of the Executive Committee. Professor Gerda Roper was also re-elected.

Dr Judith Foy, who had served two terms on the Executive Committee during which time she had organised over 90 speakers and many study tours, was elected as a Vice President.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

The charity regularly reviews its investments and reserve levels to ensure that it has sufficient funds to operate in the forthcoming year. This is estimated to be £25,000. This amount is held separately in National Savings & Investment Bonds.

Investment policy and objectives

The Society regularly reviews where its cash balance is held to ensure it is maximising its investment returns. As requested at the AGM in 2023, the Executive has reviewed CASW’s banking arrangements to explore the ethical status of current arrangements.

FUTURE PLANNING

• To continue the CASW Student Award and the CASW National Eisteddfod Purchase Prize

• To develop the ideas proposed by the Membership Working Group

• To complete the redevelopment of CASW’s website

• To use the Hibbard gift to further CASW’s objective to support art in Wales

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 13th March 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Sandra Harding

S Harding - Chairman

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 December 2023, which are set out on pages 7 and 8.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charites Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Charites Act);

• to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charites Act); and

• to state whether particular matters have come to our attention.

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

• 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirement:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charites Act; and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charites Act have not been met.

or

• 2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

John B Chown FCA Williams Ross Limited Chartered Accountants

4 Ynys Bridge Court Gwaelod Y Garth Cardiff CF15 9SS

Date: 26 March 2024

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CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

Receipts and Payments Accounts Year Ended 31 December 2023

Receipts Subscriptions Sale of prints / catalogues Donations, legacies and other receipts Bank and bond interest Advertising and contributions CASW lectures and events Study Tours Gift aid Payments Printing and stationery Postage and communication Administration Advertising and promotion Independent examiner’s fees CASW lectures and events Study Tours Grants Net income / (expenditure) Cash funds at beginning of year Cash funds at end of year		2023 £ 9,070 898 107,229 1,729 655 9,947 9,786 1,370 140,684 3,677 978 2,200 130 720 6,807 3,640 9,500 27,652 113,032 47,317 160,349		2022 £ 9,501 681 332 241 540 8,133 3,899 1,302
				24,629 3,836 1,106 3,421 - 720 6,577 587 6,500 22,747 1,882 45,435
				47,317

The total funds for both years are unrestricted.

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CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY FOR WALES (CYMDEITHAS CELFYDDYD GYFOES CYMRU)

Statement of assets and liabilities As at 31 December 2023

Cash funds Bank balance Investment assets NS&I Bonds	2023 £ 160,349 2023 £ 25,000	2022 £ 47,317
		2022 £ 25,000

The total funds for both years are unrestricted.

The financial statements were approved by order of the board of trustees on 13 March 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

S Harding S Harding - Chairman

S Ll Davies

S Ll Williams - Secretary

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