Company registration number". N1601058 Charity registration number.. l 01876 Bruiser Theatre Company (A covnpany limited by guarantee) Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended ) l March 202)
Bruiser Theatre Company Contents Reference and Administrative Details Strategic Report Trustees, Report 3to 18 Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities 19 Independent Examinerfs Report 20 Statement of Financial Activities 21to22 Balance Sheet 23 Notes to the Financial Statements 24to33
Bruiser Theatre Company Reference and Administrative Details Truslees Miss Rosie Timoney (Resigned 31 December 2022) Mr Adam Boughton Knight Mr Joseph Rea Mr Aidan Kearney Miss Le-Ann Campbell Ms Aoife Browne Miss Laura Johnston Miss Marie O'Donoghue Diana McKeown Miss Ella Griffin (appointed 17 July 2022} Mr Colin MO Ili (appointed 16 February 2023) Ms Kirsten mCGalty (appointed 16 February 2023) Secrelary Lisa May Principal Office 83 University Street Belfast Antrim BT71HP The charity is incorporated in Northern Ireland. N1601058 Company Regislration Number Charity Registration Number 101876 Independeni Examiner Baxtenvorld Ltd Chartered Management Accountant Unil J Dargan Induslrial Park 60-84 Dargan Crescent Belfast BTJ 9JP Page I
Bruiser Theatre Company Strategic Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 The trustees. who are directors for the purposes of company law. present their strategic report for the year ended 31 March 202J, in compliance with s414C of ihe Companies Act 2006. Financial review Income in the year was £?62,012 and expenditure tolalled £?02.30J giving a surplus of £59,709. Total funds at the end of March 2J Ii'ere £184.569. Restricted funds totalled £79,456, unrestricted and designated funds totalled £105,1 IJ at the close of the period. Policy on reserves It is the view of the Board of Direclors that Bruiser operate prndently and effectively within the parameters of the financial resources 'hICh were available. Brulser's Trustees were particularly mindful of the need for efficiencies and financial prudence given the probability of growing competition in funding rounds. limilalions to box office potential and limited venue operations. in the Nvake of Covid-19. In 2016117 Bruiser established a policy of building company reserves to a minimum of three months operating costs and we ivere pleased to achieve this once again in 20?2123. With this in Mind, the Bruiser Trustees have agreed to increase the designated reserves policy to a minirnum of four and a half months operating costs going fon¥ard. Principalfunding sources Bruiser was supported by Belfast City Council. the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. the National Lottery, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Future Screens NI fund. Queens University and the Victoria Homes Trust during the year. The strategic report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 13 December 2023 and signed on it5 behalf by: Mr Joseph Rea Trustee Page 2
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report The trustees, who are directors for the puryjoses of company law. present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended ) l March 2023. Truslees Miss Rosie Timoney (Resigned 31 Decem[ 2022) Mr Adam Boughton Knight Mr Joseph Rea Mr Aidan Kearney Miss Le-Ann Campbell Ms Aoife BrOe Miss Laura Johnston Miss Marie O'Donoghue Diana McKeow Miss Ella Griffin (appointed 17 July 2022) Mr Colin Morelli (appointed 16 February 202)) Ms Kirsten McGarrity (appointed 16 February 202J) Objectives and activities Objects and aims Founded in 1997, Bruiser aims to produce innovative live perfomlance combining text and physical theatre techniques. Bruiser Theatre Company strives to be recognised as Northem Ireland's leading Physical Theatre Company delivering inspiring and uplifting theatre and equipping the next generation of perforn)ers with the skills and know-how to work effectively within the industry. Brulsevs Principal Funder in 2020-21 was Belfast City Council. the National Lottery and the Arts Council of Northem Ireland and as such contributes to: - Promoting the Value of the Arts - Strengthening the Arts Growing Audiences and Increasing Participation Bruiser takes a professional and ethical approach to the management and governance of the company to deliver quality productions, education and training w'ork. In pursuit of this Bruiser aim5 to- treat all of its stakeholders with the highest level ol integrity and gain the respect of all those individuals and organisations with which it interacts be challenging and courageous in designing and developing the artistic programme provide an entertaining and enjoyable experience for its audiences Page i
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Artistically BruiseV5 aims are to- - to Use minimal set for maximum itnpact - to further explore the notion of the actor. enforcing himiher as the central mechanism of perfortnance to streamline and explore the relationship bet%Yeen the essential dynatnics of theatre. the actor, the space and the audience to encourage an environment for the exchange of ideas and collaboration between arts practitioners in production make a commitment to touring, workshop development and teaching to encourage a greater access to theatre to produce a consistently high quality product Public benefit The Trustees are committed to providing a public benefit, and have taken into account the Charity Commission's guidance in this area. We believe that producing high quality. engaging work that attrdcts traditional and non-traditional theatre-goers, diverse in age and background: enhances our audiences quality of life, as ivell as fostering a more general appreciation of the arts. By working extensively with Northern Ireland's next generation of talenL we are also creating a legacy from which many other theatres, and the sector at large. will benefit. Bruiser's Annual Funding was cut by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland by IOO/o in 2018. With a healthy reserves policy. and strong leadership from the Bruiser Board and Artistic Director, Bruiser continues with vigor: passion and deterniination The trustees confirni that they have complied with the requirements of section J of the Charities Act (Northem Ireland} 2008 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Page 4
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Our work in 2022123 includes: Productions Mojo Mickybo by Owen Mccafferty All Ireland and UK Venue Tour MarchlApril 2022 In April 20?2, Bruiser completed their UK and Rol venue tour of Mojo Mickybo. This production was funded by ACNI National Lottery Fund and Culture Ireland. The tour included a one week run in The Union Theatre, London, before retuming to Northern Ireland for a homecoming run at The MAC, Belfast. CAST Michael Condron - Mojo Terence Keeley - Mickybo CREATIVE TEAM Lisa May -Director Owen Mccafferty -PlaVrIght Stuart Marshall - Set Designer Garth Mcconaghie -music and Sound Designer James C McFetridge -Lighting Designer PRODUCTION TEAM Produced by Bruiser Theatre Company Lisa May - Producer Peter Heenan -Producer Stephen Quinn -Production Manatrer Ronan Mcmanus -Assistant Produciion Manager Anita Gibney -PR & Marketing Liam McMullan- Tour Booker JAM Carson -scenic Constructlon TOUR SCHEDULE The Garage Theatre. Monaghan The Old Courthouse, Newtownabbey Marketplace Theatre, Arniagh The Playhouse, Derry Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk The Source Arts Centre, Thurles Dean Crowe Arts Centre, Westmeath Union Theatre. Southwark The MAC, Belfast Bruiser received excellent critical and audience feedbacL with 4* and 5 reviews across the board. Page 5
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report SAMPLE REVIEW - Everything Theatre - Union Theatre Mojo (Michael Condron) and Mickybo (Terence Keeley) are nine year-old boys who become friends in Belfast in the summer of 1970. The setting foretells all you need to know about how this friendship is to be affected by events, which are totally out of their control. There is a really clever introduciion to ihe young boys. which gets revisited towards the end= they almost sing-song their names and change the order to "Mickybo Mojo. or "Mojo Mickybo" For me, this had two strong aspects. Firsi, it really entwines ihe boys: tooeiher they are Mojo Mick"ybo, and you can imagine them always both being underfoot. Secondly. it shows that these youngsters are the same. No matter their background, no matter the tradition in which they have been brought up, they are just two lads growing up in the same place. interested in the same things- wanling a hut to Ilve in and to eventually grow up to be like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. riding off to Ausiralia. The play tears along, thanks in no small part lo the sharp direction of Lisa May. and also the sheer energy coming from the two actors. Each of ihem plays muliiple roles- scenes and characters change with a literal twirl. An exaggeration of body language works to great effect. showing the small young lads cornpared to the bigger, older bullies (well named as Gank the Wank and Fuckface). and this culrninates in a spectacular fighL where it's hard to believe there are only tsvo actors on stage. The physical theatre. the comic timing. the choreography behind this is absolutely top notch. On top of that. the ease with which Keeley transfonns into Mojo's mother and Condron into Mickybo's father is hugely impressive. moving from childhood innocence and games into world and specifically Northern Ireland - weary adulthood. Suffice it to say. both Condron and Keeley are superb. From the start it is clear that the actors are going to take us on a journey, and we need to pay attention to their physicality and their language- to learn some Northern ITlSh dialect as we go along. The play, direction and delivery all help. but it's clear that an audience prepared to put in a small aTnount of work will get a little more from the shoM', and the produciion trusts and respecis its audience to go '1th this. I felt very invested, and found myself getting really tense as the play went along. Even as I laughed (and boy did I lau a lot - the play is genuinely funny). there was a troubling sense of dread throughout. and then sadness when the inevitable result of sectarianism finally occurred. Stuart Marshall's set design is deceptively simple. Before the show begins, it evokes menace from a barricade constructed on the streets of Belfast, the design wordlessly and effeciively setting the scene. Garth Mcconaghie's sound is used to great effect throuohoul. but in partlcular as the boys play-act as cowboys. Additlonally, the show offers a really slick digital programme. avallable through scanning a QR code, and delivered by email shortly aftenvards. It is one of the belter programmes I've seen in a while, providing a lot more than a listing of cast and crew. It includes sections about the theatre company. about the play itself and a really interesting Director's Note. This play is an enjoyable, thoughtful production: smarl funny and ultimately sad, with superb acting. I loved every minute spent with Mojo Mickybo. *
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report AWARDS Bruiser received two nominations from the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards for their production of Mojo Mickybo.. l ) Best Director- Lisa May 2) Best Ensemble The judges cited their criteria as: "Excellence.. brilliance, superiority, dlslinclion. quality and merii. Innovalion and risk must come into the equation as theatre is all about creaiivity and therefore inventiveness, resourcefulness, vision, imagination, inspiration and originality., very high bar. These nominations put Brniser in the company of Ireland's very best theatre despite the unprecedented times for the industry and the challenges Bruiser itself has faced. Bruiser subsequently won the Best Ensemble Award which was the only am'ard given to a Northern Irish Company in 2022. Friel Reimagined April 2022- March 2023 Throughout the year, Bruiser worked in partnership with Queen's University, Belfast on Friel Reimagined. Supported by the National Lottery Heritaue Fund and The Steel Charitable Trust. this 15 a unique drama research and engagement project based on the work of acclaimed Irish plaright Brian Friel (1929-2015). Led by Dr Paul Murphy, the project worked to di(Fitise a selection ol Friel's papers held at the National Library of Ireland, and open them up to connect diverse audiences with the legacy and WTltinus of Friel. The project was based at the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen's University, who worked with Bruiser in the design and delivery of the outreach aspect of the project. Over the course olthe year we: brought participatory drama workshops and courses to the folloivino post-primary schools across Northem Ireland.. Sacred Heart Grammar School. Newry: Hazelwo(Kl Integraied College, Belfast; Dominican College, Portstewart; Coleraine Grammar School: St Joseph's College. Belfast; Belfast Boys Model School; and local schools in Derry as part of a public exhibition of archival papers at The Gulldhall. Derry. - Worked with four groups from Hydebank Wood College and Women's Prlson on themes and issues relevant to them, explored in the works of Brian Friel. Held a series of public workshop courses in Belfast, Deny, Portstewart and with immigrantlmigrant communities in Dungannon. Delivered a Summer intensive exploring five Friel plays in five days. for young people at The Brian Friel Theatre at Queen s University.. Belfast. Developed a series of video resources to help teachers and community leaders explore the works of Brian Friel practically, beyond the lifetime of the project. In our practical workshop sessions, participants got to try out physical theatre (often for the first time), explore the themes of Friel's play5, devise their 01 creative ideas and share their work with the group. Bruiser's approach involves everyone, so participants didn't need Prior acting experience or knowledge of drama to enjoy the workshops. Feedback from workshoplcourse participants included- "I lean)ed how sitting down doing a play can be $0 fun & funny. I got confidence to act and read in front of people. I couldn't ask for better teachers... l am going to miss the class and people. We had a good group. Thank you so so much. I hope to be part of another class." Page 7
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report "Enjoyed thi5 much more than what I thought I would. Got to know other people better and it boosted my confidence." '1 wasn't sure about joining though once I did I really enjoyed learning about the play and I had a great lau with the guy5: great people. 'A fantastic four weeks - Delving into the themes of the play and the 'red thread, that connects us all was insightful and at times very emoiional., Commission.. Die Hard December 2022 - March 202J In December 2022, Bruiser secured funding from ACNI National Lottery's Commissioning Programme to develop a stage adaptation of the culi classic 'Die Hard,. Bruiser commissioned playwright Gary Mitchell to work alongside Bruiser's Artistic Direclor Lisa May in the development of this new piece of work. The research and development of this pr(Kluction is scheduled to conlinue into 202J124, with plans to programme the show once complete.
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Arts Academy July- August 2022 The Bruiser Art5 Academy, our annual 5ertes ol Professional development course5 for young people and .h this project. Bruiser delivered three course5 for emerging artists retumed for Summer 2022. Throu(p participants of different ages and abilities: START Academy a week-long entry level course is desioJed for young people who love the idea of performing, biit may not have had ihe chance to be on stage before. This course aiins lo build confidence through performance and is open to referrals from teachers and community leaders to help reach young people who would most benefit. Summer School -an intensive ten-day professional training course for young people with a passion for the perfonning arts. This course is designed to inspire and challenge young actors, providing them with the building blocks required to further pursue their actin£ ambilions. The Brniser team are joined by a range of local induslry professionals to coach and guide panlclpanls. holding them to a high standard of practice and providing essential experience and insight into the working world. Graduate Academy -an intensive tw'elve-day training course for young adults with a passion for the performing arts, Nvho are serious about their career. The Graduate Academy is aimed at actors aged 18+ who are preparing for Drama School, are attending further education. have graduated or are professional actors wanting to enhance their skills. The course culminates in a shoivcase perfonnance for local industry professionals. The Bruiser Arts Academy wa5 delivered in partnership with Queen's University, Belfast who provided in-kind space for both course delivery and showcase perfonnances. Further collaboration with Queen's University included the engagement of their undergraduate Drama students a5 project intern5 students of QUB gained hands-on experience in workshop facilitation and project planning/management. Participants worked with local professional theatre practitioners on actin& singing and dancing -delivered as a 'crash course, aimed at boosting confidence/self esteem. as well as developing their performance skills. We specifically targeted participants from areas of disadvantage and those who may experience barriers to arts engagemen¢ in an effort to improve access and diversify our audiencelparticipant base. In doing so, we delivered drama 'OrkshopS to schoolslcommunity centres to aid recruitment and encourage participatioi) from young people with little-no previous experience. Bursary places were also offered to young people through schools, community groups and charities working with young people. These included Action Deaf Youth Northem Ireland, Cara Friend (LGB TQ+) and local schools: community centres and youth groups. This helped raise our profile, developing new relationships within the wider charity sector. In delivering the project we were able to offer training opportunities for entry-level young professionals, as well as involve volunteer intems in our work. This enabled young people to gain work experience in workshop facilitation and project management -two areas of the arts that are hard to break into without prior credits or a high profile amongst the sector. Participant feedback from The Bruiser Arts Academy 2022 included: "(My favourite part wa5) getting to perfortn in a real theatre and have such a dwamic range of piece5 to learn; even pushing myself out of my comfort zone with dancing and singing ha5 been a real great opportunity." "Thank you so much for giving me this incredible opportunity and being so friendly and kind. I've loved every second of ihis experience and hope I'll be able to do ihings like this in future too. Page 9
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report "I've learned more in the past two weeks aEK)Ut acting and the industry than I have in tny life... l am immensely grateful for everything I have learned and feel vnore confident in where I can go from here to continue learning and improving." Page 10
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Vitsl Connect September 2022- March 2023 With the support of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. BTUi5er launched a )'ear-long pilot of Vital Connect in September 2022 -our m05t ambitious education project to date. Vital Connect offered four partner schoo15 a physical theatre "shot in the arn), aiming to boost resilience and liberate the imaginations of young people in disadvantaged areas. Over the course of the year we delivered bespoke workshops. inler-school engagement, mentoring, in-school performances and access to on-demand digital educational resources. The resul1= high quality arts provision across Northern Ireland. For the year-long pilot, we partnered with: Si. Catherine's College. Annagh; Limavady High School, Limavady; Glastry College, Newtownards; and St. Ronan's College, Lurgan. "The Arts & Education panel members are particularly pleased to support this work because of Bruiser's track record of working with schools, and the potential for this project to have a w ide and positive impact on drama education in Northern Irish secondary schools." -The Paul HarnlJTr Foundation Feedback from participating schools included= "A wonderful experience. It has enriched the learning of the students beyond anjthing I thought P055ible. They are more engage(L committed and enthused by the experience. I could not recommend Bruiser highly enough." . St. Catherine's Colleue. Armagh 'Working with Bruiser has uiven pupils the opportunity to see that performance work is made and produced here... Working with Nl practilioners shom's ihem that these roles are possible for them and gives them achievable aspirations. The facilitators have all engaged and enthused our pupils... I can see this in practice in class already. This has been such a worthwhile experience." Limavady High School. Limavady "Vilal is such an apt name as you have been a brilliant support to our drama department." Newtownards Glastry College, "I have worked in Northern Ireland as a drama teacher for 17 years and the constsnt creative support provided by Bruiser has been invaluable to the teaching of Drdma for my GCSE and A-Level students." St. Ronan s College, Lurgan Through Vitsl Connect, Bruiser onboarded a full-lime Ediica(ion Officer. The increased capacity puts us in a strong position to continue our long standing reputation as Northern Ireland's leading theatre company working within the education sector. Bruiser in a Box - Teechers by John Godber September - October 2022 In October 2022, we delivered a 'Brui5er in a Box, tour ol Teechers by Joh1] Godber to fifteen post-primary schools across Nl. Bruiser has a lonu.5tanding commitment to arts education, and this project is crucial for promoting the engagement of young people in the arts. CAST Nuala McGowan - Lillian 'Hobby' Hobson Cairiona McFeely - Gail Saunders Eugene Evans - lan 'Salty' Salt Pagell
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report CREATIVE TEAM Lisa May- Director Emma Copland -Assistant DirectorlEducation Advisor James C McFetridge -Lighting Designer Louise Dunne -set & Costume Designer Katie Richardson -music and Sound Designer PRODUCTIOIN TEAM Produced by Bruiser Theatre Company Lisa May -Producer Peter Heenan - Producer Ronan Mcmanus - Production Manager Anna Royle -Arts Administration Noora Helin -Development Officer Cheryl 0'Der -_ Education Olficer Robert Crawford -Drama Facilitator Emma Copland -Education Advisor Fast-moving, inventive and highly entertaining.. Teechers is John Godber's brilliant take on life at a modern Comprehensive. Through their hilarious end-of-temi play, three Year I Is exuberantly sketch the new drama teacher's progress through two ternis of recalcitrant classes. cvnical colleagues and obstructive caretak'ers. Disillusioned: he departs for the safe waters of a private school. and leaves behind his student5, whose youthful irreverence gives wa). to despair. Brought to the stage by Bruiser Theatre Company with high energy, break-neck comedy and breathtaking ensemble perforn]ances, Teechers is a vnodern classic with 50Tnething vital to say about education for the 'haves' and 'have nots Teacher Feedback 100 % of teachers rated the perfomlance and post-show elements 515. 500/0 of the teachers raied the cosi 515 (The oiher 500/0 rated the cost 415). 100 % of teachers reported that the event fully met their requirements/expectaiions. 900/0 of teachers reported thal they would be interesied in booking a Bruiser workshop again in the future. IOO/o reported that they mighi. 00/0 reporled thai they would not. Teacher Comments 'Absolutely brilliant choice of play. 'Difficult to teach transitions but my class just got it after your work. Great to have live theatre back." "Showing the students w'hat they can achieve in their own perforniance space was a great eye opener for them." Student Feedbaek fv1.5 /0 of students rated the show 515 stars. 30.30/0 of students rated the show 41 5 5tar5. 54.5 /0 of students 5urve)'ed had not previously seen a Bruiser show before. 980/0 of students surveyed reported that they would see a Bruiser show again. Page 12
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Further Feedbaek "Congratulations to all at Bruiser on the production of Teecher5 it wa5 like a Inasterclass in physical theatre. Brilliant directing. acting. and production made it all the more authentic in the school a55embly hall setting." .FloM'erfield Arts Centre "Many thanks for such an enjoyable perfom)an¢e. a mosl relevant piece which was funny and real. A strong cast who energetically moved effortlessly through a series of characters, their pace. timing aT]d delivery were excelleni. Congratulations io evervone. Marie O"Donoghue. Education Authority Page li
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report A Day With Bruiser January- February 2023 In January 2023, we returned ivith our annual Nl tour OI'A Day With Bruiser, a full-day crash course for Drama students acr055 Northern Ireland. This 15 an opportunity for students of GCSE. AS. A2 Level and B TEC Drama. Perfomiing Arts and Theatre courses to get to grips with Bruisevs unique physical theatre style. A Day With Bruiser consists of three ivorkshops delivered by Bruiser's team of expert facililalors, and a showcase perforniance/Q&A session at ihe end of ihe day to bring all the learning together. Course content is specifically tailored to the requirements of all major exam boards and devised according to consultation with post-primary school teachers across Northem Ireland. TOUR SCHEDULE The MAC. Belfast The Playhouse, Deny - Londonderry The Market Place Theatre, Arniagh Strule, Omagh Down Arts Centre Island Arts Centre, Lisburn Royal Grammar School. Enniskillen NeNsry TowTr Hall FEEDBACK 100 % of teachers said they would be interested in attending another day hosted by Bruiser. 75070 of teachers said that the course completely met the expectations. I OOO/o of 'orkshOp facilitators said thai they received ihe necessary inforniation. I OOO/o of workshop facilitators said thai they would wani to work with Bruiser again. 'All i sessions and their practical naiure were engaging and very interactive., 'Every workshop 'aS linked and valuable towards perfomlance. The exercises were focused and provided pupils with starting points (something that they really needed)., "The Bruiser team had a fant&slic relationship with the students working to make them feel comfortable in the space." 'Excellent energetic facililators who handled the different group dynamics with confidence and professionalism. Adding perfomiance at the end of the day to show how techniques are used by the professionals was very valuable." "All the facilitators Th'ere excellenl. Full of ener_oy and positivitv! The siudents responded so well to the planned workshops and became increasingly confident in the ensemble as a result." Digital Educational Resources April 2022- March 2023 Bruiser continued to develop their range of digital education resources on offer to post-primary schools throughout 2022123. As of J I st March 2023, OUT Portfolio included.. The Bruiser Cinema Club acce55 to educational resources from past Bruiser Production5. Selected titles include a student resource pack on the plav: a podcast interview with a tnember of the creative/production team and archival footage to aid the study of each play. The Bruiser Digital Handbook - a selection of pre-recorded lectures and workshops to aid the study of Bruiser Theatre Company as a chosen practitioner, as well as a host of additional educational resources {Worksheets, lesson plans, schemes of work) on offer through ihree tiered packages= Excite, Engage and Inspire. Page 14
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report How To Demo Videos - a selection ol videos giving students an insight into the wider roles within theatre. Each topic contains a series of educational vide05 on a range of areas: Set Design; Costume Design; Multimedia: Sound Design; Theatrical Make-up; and Lighting Design. Brave & Bold - Monologue and Duologue Competilion April- May 2022 Monologue and Duologue competitions for ages l9_18. All applicants received personalised feedback and the winners received a full bursary place on the 202? Arts Academy. Page15
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Bruiser Development Ambassadors Programme April 2022- March 2023 Bruiser's Young Development Ambassadors Programme engaged in analysis and discussion to generate creative ideas and help shape the future of Bruiser's educational. community engagetnent and profe55ional development activities. The Bruiser Development Ambassadors Programme was developed as a method of communicating with our key stakeholders on a personal basis. We wanted to know what more we can be doing to ensure that Bruiser can Continue to provide the young people ol Northern Ireland wiih relevant, high-qualily training and development programmes. The project was open to anyone over the age of 16 - innovalive and crealive thinkers whose experience and understanding of the Northern Irish Arts industrv had prepared them lo comment on future project proposals and offer insight and suggestions for funher development in the key areas of education and professional development. Bespoke Workshops Bruiser continued to offer bespoke workshops to schools and community groups across Northern Ireland throughout 2022-202). Infomied by our expansion into digital delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic, we continued to offer onlinelvirtual Q&As and workshops to broaden our reach and connect with new audiences. Faeilitator Training Bruiser continued to offer free quality training and developvnent opportunitie5 IT] all areas of our creative work. In January ¥?3 we hosted a full day ol practical training in drama facilitation, led by our Artistic Director, with the aim to increase skills, expand our own pool of facilitators and ultimately, job Creation. Operational Groi*th and Development April 2022- March 2023 Belfast City Council.. Cultural Multi-annual Grant Scheme - In March 2022 Bruiser was successful in securing Cultural Multi-annual Grant Arts & Heritage funding from Belfast City Council for a period of two years. Bruiser benefited from the support of ihis grani throughout 2022-202). JobSTART - Committed to professional developmenl. Bruiser successfully applied to the JobSTART Scheme, to employ and train an Arts Administration Assislant to support the dell very of our annual programme and offer an entry level opportunity to a young professional interesied in a career in arts management. The part-time Arts Administration Assislant came onboard in June 2022 and worked with Bruiser for a period of six months. Artwork Scheme - In March 2022, Bruiser was awarded funding from Future Screens Nl and the Department for Communities Nl through the Art Work Scheme. The grant of £60:J26.16 over a period of three years will be used to employ an entry level Development oificer to work across Bruiser's annual programme in 2022-2023. Blueprint - Bruiser continued to participate in Blueprint with Arts & Business Nl up until the end of June 2022. Blueprint is a pioneering financial growth programme enabling small to medium- sized cultural organisations in Northern Ireland to take a more long-term approach to income generation. Blueprint is about investment in long-tenn gromth and finding the route to greater financial security and artistic freedom. A5 participants of Blueprint we benefited from three full-day training se55ions and bespoke mentorship 5UPPOrt in the 2022-2023 financial j'ear. Page 16
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Structurej governance and management Nulure ofgoverning documen¢ Bruiser is a company limited by Guarantee governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 9th August 2011 (amended). It is registered as a charity with the Charities Comrnission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). Reeruilmenl and appoinlmenl oflruslees Directors are elected at the AGM by the Members present. A Director shall hold olTJce until the next AGM follom'ing hislher appointment at which point they must retire. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-election. The Directors shall- Have the power at any time and from time to time to appoint any person to be a Director to fill a casual vacancy. Any Director so appointed shall hold oifice only until the next lolloii'ing Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-election. Have the pow'er at any time to appoint a5 additional Directors up to but not exceeding a number equivalent to one third of the elected Directors for the time being. Director5 50 appointed shall hold office only until the next following Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-appoinlment. Induclion and iraining of Iruslees All newly appointed Directors Tneet with the Chair aTJd Art15tic Director to discuss the roles and responsibilities of a Director and also to audit specific skills and areas of inierest they may be able to bring to the role, as well as any relevant areas of training they may be interested in undertaking. They are also presented with an inforn)ation pack on the Company. The Board of Directors, which has no maximum number but shall not be less than 5 Directors. administrates the charitv. The board meets quarterly. An Artistic Director is appointed by the Directors to manage the day to day operations of the charity. To facililale effective operaiions the Artisiic Director has delegated authority.. within the ternis of delegation approved by the Directors. for operational matters including finance and employment. The Artistic Director has delegated authority for artislic perfonnance relaled aciivity. Financial instruments Objeclives andpolicies Risk manamgement and Internal Controls The Board of Directors ha5 established a system on internal controls, designed to provide reasonable, but not ab501iite, assurance against material mi55tatetnent or loss. They include- Regular consideration of the financial position of Bruiser by the Directors Ensuring at least one Director has ihe ne¢esary skills to interpret and analyse Bruisers financial records and reports Delegation of authorit}, and segregation of duties The contract of an exiemal compan). to prepare financial statements Page17
Bruiser Theatre Company Trustees, Report Credit risk The charity's principal financial assets are bank balances and cash. trade and other receivables. and InvestientS. The charity's credit risk is primarily attributable to its trade receivables. The amounts presented in the balance sheet are net of allowances for doubtful receivables. An allowance for impairnlent is made where there is an identified loss event which, based on previous experience, is evidence of a reduction in the recoverability of the cash flows. The credit risk on liquid funds and derivative financial inslruments is limited because the counterparties are banks with high credit-ratings assigned by inlemaiional credil-raling agencies. The charity has no significant concentration of credit risk, with exposure spread over a large number of counterparties and customers. Liquidity risk In order to maintain liquidity to ensure that sufficient funds are available for ongoing operations and future developments, the charity uses a mixture of long-lenn and short-terni debt fmance. Further details regarding liquidity risk can be found in the Statement of accounting policies in the financial statements. The annual report was approved by the truslees of the charity on IJ December 2023 and signed on its behalf by: Mr Joseph Rea Trustee Page18
Bruiser Theatre Company Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities The trustees (who are also the director5 of Bruiser Theatre Company lor the purpose5 of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustee5' report and the fiT]ancial statements in accordance with the United .dom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kin(p and regulations. Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure. for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to- select suitable accounling policies and 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 Siandards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements- and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in busine55. The trustees are responsible for keepino adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable step5 for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the trustees of the charity on 13 December 2023 and signed on its behalf by: Jfjrf Mr Joseph Rea Trustee Page 19