## **CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** ## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES' OF CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** We have audited the financial statements of Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland(United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). - give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended; - have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and - have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. ## **Basis for opinion** We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. ## **Conclusions relating to going concern** In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees' with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. - 9 - ## **CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** ## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED) TO THE TRUSTEES' OF CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** ## **Other information** The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Trustees' are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard. ## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception** We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: - the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the Trustees' report; or - sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or - the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or - we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. ## **Responsibilities of Trustees'** As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' responsibilities, the Trustees', who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees' determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees' are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees' either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. - 10 - **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED) TO THE TRUSTEES' OF CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** ## **CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** ## **Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** AAB Group Accountants Limited have been appointed as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below. Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below. We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the company through enquiry of management, sector research and the application of cumulative audit knowledge. We identified the following principal laws and regulations relevant to the company - Companies Act 2006, Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). We developed an understanding off the key fraud risks to the entity (including how fraud might occur(, the controls in place to help mitigate those risks and the accounts, balances and disclosures within the financial statements which may be susceptible to management bias. Our understanding was obtained through review of the financial statements for significant accounting estimates, analysis of journal entries, walkthrough of the key controls cycles in place and enquiry of management. Our procedures to respond to those risks identified included, but were not limited to: Enquiry of management, and the entity's solicitors around actual and potential litigation and claims. Enquiry of management to identify any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance. Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Auditing the risk of management override of controls, including through testing journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, and evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https:// www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report. - 11 - ## **CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** ## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED) TO THE TRUSTEES' OF CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL** This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and regulations made under that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and its members as a body, for our audit work, for this report or for the opinions we have formed. ......................... ## **Teresa Campbell (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of AAB Group Accountants Limited Chartered Accountants** ## **Statutory Auditors** 1 - 3 Arthur Street Belfast Co. Antrim Northern Ireland BT1 4GA AAB Group Accountants Limited is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006. ......................... - 12 -