LONDON YOUTH OPERA
Formerly known as W11 CHILDREN’S OPERA TRUST
ANNUAL REPORT
and
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
for the year ended 5 April 2024
LONDON YOUTH OPERA
Annual Report for the year ended 5 April 2024
London Youth Opera is constituted and governed by a Deed of Trust dated 7 April 1981, although the opera had then been in existence for ten years. A supplemental deed was added on 22 September 2008. It is a registered charity no. 282644. The trust changed its name during the last financial year and the name change was approved and registered with the charity commission July 2022. It is now known as London Youth Opera, its address is 122 Cheyne Walk London SW10 0ES.
The Trustees during the year to 5 April 2024 were:
Clara Andersson Chairman Francesca Beausang Treasurer Anne-Marie Gilis appointed 27.03.2024 Shadi Fahid Xanthe Steen Lindale Thompson resigned 25.02.2024 Helen Wakeman-Jones appointed 25.02.2024 Sloane Warren
The Board of Trustees appoints the Trustees for a term not exceeding five years. Once this term is complete the Trustee may offer themselves up for re-election. If re-elected they may continue for a further term with immediate effect.
The annual productions are co-ordinated by a voluntary management group, working together with the charity’s Administrator, who oversee the staging of the production. Through their extensive efforts, and those of a wide range of people, including the professional Music, Stage and Movement Directors, the Set, Costume and Lighting Designers, and, importantly, with the parents of performing children, the opera comes to life.
The principal object of the Trust is to produce opera performances by children, resident in greater London. Over forty new works have been commissioned for this purpose, more than by any other UK company. All are available to schools and youth groups worldwide. Details of each opera can be found on the London Youth Opera website.
In recent years, London Youth Opera has also developed an extensive Outreach Programme, bringing free workshops to state schools and other non fee paying schools as well as holding free performances for groups of local senior citizens and school groups.
We are now also in the initial stage of starting up an internship program for A-level, B-tech and gap year students interested in working behind-the scenes. In 2023 we have two candidates in the costume and lighting department, both former cast members.
An important aspect of LYO’s community involvement is our bursary programme. The availability of both full bursaries, and also of reduced subscription fees, ensures the participation of young people for whom the full subscription fee would be prohibitive. We offer bursaries to deserving young people from across London. The aim is to identify and encourage young people who would not otherwise have this extra-curricular opportunity. In the 2023 production 40% of our cast had full bursaries, this is a significant increase from a historic average of 25%.
The productions are funded by:
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Income from ticket sales
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Donations from individuals and charitable trusts & foundations
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Subscriptions from members of the cast
-
Programme sales and advertising income 5. Fund-raising activities
| The Trust & Foundations contributions for this year are: | The Trust & Foundations contributions for this year are: |
|---|---|
| The Band Trust | £ 23,000 |
| The Backstage Trust | £ 16,800 |
| The Artemis Charitable Foundation | £ 5,000 |
| The Schroder Charity Trust | £ 4,000 |
| The Wavendon Foundation | £ 2,000 |
The LYO performances take place in December, with rehearsals throughout the autumn term. The Music Director, and all in the creative team, the production team and orchestral players are paid fees. They are all professionals working in the theatre and opera world full-time.
During the pandemic years 2020 and 2021 we keept the charity going with two online commissions. This was hugely beneficial to our young cast and fully supported by the board. The productions were both online due to COVID restrictions, these allowed for participation by the young people with great mental heath benefits for the cast. It did however not generate sufficient income to cover the costs and depleted our reserves. This lead to the board deciding not to put on a production in 2022 to allow for a reset to fundraise and proper planning around the name change that was successfully completed by July 2022.
This year we were back on stage with our first in-person full-scale production since 2019, PANDORA’S BOX - music by Stuart Hancock and Libretto by Donald Sturrock, the composing teams third opera for the trust. This marked the relaunch of the company under our new name London Youth Opera. Rehearsals took place in St James’ Church, and in Colville Primary School both in London W11. The performances were held at the Susie Sainsbury Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music, Marlybone Road in London. The cast, all children aged 9 to 18, represented 17 of London’s 32 boroughs and 40% were supported by the trust with full bursaries. Alastair Chilvers was welcomed back as Music Director for his fifth season and Valentina Ceschi was appointed Stage Director for the production.
For this years production, as new initiative, we started a collaboration with Odyssey Festival Orchestra. 7 of our 10 musicians in the orchestra came from Odyssey Festival Orchestra, a training orchestra for musicians aged 18-30 who are masters students or recent conservator graduates.
For next year we are delighted to have secured a match funding donation of £10,000 that together with the gift aid receivable has the potential value to the trust of £25,000. This was raised in the first week of the following financial year and shows a very encouraging start to the fundraising effort for 2024/5.
Clara Andersson, (Chairman) On behalf of the Trustees
London Youth Opera
Independent Examiner’s Report to The Trustees of London Youth Opera
I report on the accounts of London Youth Opera (formerly W11 Children’s Opera Trust) (the “Charity”) for the year ended 5 April 2024 which are set out on the attached pages.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
As the Charity’s Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirements of section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the “Act) do not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charities Commissioners under section 145 of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charities 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 a 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 I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent Examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the Act: and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records
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have not been met
I draw attention to the Annual Report, forming part of these accounts, which explains the post year end fundraising activities of the Trust. Taking these matters into consideration, in my opinion, a proper understanding of the accounts may be reached.
Caroline Armstrong
Caroline Armstrong MA(Cantab), ACA 21 Hartswood Road London W12 9NE
13 May 2024
5 April 2024
| 5 April 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As at | As at | |||
| 5 | Aprll 2024 | 5 | April 2023 | |
| ~~N~~e~~t Assets:~~ | ||||
| Cash at CAF Bank | £ | 5,729 | £ | 4,181 |
| CAF Income Fund | £ | £ | 10,848 | |
| Accounts Receivable | £ | 12,500 | £ | |
| Total Assets | £ | 18,229 | £ | 15,029 |
| Less Designated Funds*• | £ | 17,500 | £ | 15,000 |
| Total Assets (net of Designated Funds) | £ | 729 | £ | 29 |
| Represented by: Accumulated Funds at 5 April 2023 (net of designated funds) |
£ | 29 | £ | 992 |
| Net surplus/deficit for year | £ | 3,835 | -£ | 1,575 |
| Change in Value of CAF Income Fund(+/- price per share) | -£ | 635 | £ | 612 |
| Increase/ Decrease in Designated Funds | -£ | 2,500 | £ | |
| Accumulated Funds (net of Designated Funds) 5 April 2024 | £ | 729 | £ | 29 |
.. Designated Funds are sized to cover those costs of future productions which have been committed to the year end including; venue hire, commission fee and fees for the Music Director and Production Team. Chairman Treasurer
1
5 April 2024
| Fiscal Year Fiscal Year |
|
| 2023/2024 2022/2023 |
|
| INCOME: | |
| Dona:ons £ 27,531.42 £ 5,051.42 |
|
| Subscrip:ons £ 11,900.04 £ - |
|
| Box Ofce £ 11,120.00 £ - |
|
| Grant £ 48,800.00 £ 2,000.00 |
|
| Business Sponsorship £ 5,000.00 £ - |
|
| Tax Recoverable £ 8,739.12 £ 590.00 |
|
| Miscellaneous £ 1,284.67 £ 256.02 |
|
| Adver:sing Sales £ 2,000.00 £ - |
|
| DVD and CD Sales £ 840.85 £ - |
|
| Total Income £ 117,216.10 £ 7,897.44 |
|
| £ 1,000.00 |
|
| EXPENSES: | |
| Set £ 11,972.92 £ - |
|
| Music (Includes Commision) £ 23,832.00 £ - |
|
| Venue / Rehearsal Space £ 24,445.20 £ 1,062.50 |
|
| Produc:on £ 23,311.53 £ - |
|
| Direc:on / Choreography £ 14,410.00 £ - |
|
| Administra:on Expense £ 6,104.20 £ 7,985.97 |
|
| Media Produc:on £ 1,642.80 £ 359.71 |
|
| Community Events £ - £ - |
|
| Events/Hospitality £ 547.22 £ 64.00 |
|
| Fundrasing £ 7,115.04 |
|
| Total Expense £ 113,380.91 £ 9,472.18 |
|
| Proft / Loss £ 3,835.19 -£ 1,574.74 |
|
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