TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT Eden Place Arts Centre 1[st] April 2022- 31[st ] March 2023 Eden Place Arts Centre 1 ## **Overview** Established in 1993, Eden Place Arts Centre is a thriving community arts hub located within Pilots Row Youth and Community Centre, which is situated within the Bogside area of Derry City. Historically a flashpoint area for violence during the troubles, the Bogside is an area which suffers significant social and economic deprivation. The area has many problems associated with poverty and the legacy of the past. Anti-social behaviour, sectarianism, drug and alcohol abuse and dissident activity are prevalent. Eden Place Arts Centre (EPAC) is funded in kind by Pilots Row Centre, which is itself a joint provision between Derry City and Strabane District Council and the Education Authority, and by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through their Lottery Project Funding Programme. Other income is from course fees and in-house fund raising. ## **Aims and Purpose** Eden Place Arts Centre Constitution 2. Objectives: _2.1: The group is established to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the arts in the northwest area of Northern Ireland by the provision of support, advice, education, training and facilities._ The primary aim of EPAC is to provide access to the arts for all sections of our community. Through the provision of a wide range of arts and crafts classes, awareness raising arts projects and regular exhibitions, we engage with individuals of all ages, both able bodied and non-able bodied, marginalised groups and groups of adults and young people with wide ranging needs. We encourage participation in the arts for those who may not normally have that opportunity. This year we have worked with groups such as: Foyle Women’s Aid, The Act Group and Local Cross Community Youth and Amateur Artist Clubs Each year we focus on projects for Human Rights Day and International Women’s Day. Our core activities normally consist of arts and crafts classes offering tuition in different art forms such as: Painting, Woodcarving, Pottery, Sculpture, Printmaking, Sketching, Spinning and Weaving and Mosaic Art. We normally run these classes throughout weekdays and evenings for 26 weeks in the year, over 3 terms - Winter, Spring and Summer. These classes are funded by highly discounted fees from participants (on average £5 per two-hour class) and by our ACNI grants. The classes attract participants of all ages, including those with a range of disabilities, from the immediate Bogside area, as well as from Derry City and counties Eden Place Arts Centre 2 Derry, Tyrone and Donegal. In addition, we normally run extra courses and workshops (free admission) for specific groups such as Aware Defeat Depression, The Act Group, Youth Clubs and Foyle Women’s Aid. Our ‘Art for Good Health Course’ runs for 26 weeks throughout the year. It is free to anyone suffering from any type of health issue that feels art would enhance their life. Our space within Pilots Row, as well as its use for classes, is also a gallery space which we use to promote and support local artists some of whom who may not otherwise have the opportunity to access exhibition space. On average, we have a different exhibition each month. We also use this space to exhibit work by international artists, charities and local groups and to showcase projects undertaken during the year. At the end of each term we have an exhibition of work by the participants in our courses. ## **Purposes and Benefits** The direct benefits from our aims are the reduction in stress, anxiety, isolation and loneliness of our participants, through their involvement in creative activities, as well as boosting confidence and self-esteem as a result of achievement in new skills and knowledge along with awareness and appreciation of the arts. These benefits are demonstrated through positive end of term feedback from course participants and from their continued interest in enrolling for our classes. We continue to educate the public on issues through our arts projects throughout the year. We encourage young people to use art as a tool to effect change in the world around them. Examples of these are our Human Rights Festival and Fair Trade Schools Event and Workshops. We actively reached out to marginalised groups to work with on these projects. ## **Public Benefit** Eden Place Arts Centre aims to bring Art to the Heart of the community. Eden Place Arts Centre contributed to positive mental health and increased sense of wellbeing within the community by providing 2 terms of recreational arts courses throughout the reporting period. These courses are open to all in the community at a very low cost to enable access to the arts for all. We find that these courses provide: - A life line to people suffering from loneliness and isolation. - A safe space for creative expression. - A place to make new friends. - A time out from the stresses of life. - Access to an arts community At the end of each term, we provide a platform for each individual who took part in our term time courses to showcase their work. The showcase proves to be a major confidence boost for all participants. Obviously, the last couple of years has been extraordinary because of the Covid-19 Pandemic Eden Place Arts Centre 3 Thankfully we have been back in house since September 2021 and have grown audiences back to normal level. Below is an outline of activity from 1[st] April 2022-31[st] March 2023 **,** please note a lot of our projects are ongoing through until the end of June 2023. **Easter Student’s Exhibition** 11[th] -13[th] April. This exhibition contained work created in the term running up to the exhibition. The **Spring Term** ran in the following mediums: Painting for Beginners, Leather Bag Making Workshop, Ceramics, Woodsculpture, Mosaic, Landscape Painting, Palette Knife Painting Workshop, Spinning and Weaving Workshops, Marquetry Workshops, Inner Landscapes Abstract Art, Recreational Art. **Art for Good Health** ran a 6 week crafts course **DEEDS Exhibition** 6[th] -16[th] May **‘The Masked Artists’ Exhibition** 14[th] -16[th] June This group of students with special needs created prints and paintings for this exhibition. **Summer Student’s Exhibition** 27[th] -29[th] June. This exhibition contained work created in the term running up to the exhibition. Our **Autumn Term of 10 week courses** ran from September -December 2022 in the following mediums: Woodsculpture, Ceramics, Oil Painting for Beginners, Inner Landscapes Painting, Landscape Painting, Recreational Art, Iconography, Printmaking, Mosaic Art. **Art for Good Health** ran for 10 weeks in : Leathercraft, Ceramics and Card Making. This is a free course offered to people suffering from ill health to alleviate isolation and promote mental health and wellbeing. ## **Exhibitions** : **‘Foundations’** Exhibition by Eabha Mallett Coyle launched on Culture Night 23[rd] September and ran until 14[th] October 2022. **‘In Sunshine or in Shadow’** Exhibition by David Fahy 9[th] -25[th] November 2022. ‘ **Pathways out of Extreme Poverty** Photographic Exhibition by Concern Worldwide 5[th] -9[th] December 2022. **End of Term Christmas Student’s Exhibition** 14[th] -16[th] December 2022. **‘Injustice’** Exhibition by Paul Ruari Devine 23[rd] January-1[st] February 2023. Our annual **Human Rights Festival** ran from 5[th] -9[th] December, events as follows: 4 week **Card Making Workshops** with Pilots Row Youth Club, the cards were then sent to prisoners of conscience supported by Amnesty International. Eden Place Arts Centre 4 **‘Understanding our Rights’ 8 week Public Art Workshops** with cross community youth groups: Lincoln Court Youth Club, Curryneirin Youth Club, Bishops Street Youth Club and Pilots Row Youth Club. The young people worked on a public art piece that went on display for the duration of the festival. **Out of Time in our Place Art Happening** : Friday 9[th] December 4-6.30pm. **Film screening** ‘For Sama’ Friday 9[th] December. ‘ **Write for Rights card making coffee morning** Friday 9[th] December 11am-1pm. **Threads of Hope Arpillera Making Workshops** with Foyle Women’s Aid took place over a 6 week period between Nov/Dec 2022 and Jan 2023, it continues into February and will be launched on IWD 2023. **Crosóg Bride/ St Brigid’s Cross Making** Workshop took place on Tuesday 31[st] January. **New Year Term** of courses continued from Feb-April 2023 in the following mediums: Woodsculpture, Spinning and Weaving, Ceramics, Oil Painting for Beginners, Inner Landscapes, Landscape Painting, Recreational Art, Iconography, Beginners Printmaking, Mosaic Art. The **Art for Good Health Course** continued with Painting and Crafts. The **Gaudi Style Bench Project** with the ACT group ran from March through to the end of June. The **Mural project** with the young people from Pilots Row Youth Club ran from Feb-May The **Foyle Women’s Aid Textiles Project** continued in February and was launched on I.W.D 2023 in the ‘Hope Centre’ where it is on permanent display. ## **Exhibitions:** **Our Climate Challenge Exhibition** involving 25 students from North West Institute of Further and Higher Education ran from 14[th] -28[th] February. **Group Exhibition** of Textiles Work created by women from Foyle Women’s Aid launched on I.W.D 2023 in The Hope Centre. Eden Place Arts Centre 5 Our yearly programme comprises three main areas – 1. Term Time Courses, 2. Workshops and Community Projects, 3. Exhibitions. These are planned with reference to previous years’ experiences. Term Time Courses are a response to community demand. The term time courses also provide the Arts Centre with important revenue. Times and dates for every part of our project are planned a year in advance and budget worked out accordingly with agreement between Pilots Row Centre Manager and Eden Place Management Committee so that as soon as we receive confirmation of our grant aid we can start advertising. We plan our projects with the needs of our local community in mind and we target marginalised groups to help give a voice to the voiceless in our community. We build on previous relationships while also forging new partnerships thus providing quality arts experiences for all. Eden Place Arts Centre’s Management Committee, comprised of 9 local representatives, has a wealth of managerial, artistic and community experience. It meets bi-monthly. At Management Committee meetings reports are presented by the Chair, Arts Centre Co-ordinator and Treasurer. The Chair reports on general organisational matters. The Co-ordinator reports on the progress of courses, workshops, events and exhibitions, tutor involvement, audiences and student participation. All aspects of the Arts Centre are discussed and future events approved. The Treasurer presents income and expenditure spreadsheets and bank and petty cash reconciliations. A sub-committee of the Arts Co-ordinator, Finance Officer, Chair and Treasurer meet on a regular basis to deal with day-to-day running of the Centre. Three times a year the Management Committee is informed of the results of a satisfaction survey carried out by staff. Each project is managed by the Arts Centre Co-ordinator and overseen by the Management Committee. Eden Place has an established constitution with which all committee members are familiar. Many members of EPAC Management Committee and our Arts Centre Coordinator have received NICVA governance training. The financial running of Eden Place Arts Centre is in the first instance undertaken by the Finance Officer and the Arts Co-ordinator and supervised by the Treasurer on an ongoing basis. As detailed in the attached Financial Policy, best practice is followed in the handling of cash and cheques, in making payments to staff, tutors and suppliers, and in the maintenance of appropriate financial records. Monthly reconciliations are made of the bank account and petty cash. The financial records are examined by the Management Committee at the bimonthly meetings. At the end of the financial year (31st March), all records are passed for checking to the Centre’s accountants, who then produce an official Receipts and Payments Statement for production at the Annual General Meeting. The AGM is normally held in late April each year. Eden Place Arts Centre 6 ## **Achievements** Throughout the pandemic we adapted well to help keep the community spirits up by running online courses and exhibitions. The Arts Centre Co-ordinator delivered art packs to the participants of the Art for Good Health Group via a personal door drop. This year we have grown audiences in the arts and introduced many new participants to our arts activities. Due to our increased online presence, through our website and social media we are attracting more and more participants. We have also introduced new tutors and artforms to our arts centre through our many activities and projects. We have provided a platform for young artists to exhibit their work, helping them to grow in confidence with their artistic careers. Our exhibitions have been varied and have inspired many. Eden Place Arts Centre, Pilots Row Centre, Rossville Street, Derry, BT48 6LP Tel; 07902172080 Email; info@edenplaceartscentre.com Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland : NIC 100591 ## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** Eden Place Arts Centre is in possession of the following groups of assets: Office Furniture Workshop Furniture Darkroom and Camera Equipment Pottery Equipment Workshop Tools Eden Place Arts Centre 7 # **Eden Place Arts Centre Management Committee Established April 2011** ## **Majella Heaney Chairperson (Trustee)** Retired Further Education College Lecturer and course co-ordinator with 34 years experience **.** ## **Aileen Mac Manus Treasurer (Trustee)** Former Company Secretary/Director-Derry Journal Ltd ## **Stephen Ross Secretary** A former Quantity Surveyor with more than eleven years professional experience ## **Aideen Corr** Former P.R and Events Manager for Derry City Council ## **Members:** ## **Gus Hastings** Former manager of Pilots Row Centre **Mary Kennedy** Local Artist ## **Loraine McElhinney (Trustee)** Retired primary school teacher, lecturer, counsellor ## **Dr Helen Shiels** Management lecturer at University of Ulster ## **Review of Financial for Year 2022-2023** Total Receipts on unrestricted funds were £20521 of which £19265 were course fees. Restricted funds of £35087 were funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland. Expenditure on running term time courses and community projects was £53640. The net result for the year was £1968. Eden Place Arts Centre 8 |||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |Statement of receipts and payments-Year Ended 31 March 2023||||| |||||| |||||| ||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Funds**|**Total**
**Funds**|**Last**
**Year**| ||to nearest £|to nearest £|to nearest £|to nearest £| |**Receipts**||||| |Grants||35,087||29,069| |Donations|207|||181| |FundraisingIncome|459|||-| |Course fees|19265|||10,195| |Other income|590|||| |**Total Receipts**|20,521|35,087|55,608|39,445| |||||| |**Payments**||||| |Wages & Pensions||21,408||17,831| |Tutor fees & Materials||25,886||20,122| |Galleryexpenses||||-| |Exhibition expenses|583|||405| |Volunteer expenses||||-| |Other costs|5,763|||4,895| |**Total Payments**|6,346|47,294|53,640|43,253| |||||| |**Net Receipts/(Payments)**||||| |||||| |Transfers to/(from)funds|||1,968|3,808.00
-| |||||| |**Surplus /(deficit) for the year**||||| |||||| |||||| |**Reconcilation 31.3.2022**||||| |Cash at bank & in hand 31.3.2022|||31872|35,680| |Surplus/(deficit)thisyear end|||1,968|3,808
-| |Cash at Bank & in hand 31.3.2023|||33,840|31,872| Eden Place Arts Centre 9 EDEN PLACE ARTS CENTRE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YE￿ ENOEO 31 MIJICH 2023 RECEIPTS ARTS COUNCIL NI . LO￿ERy FUND DERRY CITY AND STRABANE DC COURSE FEES DRAWS AND RAFFLES OTHER INCOME DONATIONS 35086.55 300.00 19265.00 4S8.SO 290.24 206.67 55806.96 PAYMENTS GROSS WAGES EMPLOYER'S PENSION INSURANCES TUTOR FEES TRAINING EQUIPMENT ANO MATERIALS EXHIBITION EXPENSES STATIONER Y & OFFICE SIJPPUE8 FRAMED TO PERFECTION REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE KILN PACKING ADVERTISING & MARKETING PETTY CASH. MISCELLANEOUS BANK FEES AND WEBSITe CO8T8 ACCOUNTANCY FEES TRAVEL EXPENSES NICVA 20479.36 928.48 8B8.38 22045.00 475.00 3841.os 583.59 317.09 300.00 504.70 265.00 1948.95 148.23 374.$0 480.00 30.00 30.00 53639.J3 8URPLU¥ I I DEFICIT I F