Company registration number: NI601058 Charity registration number: 101876
Bruiser Theatre Company
(A company limited by guarantee)
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Bruiser Theatre Company
Contents
| Reference and Administrative Details | 1 |
|---|---|
| Strategic Report | 2 |
| Trustees' Report | 3 to 16 |
| Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities | 17 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 18 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 19 to 20 |
| Balance Sheet | 21 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 22 to 31 |
Bruiser Theatre Company
Reference and Administrative Details
Trustees
Adam Boughton Knight Aidan Kearney Aoife Browne Laura Johnston Marie O'Donoghue Diana McKeown Ella Griffin Colin Morelli Kirsten McGarrity Le-Ann Campbell (Resigned 18 December 2023) Joseph Rea (Resigned 18 December 2023)
Secretary
Principal Office
Company Registration Number Charity Registration Number Independent Examiner
Lisa May 83 University Street Belfast Antrim BT7 1HP The charity is incorporated in Northern Ireland. NI601058
101876
Baxterworld Ltd Chartered Management Accountant Unit 3 Dargan Industrial Park 60-84 Dargan Crescent Belfast BT3 9JP
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Strategic Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present their strategic report for the year ended 31 March 2024, in compliance with s414C of the Companies Act 2006.
Financial review
Income in the year was £351,516 and expenditure totalled £323,006 giving a surplus of £28,510. Total funds at the end of March 24 were £213,080. Restricted funds totalled £103,447, unrestricted and designated funds totalled £109,633 at the close of the period.
Policy on reserves
It is the view of the Board of Directors that Bruiser operate prudently and effectively within the parameters of the financial resources which were available.
Bruiser’s Trustees were particularly mindful of the need for efficiencies and financial prudence given the probability of growing competition in funding rounds, limitations to box office potential and limited venue operations, in the wake of Covid-19. In 2016/17 Bruiser established a policy of building company reserves to a minimum of three months operating costs and we were pleased to achieve this once again in 2023/24. With this in mind, the Bruiser Trustees have agreed to increase the designated reserves policy to a minimum of six months operating costs going forward.
Principal funding sources
Bruiser was supported by Belfast City Council, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Arts Council of Ireland, the National Lottery, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Future Screens NI fund and the Foyle Foundation during the year.
The strategic report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 21 November 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... Diana McKeown Trustee
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Trustees
Adam Boughton Knight
Aidan Kearney
Aoife Browne
Laura Johnston
Marie O'Donoghue
Diana McKeown
Ella Griffin
Colin Morelli
Kirsten McGarrity
Le-Ann Campbell (Resigned 18 December 2023)
Joseph Rea (Resigned 18 December 2023)
Objectives and activities
Objects and aims
Founded in 1997, Bruiser aims to produce innovative live performance combining text and physical theatre techniques.
Bruiser Theatre Company strives to be recognised as Northern Ireland's leading Physical Theatre Company delivering inspiring and uplifting theatre and equipping the next generation of performers with the skills and know-how to work effectively within the industry.
Bruiser takes a professional and ethical approach to the management and governance of the company to deliver quality productions, education and training work.
In pursuit of this Bruiser aims to:
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treat all of its stakeholders with the highest level of integrity and gain the respect of all those individuals and organisations with which it interacts
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be challenging and courageous in designing and developing the artistic programme
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provide an entertaining and enjoyable experience for its audiences
Artistically Bruiser's aims are to:
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to use minimal set for maximum impact
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to further explore the notion of the actor, enforcing him/her as the central mechanism of performance
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to streamline and explore the relationship between the essential dynamics of theatre, the actor, the space and the audience
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to encourage an environment for the exchange of ideas and collaboration between arts practitioners in production
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make a commitment to touring, workshop development and teaching to encourage a greater access to theatre
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to produce a consistently high quality product
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
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 attracts traditional and non-traditional theatre-goers, diverse in age and background, enhances our audiences quality of life, as well as fostering a more general appreciation of the arts.
By working extensively with Northern Ireland’s next generation of talent, 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 100% in 2018. With a healthy reserves policy, and strong leadership from the Bruiser Board and Artistic Director, Bruiser continues with vigor, passion and determination
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 3 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
Our work in 2023/24 includes:
Productions
Mojo Mickybo by Owen McCafferty All Ireland Venue Tour April - June 2023
In June 2023, Bruiser completed their NI and ROI venue tour of Mojo Mickybo by Owen McCafferty. This production was funded by Arts Council Ireland. The tour included a one-week run in Cork Arts Centre, Cork, and two nights at The Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, as well as another 7 venues in NI and 12 in ROI.
Mojo Mickybo is a play about a friendship between two boys growing up in Belfast - a friendship that at first is immune to the sectarian violence taking place around them, but which nonetheless is ultimately destroyed by it.
The play’s action is set in Belfast over the summer of 1970. Mojo and his mate Mickybo are two nine-year-old boys from opposing sides of the sectarian divide. They are ‘thick as two small thieves’, playing headers, being mouthy, building huts, and spitting from cinema balconies. The action is played as theatrical flashback, often inhabiting a world of fantasy, such as re-enacting their favourite film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The two performers constantly slip in and out of roles and imaginary worlds, with the violence of The Troubles only obliquely impacting on them - until finally their friendship is destroyed in a way that they only later come to understand.
This is pure storytelling with Bruiser’s dynamic physicality, providing opportunity for a new generation of theatre-goers to experience Belfast’s most treasured, living playwright, and to consider that Mojo and Mickybo represent the division of a benighted country that has spent a century at war with itself.
CAST
John Travers - Mojo Conor Quinn - Mickybo
CREATIVE TEAM
Lisa May -Director Owen McCafferty -Playwright 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 Noora Helin - Assistant Producer Peter Heenan -Producer Natalie Murphy - Production Manager Jordan Nelson - Stage Manager Noora Helin & Robert Crawford - Assistant Stage Manager Jim Carson - Scenic Construction Aidan Payne - Scenic Construction Anita Gibney - PR & Marketing
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
TOUR SCHEDULE
9th May 2023 - Theatre At The Mill, Newtownabbey 10th May 2023 - Newry Town Hall, Newry 11th May 2023 - Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, Belfast 13th May 2023 - The Burnavon, Cookstown 14th May 2023 - Down Arts Centre, Dundalk 16th May 2023 - The Old Courthouse, Antrim 17th May 2023 - The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton 18th May 2023 - An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny 19th May 2023 - The Ardhowen, Enniskillen 20th May 2023 - Ballina Arts Centre, Ballina 23rd-27th May 2023 - Cork Arts Centre, Cork 31st May 2023 - Town Hall Theatre, Galway 2nd June 2023 - Friar's Gate Theatre, Limerick 3rd June 2023 - Nenagh Arts Centre, Tipperary 8th June 2023 - Solstice Arts Centre, Navan 9th June 2023 - Mullingar Arts Centre, Mullingar 10th June 2023 - Birr Theatre and Arts Centre, Birr 13th-14thJune 2023 - Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 15th June 2023 - Theatre Royal, Waterford 16th June 2023 - Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny 17th June 2023 - The Pavillion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire
This production was well received across NI and ROI, with audience feedback such as:
“Outstanding.” - Audience Member, Cork Arts Centre
“Breathtaking and enthralling.” - Audience Member, Smock Alley Theatre
“The whole production was fabulous.” - Audience Member, Cork Arts Centre
“Really powerful acting from both, very impressive.” - Audience Member, Down Arts Centre
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
Arts Academy July - August 2023
The Bruiser Arts Academy, our annual series of professional development courses for young people and emerging artists, returned for Summer 2023. Through this project, Bruiser delivered three courses for participants of different ages and abilities:
●START Academy - a week-long entry-level course designed for young people who love the idea of performing, but may not have had the chance to be on stage before. This course aims to 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 performing arts. This course is designed to inspire and challenge young actors, providing them with the building blocks required to further pursue their acting ambitions. The Bruiser team are joined by a range of local industry professionals to coach and guide participants, holding them to a high standard of practice and providing essential experience and insight into the working world.
●Graduate Academy - an intensive twelve-day training course for young adults with a passion for the performing arts, who 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 showcase performance for local industry professionals.
The Bruiser Arts Academy was delivered in partnership with The MAC, Belfast who provided in-kind space for both course delivery and showcase performances. Further collaboration with other local charities included working with Queen’s University, Belfast to promote the engagement of their undergraduate Drama students as project interns - an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in workshop facilitation and project planning/management.
Participants worked with local professional theatre practitioners on acting, singing and dancing -delivered as a 'crash course' aimed at boosting confidence/self-esteem, as well as developing their performance skills on the following three courses: START Academy (3rd-8th July 2023); Summer School (17th-27th July 2023); Graduate Academy (7th-19th August 2023).
We specifically targeted participants from areas of disadvantage and those who may experience barriers to arts engagement, in an effort to improve access and diversify our audience/participant base. In doing so, we delivered drama workshops to schools/community centres to aid recruitment and encourage participation 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.
In delivering the project we were able to offer training opportunities for entry-level young professionals, as well as involve volunteer interns 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 in the sector.
Feedback from participants and parents/guardians of those participating in The Bruiser Arts Academy 2023 included:
●“My granddaughter was so full of chat about the session and loved being there. I wish it could have lasted a month.”
- ●“Lovely staff, positive kind and encouraging attitude to children.”
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Bruiser Theatre Company
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●“Very impressed and inspired by the work put in by teens and facilitators alike. Very slick and smooth performance and it was clear the teens were enjoying every moment of being on stage.”
●“It was exhilarating and one of the best times I’ve ever had with a theatre company while surrounded by warm, friendly people who want to help you become the best you can be.”
●“This is the best thing I have done recently related to drama.”
●“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an original theatre company with leaders who fully embrace our creative capability and offer a supportive environment that encourages us to be ourselves. It really means so much, and the confidence as well as techniques I learn from Bruiser I can carry into every area of my life, not just onstage. You’re phenomenal people for making this happen, and long may it continue!”
Vital Connect
September 2023 - March 2024
With the support of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Bruiser continued to deliver Vital Connect in September 2023 - our most ambitious education project to date. Vital Connect offered four partner schools a physical theatre “shot in the arm”, aiming to boost resilience and liberate the imaginations of young people in disadvantaged areas.
Over the course of the year, we delivered bespoke workshops, inter-school engagement, mentoring, in-school performances and access to on-demand digital educational resources. The result: high-quality arts provision across Northern Ireland.
From September 2023 we partnered with the following four post-primary schools: Lismore College, Craigavon; St. Louise’s College, Belfast; Blessed Trinity College, Belfast; Loreto College, Coleraine.
“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 wide and positive impact on drama education in Northern Irish secondary schools.”
-The Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Feedback from participating schools included:
●“Bruiser continues to provide the skills, tools and learning that support our students in creating and developing high-level, dynamic work. The toolkit they provide is invaluable.”
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●“Bruiser continues to be an exceptional support to the drama curriculum of NI.”
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●“It was so nice to meet other teachers and build relationships between schools.”
In the second year of this project, we were able to expand our Education Department to include a new part-time Facilitator in Residence position - helping us to work more efficiently and engage more young people in our work.
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
Bruiser in a Box 2023 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield September - October 2023
In October 2023, we delivered a ‘Bruiser in a Box’ tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield to fifteen post-primary schools across NI. Bruiser has a long-standing commitment to arts education, and this project is crucial for promoting the engagement of young people in the arts.
This production was supported by the following grant-giving organisations: The National Lottery through The Arts Council of Northern Ireland; The Foyle Foundation; Belfast City Council; and The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
CAST
Rhodri Lewis Richard Priestley James Wilson
CREATIVE TEAM
Lisa May - Director James C McFetridge - Lighting Designer Louise Dunne - Costume Designer Stuart Marshall - Set Designer Matthew Reeve - Musical Director
PRODUCTION TEAM
Produced by Bruiser Theatre Company Lisa May - Producer Lara Albergo - Co-producer Rory Casey - Production Manager Jordan Nelson & Caitlin Hunter - Stage Manager Eimear O’Neill - Assistant Producer Cheryl O'Dwyer -- Education Officer Rob Crawford - Facilitator in Residence Pre-production Support - Peter Heenan Pre-production Support - Noora Helin
Teacher Feedback
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●100% of teachers rated the performance and post-show elements 5/5.
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●50% of the teachers rated the cost 5/5 (The other 50% rated the cost 4/5).
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●100% of teachers reported that the event fully met their requirements/expectations.
●90% of teachers reported that they would be interested in booking a Bruiser workshop again in the future. 10% reported that they might. 0% reported that they would not.
Teacher Comments
●“The speed, the inventiveness, and the fact that the actors engaged so well with the students were real strengths. It allowed them to gain an insight into Shakespeare's works in an innovative way and kept them engaged throughout. The way that references to popular culture were integrated was excellent.”
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
●“LOVE the physical, energetic performance style: effectively shows pupils how to move away from a naturalistic heavy performance to something more visually engaging.”
Student Feedback
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●64.5% of students rated the show 5/5 stars.
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●30.3% of students rated the show 4/5 stars.
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●54.5% of students surveyed had not previously seen a Bruiser show before.
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●98% of students surveyed reported that they would see a Bruiser show again.
Student Comments
●‘I did really enjoy it and the actors were extremely funny. Roles were very well executed in Shakespeare's plays.”
●“The actors are very nice people, the play was amazing as well as funny and I learnt a bit more about William Shakespeare's plays.”
Die Hard October 2023
In October 2023, Bruiser was supported by The National Lottery’s Commissioning Programme through The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The Leche Trust to carry out a Research and Development process on a stage adaptation of the cult classic ‘Die Hard’.
Bruiser had commissioned playwright Gary Mitchell to work alongside Bruiser’s Artistic Director Lisa May in the development of this new piece of work, which was workshopped with four local actors: Molly Logan, Gerard McCabe, Catriona McFeely and Chris Robinson.
The development week was a crucial phase in the commissioning process of Yippee-ki-yay! Die Hard. It spanned from October 16th to October 21st, involving intensive activities aimed at refining the project and providing valuable experience to the emergent local actors.
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
A Day With Bruiser January - February 2024
In January 2024, we returned with our annual NI tour of ‘A Day With Bruiser’ - a full-day crash course for Drama students across Northern Ireland. This is an opportunity for students of GCSE, AS, A2 Level and BTEC Drama, Performing Arts and Theatre courses to get to grips with Bruiser's unique physical theatre style.
A Day With Bruiser consists of three workshops delivered by Bruiser’s team of expert facilitators, and a showcase performance/Q&A session at the end of the 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 Northern Ireland.
TOUR SCHEDULE
15th-19th January 2024 - The MAC, Belfast 22nd January 2024 - Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick 23rd January 2024 - Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart 24th January 2024 - The Market Place Theatre, Armagh 25th January 2024 - The Playhouse, Derry ~ Londonderry
Teacher Feedback
100% of teachers would recommend A Day With Bruiser 100% of teacher assistants responded ‘Yes, definitely’ to whether or not ADWB was enjoyable 100% of teachers agreed that ADWB was inspiring
100% of teachers agreed that the material was relevant to their teaching
100% of teachers agreed that ADWB was well organised 100% of teachers responded ‘Yes, definitely’ to whether or not ADWB was useful
90% of teachers agreed that ADWB was different/special from other workshop opportunities
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●“That was great - just so you know last year's workshops manifested in their assessment performance.”
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●“Loads of creativity and engagement!”
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●“It was absolutely amazing, I feel like I’m going to be a better teacher on Friday after spending the day with Bruiser.”
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●“One student is a school refuser but came back for this!”
Participant Feedback
91% of young people reported that they enjoyed ADWB 64.5% stated they enjoyed having practical exercises 56.6 % stated they enjoyed learning more about theatre
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●“That was even better than last year.”
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●“I’ve been looking forward to this for months!”
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●“That was actually really class!”
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●“Amazing to do that performance in a few days, it was incredible!”
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
Teechers by John Godber Venue Tour of Northern Ireland January - February 2024
In February 2024, Bruiser completed their NI venue tour of Teechers by John Godber. This production was funded by The National Lottery through The Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The tour included a three-week run in The MAC, Belfast and two weeks of touring to regional areas across Northern Ireland.
Fast-moving, inventive and highly entertaining, Teechers is John Godber’s brilliant take on life at a modern Comprehensive. Through their hilarious end-of-term play, three Year 11s exuberantly sketch the new drama teacher’s progress through two terms of recalcitrant classes, cynical colleagues and obstructive caretakers. Disillusioned, he departs for the safe waters of a private school and leaves behind his students, whose youthful irreverence gives way to despair. Brought to the stage by Bruiser Theatre Company with high energy, break-neck comedy and breathtaking ensemble performances, Teechers is a modern classic with something vital to say about education for the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’.
CAST
Mary McGurk - Gail Chris Robinson - Salty Nuala McGowan - Hobby
CREATIVE TEAM
Lisa May - Director John Godber - Playwright Louise Dunne - Set & Costume Designer Katie Richardson - Music and Sound Designer James C McFetridge - Lighting Designer
PRODUCTION TEAM
Produced by Bruiser Theatre Company Lisa May - Producer Lara Albergo - Producer Kirsty Dunn - Assistant Producer Peter Heenan - Assistant Producer Eiméar O’Neill - Pre-production Support Cheryl O’Dwyer - Education Officer Rob Crawford - Facilitator in Residence Rory Casey - Production Manager Jordan Nelson - Stage Manager Rumourmill - PR & Marketing
TOUR SCHEDULE
25th Jan - 10th Feb 2024 - The MAC, Belfast 14th Feb 2024 - An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk 15th Feb 2024 - The Market Place Theatre, Armagh 2rd Feb 2024 - The Island Arts Centre, Lisburn 20th Feb 2024 - Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey (Cancelled due to company illness) 21st - Strule Arts Centre, Omagh (Cancelled due to company illness) 24th Feb 2024 - Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick 25th Feb 2024 - The Playhouse, Derry ~ Londonderry
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Bruiser Theatre Company
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PRESS REVIEWS
●“Amazing performances by Nuala McGowan, Mary McGurk and Chris Robinson are central to this... [they] have you believing every character they portray and carry the show with ease.” - Chris Caldwell, Pastiebap
●“From the start, as with all Bruiser productions, Teechers fizzes. In fact, the high octane, physical European theatre style is so fast and furious you wonder whether it could be toned down here and there, as it is in the upper-class school scenes. But it suggests pace, energy, and the chaotic nature of this deprived school where teachers routinely have breakdowns…’ ‘Teechers’ message remains important. As John Godber says “At its heart is the very real assertion that the arts, and especially drama, should form part of the school curriculum. ..” This enables the students to comment on society even as they live through it.” - Jane Hardy, Belfast Times
●“Satirical, reflective, intense and concise, Bruiser Theatre Company’s adaptation… consistently entertains and at times astounds with its pacing, incisiveness, and emotive openness… It’s high on detail, hugely expressive, and light on its feet, clever and lively.” - Simon Fallaha, Si Arts NI on Theatre
FEEDBACK FROM VENUES
●‘Feedback on the show has been great. Sounds like it was brilliant. I’d love to programme you guys again at Down Arts Centre - our audiences love the work you do.’
●‘I really enjoyed Teechers - thanks for bringing - audience response was really strong too.’
Digital Educational Resources April 2023 - March 2024
Bruiser continued to offer and develop their range of digital education resources to post-primary schools throughout 2023/24. As of 31st March 2024, our portfolio included:
●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 three-tiered packages: Excite, Engage and Inspire.
●How To Demo Videos - a selection of videos giving students an insight into the wider roles within theatre. Each topic contains a series of educational videos on a range of areas: Set Design; Costume Design; Multimedia; Sound Design; Theatrical Make-up; and Lighting Design.
Bruiser also developed digital resources on working with monologues, and the different roles/positions within the arts sector and to provide more insight/context for our live theatre productions. The digitisation of the company archives also began in August 2024 with the aim of making it openly accessible via our website.
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Bruiser Theatre Company
Trustees' Report
Bruiser Development Ambassadors Programme April 2023 - March 2024
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 engagement and professional 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 do to ensure that Bruiser can continue to provide the young people of Northern Ireland with relevant, high-quality training and development programmes.
The project was open to anyone over the age of 16 - innovative and creative thinkers whose experience and understanding of the Northern Irish Arts industry had prepared them to comment on future project proposals and offer insight and suggestions for further development in the key areas of education and professional development.
Bespoke Workshops April 2023 - March 2024
Building on existing relationships with schools, and in particular, Vital Connect schools from the previous pilot year, Bruiser continued to offer bespoke workshops to schools and community groups across Northern Ireland throughout 2023-2024. We also continued to offer online/virtual Q&As and workshops to broaden our reach and connect with new audiences.
Operational Growth and Development April 2023 - March 2024
●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 this grant throughout 2023-2024.
●Artwork Scheme - In March 2022, Bruiser was awarded funding from Future Screens NI and the Department for Communities NI through the Art Work Scheme. The grant of £60,326.16 over a period of three years has been used to employ an entry-level Development Officer to work across Bruiser’s annual programme in 2023-2024.
●Dormant Accounts - In April 2023 Bruiser secured funding from Dormant Accounts to employ a full-time Development Manager for two years from appointment. This funding scheme has also supported Bruiser in working with an external business consultant to strategize and redevelop our business plan for the years ahead.
●Paul Hamlyn Foundation - On completion of the pilot year of Vital Connect, in December 2023, Bruiser had secured funding for a further 3 years for the project, as well as being able to maintain in position the Education Officer and to employ a part-time Facilitator in residence.
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Structure, governance and management
Nature of governing document
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 Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI).
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
Directors are elected at the AGM by the Members present. A Director shall hold office until the next AGM following his/her 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 office only until the next following Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-election. Have the power at any time to appoint as additional Directors up to but not exceeding a number equivalent to one third of the elected Directors for the time being. Directors so appointed shall hold office only until the next following Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-appointment.
Induction and training of trustees
All newly appointed Directors meet with the Chair and Artistic Director to discuss the roles and responsibilities of a Director and also to audit specific skills and areas of interest 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 information pack on the Company.
The Board of Directors, which has no maximum number but shall not be less than 5 Directors, administrates the charity. The board meets quarterly. An Artistic Director is appointed by the Directors to manage the day to day operations of the charity. To facilitate effective operations the Artistic Director has delegated authority, within the terms of delegation approved by the Directors, for operational matters including finance and employment. The Artistic Director has delegated authority for artistic performance related activity.
Financial instruments
Objectives and policies
Risk manamgement and Internal Controls
The Board of Directors has established a system on internal controls, designed to provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurance against material misstatement or loss. They include:
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Regular consideration of the financial position of Bruiser by the Directors
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Ensuring at least one Director has the necesary skills to interpret and analyse Bruisers financial records and reports
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Delegation of authority and segregation of duties
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The contract of an external company to prepare financial statements
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Credit risk
The charity’s principal financial assets are bank balances and cash, trade and other receivables, and investments. 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 impairment 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 instruments is limited because the counterparties are banks with high credit-ratings assigned by international credit-rating 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-term and short-term debt finance.
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 trustees of the charity on 21 November 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... Diana McKeown Trustee
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Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
The trustees (who are also the directors of Bruiser Theatre Company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law 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:
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select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping 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 steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees of the charity on 21 November 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... Diana McKeown Trustee
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