B8lfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantee Trustses. Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Dlrectorfs Raport) (conthiu•dJ Year ended 31 March 2023 Strncture, governance and managomenl Belfast Exposed Photography is constituted as a Company Limited by Guarantee and Is govemed by a Memotandum and Articles of Association. Tho Board of Trustees are respon81bl8 for the ¥trateglc management of the ch8rity. The Board of Twstees and narnBs of principal advisers are sat out on P8ge 1. The Bo8rd appolnts all new Trustees based on 8election criteria. whlch en8ures that collectively It maintsins a broad range of ralavant 8ki118 and experience. An Induction programma is offered to all new trustees to onsure th8t they ara briafed on the charivs object8, Strategy and activitbes. The TfU$te88 have the overall re8pon8lblllty for the 8y8tem of Intérnal control for the charlty, whlch includes en8urlng that there are rea6onable procedures in place for the prevantion and detection of fraud and other irregu18rltle8. How8ver, 8uch a system can provlde only reasonable, but not absolute, as8urance agalnst errors and fraud. Rlsk 888e88ment 1$ carrled out on an annual basi8 and a rlsk document 18 updated and 8tudied regularly by tha Board of Trustees. Slgnrficant risk8 arn hlghllghted for Gonsideratlon and moniiored by the Board. The8e Include.. The d8k of the Impact of cuts Sn funding The rt8k ol failing to build 8fft18nt cash re88rves.' 8nd The transfer or •al& of Thvnershlp of the buildlng and 8ubsequent thrèats to lea8e and rent. Belfa8t Exposod Photography operate8 a 3 month operational costs rneerve pollcy. Re8eNe8 polky Reser$ are the part of a charity's unrestrlcted funds that are froety avallable to spend on any of the charity'8 purpo8e8. The definltlon exclude8 restricted Inc<Yna fund8 and endowm8nt funds, although holdlng such funds infiuencas our re8er4e policy. The Board has examined the charty's raqulrements for reserve8 in Ilghl of the maln ri8k8 to the orgafti8ation, It ha8 est8bli8hed a policy whereby the r88tricted fund8 not commrlted or invested In tanglble fixed asset8 held by the charity Should be 3 months of the expendlture. The réserves are ne8ded to meet Ihe woA(Ing capital requlrements of the tharty and the Board are confldent that at the Ve1 agreed they would be betsveen 3 month8 of the expenditure. The re8tr1ct8d fund is currentty In deficlt. but the charlV8 pollcy wlll be to tronsfer fund8 from the unrestricted rn16r¥8s to retum the restricted fvnds to a surplus positron.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmited by Guarantoe Trustses. Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Directo8 Report) {¢ondnuedJ Year ended 31 March 2023 Last years activities were jam packed full of enèrgy. optlmism and newness for our audiences and P8rtiGipants. There were ground-breaking exhibitions, implernentation of exciting engagement programmes such as vlewpoint mental health and wall-being programme. public and corporate Tralning programrn88, website dev61opment. continued digltization of the grchPve. publlc art In Voria Centre, New and 8xcrling partnershw and deliVY of a brand-new conferenca. Top 20 hlghlight8 (In no particular order). Arts organ18atlon of the year & new Sponsor award through Art8 & Bu8ineBs Over 70 8rtlcles in n8w3papar8 and magazine8 includlng, Vogue, Ae8the8ia, Financlal Tlmes and Intematlonelly acclalmed The Art n17pap9. Seen to be Heard exfilbrtk)n & Campaign & Tour E6tebli8hm6nt of Bank Gallary Spaco Mairead Mcclean - 8eff88t Intematl¢n81 Festival Inttiatlon of mentAI health and welkbeln9 progr4mm08 T¢p audienc¢ in preview •venlng of 850 - Anthony Luvera. Growth of physical audience8 Victoria Square public art 'Seeing Through a Dlfferent Lms, exhibitlon Future8 - Academy (Youth) 8howcase event Chamber of Commerce 8hort118ted for be8t mernber of staff (Mewn Srnh) Shortli8tèd for best ovenlng out Lat• Nhaht Art through Stsycatlon award8 Sdectad al Nl r8pr88entatlve In pan-Tration81 photography programme 8ri8tol Cty of Cullurn. Em&rging Curator award8 6 thY8rd•es R8flaction8 - a leadershlp project In collaboration with women's communty groupB acr088 Belfa8t Fomied the Irl8h Photo Network Selected a8 Nl Coronation Generatlon Project Manager Took part In Ihe iBeholder project with Thrlve Nl Invented the wortd fir8t rikTok èxhlbltion Feile an Phobail multi<ultured young per80n proiect
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantse Trustees. Annual Raport (Incorporating the Dlrectorfg Report) l¢Mthu•d) Year ended 31 March 2023 Blueprlnt Belfa8t Exposèd got through to the Becond pha8e of Blueprint programme run by Art6 & Buslness Nl. Its Intenuon is to lay the foundation8 for bulldlng long-tenn financial Strength, looklng at tOPlCS 8uch gs crgative resilience, 16adlng change, building financlal 8u8tainability and purpose-drhlen governance. BÉlfa8t Exposed have been awarded a grant to produca commarcial books and product• frorn our Archlve. A deslgner from Whttenol88 has agreed to design the book free of charga. Irlsh Photo Notwo Belfast Exp03ed ha8 - In partnership wth the Bèlfa8t Photo Fe8tival. Photo Mu89um Ireland and Sourc• Magazine -' e8tab118hed The lrijh Photo Ne¥Ork 88 a new, Coqcurated onllné plaffoftn to howcase the work of contemporary photographer8 from the island of Ir8land. The Network alms to represent tha photographlc communty on both 81des of the border and pnJvFde a continually developino view of the 8tat8 of photographic practk6 on th• Island. Combining the 8xperts'8e of four organisatlons at the cutting edge of Ihe vl8ual 8rt8, the Nsghvork h an axciting nbmv venture that wlll fual crossknrder collaboratron. NOrthuth Network Belfast Exposed ar8 a member of a North South Gallery network working with gallerie8 acr085 the whole of Iland. Prograrnmes deltvared knthed at gallery best practice creating acGe88 foT paople from dis8bled communitiaB, 8U$talnable practice 8nd prOdeS th8 OPPOrtunty for gallerfes to nelwork and identlfy opportunlties for touring. M08t of this Is being carrkd out via Zoom, however site vi8ils are 8tartlng io happen In Londondery and B8tfa8t. Dublln18cotland Connectlon8 Belfast Exposed has Started to work 8trategi¢8lly wfth Street Level In Gl88gow and Photo Museum Ireland In Dublin In a non-fonnal nettryork. Thi8 year both Photo Museum Ireland and Belfast Exposed presented Irish photography in Street Level and are currently pre88nting one of Street Level's 8rtlsts In an exhlbitlon In 'Art8 for All, which formed part of the Hgaling Through Photogrgphy conference. We have also agreed to promote ea¢h other wofft when additlonal support18 needed for the promotion of our artists. 8rndford Cliy of Culturn 2025 Bradford has won city of Culture 2025 In a pan-n8tional approach BeTrd6t Exposed has been 88leGt8d as Nl repr8sentative working alongside Impressions Gallery, Street Level and FFotogallery (Walets). It 18 very early days: however, it Is a fantastic opportunty that will allow this new partner8hip to do large-8C8le project fully funded by tha clty of culture.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmltsd by Guarantee Trustse8' Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorf8 Report) f Year onded 31 March 2023 IBeholder programme Belfast Exposed ar• part of Thrive Nl audlen¢e dev81opment iBehold8r progfdmme for v5Bual art8 in Northem Ireland. The i8ehokJer pilot project is about finding altemativa and digltal ways for non4icket8d visual art8 galleries in Northern Ireland to collect data about thelr audiences. On c¢ynp18ts'on of th& programme there were some benefits but with delay's durlng COVID organlyation c(Jnstraints with Thrlve Nl it was not the original concept. Nonethelass, It did have u8efvl facts about the nature of Belfast Exposed audlence8. Exhibltlons Mairead Mc Clean exhlbftlon G811Y {Gallery I, Gallery 11. Sludio Gallery. Street Vlew & Archive Gallery) t workl wa8 emérglng out of the COVID-19 pandèmic In early 2022, 86lfa8t Exp088d audlence number8 have been positive. Thi8 year we incraased our offer In tho exhlbitron programme and pre8ented 25 •xhlbitions in total. There were fve exhibitions in the main Space In Gallery I (International), Six in Gallery 11 (ernerging and local). six In studio Gallery (emgrging. local & experlrnental), seven on Streab418w (Natbnal, UK, ROI & Canada) and one in Archfve Gallery (Nl wide). In total, 8elfa8t Exposed showcased the worf( of 123 artlsts witt) 11 8010 exhibition8 and 14 oroup ahow6. Physic81 audiences attgndlng the Ilery thls y08r are In excesB of 40,000 which sees an Increase of ¥Id[onal 15,500 audience5. We believe this18 a combination of factors including,, varlety and diversty of exhibthon8,' the expanslon of cuttural tourlsts in Belfast,. and addltional students movlng to the area. It is worth noting, Belfast Exposed had the biggest audience numberd ever th our fir8t openlng In January 2023, wlth 650 people in the preview wnIng. Throughout Ihe ye8r, Belfast Expo8ed h08t8 Artlst Talks which alknv artists to dt8CU$8 thelr practice and the worf( Shown In thelr exhlbition. In th6 last financial year, we have h05t8d 22 artist tslks wlth local and Internatlonal artists with 2 hosted online and 20 In person in Belfast Exposed. The tslks have also been filmed and added on our YouTube chann81 to ensur8 accessibiltty for those who cannot make Il to th8 gallery In person. iNe have also embraced liva streaming acro88 Facebook and YouTube for btgger 8cale Artist Talks, such as 'Seen to be Heard, The Power of Arts. Advw & Activism on our Mental Haalth and Well-Being' which has Teached 240 viawern. We have taken part in four of the civs kn'g festlval8 'Belfa8t International Fe8tival' who showc8sed Malread Mcclean's work, 'B?Ifast Photo Fesllval, wtth Thomas Atdorf and A Trace of Ownership, Nl Mgntal Health and Arts Festival wlth 'Se8n to be Heard, exhlbition with MFA'S and Nl Scienc* Festival
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmited by Guarante• Trustsos. Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Dlrectorf8 Report) (Conthu Year ended 31 March 2023 wlth photography at night exhibition. Not in a f•strval but worth noting 18 Ihe Martin Parr Ireland retrospective exhlbitlon. Exhlbltlon Publlc Prograrnme We maintsined strong link8 to the Ulster Univernty. Unlverslti88 In the South of Ir818nd, Furthar Educatlon Colleg85 like Belfast Met and through the Queens Leaming for Lrfe programme led by kn18nda Croft as well as many 8chools and collegés, The88 8re an important part of our exhibition 8ngagement programme and we are continuing to davabp and work with 8tudents and thelr lutor8, maklng them aware of the gallery and our re8ourGes. Futum •xhlbltlon programm• •upportlng earty caToor art18ts In Ilna with Belfa•t Exp03ed Futures programm8 8UPPOrting emerglng 8rt18ts, Belfast Exposed 8UPWted 22 MFA graduates from U18t8r Unlver8ity and amarging international artlsts Sn the Belfast Photo feltival and Jerwood Programme. Three of the current Six futures have had solo exhibitions wlth each of them r8ceiving a revlew of thelr work and the exhibitions are of a vary high stsndard with Some awardees achlevlng intemational 8tatU8. Supportlng new photographlc talant continue8 educatlonal developmen( provKle8 sklll8 in 8rtigtic, businee8 & personal dev81opment, mentor8hlp and Iralnlng opportunitie8 and future career davelt¥ment for emerging artlsts In photography. These pTograMme8 recefvo additional marketing support helplng Ihem to establish a coherent portfollo. Managlng Six Futur88 artl8tS IV88 8 th8lleng5ng number to work with and costly, A raviaw h08 takan place recommèndlng a reduction In number8 In following years. Belfast Exp08ed malntain Strong 1Snk8 wFth th8 Ulster Unfversfy, Unlver8itle8 In the South of Ireland Further Education Collegos like Belfast Met and through the Queen8 Learning for Llfe programrne leii by Amonda Croft es well a8 many Schools and rA)Ileges acro89 Northern Ireland. The88 are 8n Important Part ot our exhibitlon engagement Prograrnme, and we are buildlng networks to develop and work with 8tudents and their tutors. making them aware of the gallery and our resourcas.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Dlrector's Report) (continwd) Year ended 31 March 2023 Offknslte Bank Gallery & Studlos Mth the purpose of flnding an off-site Space for Mental Hearth and Well-8eing program$. Belfast Exposed found new premises in High Street 8 former Bank of Ireland stte. The lease was 9 months th the hope of a further 9 months and then se8 what happens. W8 have partnered with Beyond Skln in providlng studlos for A8ylum Seekers and Refugees (mental heatt17 issues couped up In the hotel8} and offered studios to some participants in the engage programme. Working with Beyond Skin has opened a more strateglc dlrectlon dlversty wlse and helps support Integration and acc88s. It ha8 allowed Belfast Exp08ed to create a new gallery whi¢h is f70using a GFA commission by Donavan lie and Pater Mann who produced the most arnazing photographic contemporary art film. Currentty running. In exhlbits'on terms, it has allowed u8 to 8ee rf we can think big with purpose-bullt hstallatlon8 lCh l am confident we can say we have achlaved, Tourfng exhlbltlons, publlc art, and art centrns. Wth the 8UPPOrt ol Belfast Exposed, 'Soan to Be Hearrf has toured to several locations Since May 2022. This included a 8howlng at the Lake Slde Art8 In Nottlngham from th8 8th - the 30th of October 2022 and the Wood Quay Bulldings, Dublin from the 7th - the 13th of Novemb8r 2022 08 part of Dublln Cty Council inclusion and Integration Week and travelled to Strule Art Centre from 5th - 28th January 2022. Vlctorfa Squar• publlc art 8oelng Through a Dlff•rent Lens •xhlbltlon IU11111,,L. fl¢TIII To kickstart 2023, Betfast Exposed worked In partnership with Vlctoria Square to deliver a series of photography and wellbeing workshops in January and February 2023. Seeing Through a Diffetent Lens Invohled a 8eri8s of workshops In the Belfast shopping complex over 4 weeks to help both novic6 and practised photographers, and srnartphone owners, learn new and excibng tricks for t8king better photography and capturing life through a different lens. Everyone who took p8rt had the opportunity to submit their images for consideration for an oirtd(K)r exhibition hosted in Victorfa Square during March April 2023 as part of the complex's 15th birthday celebr8tlons. Thls aligned wtth ttmings of the conference.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantee Tru8tees' Annual Report (Incory)orating th• Dlrectorf8 Report) fconthuédj Year ended 31 March 2023 Awards Arts & Buslnom Awards AWARDS 2022 Belfast Exposed won th8 acclalmed Art8 OrganisatSon of tho Year 2022 Award, whlch came wlth £3,000 c8sh Investment from Foré6ts1de, for our pioneering ¢reatlve collaboration8, whlch hava helped to create change acro88 the communlty, We 8180 took home the New Sponsor Award, for th8lr partner8hip with Transllnk on the 'N8tural Connectknn$' Photography competttlon and eknlbitlon. Also, the For86tside Cholce award nI to the Seen to Be Hear<1 Project, It wa$ a very posRive experience. Staycatlon Award Belf88t Exposed wem nomlnated by the publlc for the best evening out category wtsre a ffflallst and won runnar up.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Limitsd by Guarantee Trustsas, Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Dlrectovs Report) (¢ondftuodJ Y8ar ended 31 March 2023 Engagement In the year 2022-23 8elfast Exposed worked wtth 5.000 partlcipants throughout the year. This b up 100% on previous years and consldered a 8ignificant achievement. Vl•wpoint- Therapeuttc Photography Progrdmme Belfast ExpoBed has seen our therap8Utlc photography partnerships grow, wlth th8 Northem. Belfast and Southem Health and Soclal Care Trusts engaging as a Strategic partner to enhance thelr sar41ice8. We éngaged with participants of all ages, from carer8, galnlng a respite activity for themselves, people whose lives are affected by depression and anxiety, famllies bereaved through 8ulclde to the areas of Forensic Mental Health with partlcipants with more acute mantsl health188U85 including 8thlzophr&nia, a8tlng di80rder8 8nd th08e 088 Ilve8 have baan aff8ct8d by addKtions. We have seen growth In th• programmo with pllotlng new programm?• by engaging partlclpant8 using the methodologies of Photo Voice and Pholo Ellcllation. Photo Voice: using previou81y taken Images from Belfast Exposed Archlve leading to pgrticipants taklng their own Image8 whlch they wijl explore the re88on8 for taking and the emotlons and experience8 that have guided the88 Images. Photo Ellcltstlon: Used with participants enabling a qualitlve resaarch m8thod for particlpants, facilrtators organl8atrons and research where an image enriches the engagemant proces5 and provide8 greater under8tandlng than oral and wrltten engagement. Belfast Exposed continues to engage with participants with varying degrees ol mental heatth 18gue8 impacting their lives, from 8¢hLzophrenla, depr883ion anxw disorders, th088 living with addiction8 and fami1Se6 bereaved throu9h sulcide. groups including the NHSCT Groups of people we engage with on both a weekly and monthty basis, Family Care Adoptlon $eNice, NHSCT & BHSCT Carers, Brain Injury Matters, Headway In Larne and the Mctlm and 8urvlvor TnJ8t, WAVE Trauma. Churchlane assisted living Investlng In our peopl8 Belfast E¥poaed has 2 8t8ff members 8tudylng Ther8PeUtic Photography Post Graduate Certificate through Robert Gordon Univetsty, Aberdeen, th18 onlln6 course enables further knowledge to be gained and 8 better understanding of the academic aspects of Therapeutic Photography all enhancing the skills and knowledge within Belfast Exposed.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantea Tru8te88' Annual Roport (Incorporatlng the Dlrectotrs Report) {contiBu Year ended 31 March 2023 Hoalwng Through Photography Conleren¢e In a bid to 6howcase the work Beffagt Exposed does and shared with others Haaling Through Photography Conference- Sfjelng Through A Dlfferent L•ns, has been planned for Aprll 2023 Communlty Engagemont Progrnmm• Belfast Exp08ed Communlty Programma engages our Community Partners in 8 colL9boratÉve vmy asslstlng with ral8lng awareness. Thls Can 188ue8 Within a community that are brought to a wider audience, FKoviding acceB3 to photography as a method of education through our OCN Educational .Communty Engagernent Project. summer 8cheme activities offering a fvn and craatlve art forni 88 wlth Conway Youth Centre to engagemant offering ski118 in photography from a new view such a6 our Nl Suence photryJr8phy worf(6hop8, providing the adence bahlnd photagraphy in capturiry creatlve im89e8. -10-
Belfast Exp08ed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantee Tru8t888' Annual Report (Incorpordtlng the Dlroctorfs Report) (cMthiu8dJ Year ended 31 March 2023 Youth Belfast Ex sgd Y¢)un Futures & Acadomy .A I¢1 The 2022123 Young Futures 8tarted In Octobgr and 18 due to complete In July 2023, with 8 shov¥ra88 •vent In the Studio Gall8ry. The Young Future8, which was done through a Balfa81 Exp08ed Open Call a8 well a8 participants who attendad the Belfa8t Expo8ed Summer Schem8 2022. In total 13 students wim have completed the programme by July 2023. th81r showcase fo¢u8lng on thelr long4emi len8-ba8ed project8. whlch vari•J theme8 of the Jelf-klentty, youth cutture, urban land8cape8 and edltori81 perfomianGa. The Young Future8 group have been to mulliple gallery locatlona, luch a8 a guided tour by Cataty8t Art¥ CdIrtOr5, and a waxJdr8wing workshop facilitated by Wlexford based artbt, who i8 part of the Freeland8 Pr(>arammg. that WAS located st Ps2. AS well as extemal location8, each cla88 located In Belfast Exposed 18 presented a varrety of a88lgnment¥ and pr8CtirAI demonstratlon8, exploring photography 8ki118, profe861onal d8velopment, curating work. All participants benefitted the programme wlth 8ignifieant chanps in thelr confidence. Gommunution and 80cial sklll8 as V11 a8 loaming transferable 8kill8, creativty and questionlng their envtronment and community. We had a 8howc86e event whlch was a eelebratory event, recognislng the participanV8 achievement8 and Skills, Social actions, frlendghlp8 built and encouraglng those who vrnnt to take their ¢are8r for¥vard, the ning night was well attended 100 fwnSly, friends, the Young Futures and the Lord Mayor of B8IFa8t launched It. CRUN (Causeway Rural Uthn Network) YEAR Mae Murray Foundatlon.. Belfast Exposed engaged wthln young people. who were inltialty brought together after COVID by 8 doctor 8t The Causeway H08Pital to create a calendar. but It was noted the images were not of a qualty, Belfast Exposed were engaged to improve the quality of th8 images. h(p*ever. we identffied the Images ware an expression of the feelings and emotions of the partbcipant8. in Beeing this and through ColbOratIOn with the pathipants we changed the dlrection of theli imag8 taklng into a Therapeutic Photogr2phy Proje The project came to the attentlon of tho Loneline Nelwork In the NHSCT and a report was produced the fist8 of its klnd within any trust turIng Young People and had a major showcase in Flowerfields Aits CenlTr. q1
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Limitèd by Guarantee Trustee8' Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Dlractotrs Roport) {conttniAdJ Year ended 31 March 2023 TRAINING Photography Cour808 The 'Photography Courses, has provided a consistent and reliable stream of Inc¢yne for the organisation. The covid pandèmic, rising interest rates and the developlng 'cogt of living, crisis, posed huge threat to the rélrdbilty of th18 serviGe in temis of its income generating potsntlal. During the pandemio, parti¢ul8rly durlng lockdown8, W8 temporarity delivered our courses onllne. Vthen tha bckdowns and restrictrons were lffted, course6 were back to bè dellvered in person Snd we a gradual Increa8e In parti¢lpotion and purchases of our cour8e8. The thanclal year {2021122) after the start af th8 pandemic saw the ¢our8e8 d•livered to 124 Participants with 8n Inc(xn8 of £12.500, the following year (the most recent financial year 2022r23) 8aw a further increase with 178 partlcipants and an income of £18,680..As ther818 a limit lo how many ¢our886 you can 8chedul8 per w88k. and management of re8ources, the Income celllng hér618 1Th)re Ilrntted. The 8tr8tegy for increased profit has been more focused on delivering th8 cour88s In-hou8e by 81aff, wlth very few cour8e8 now being delivered by freelance tutor8 (onty 4), and by Increa81ng the rang8 and varlety ol courses wa offar. which has been very 8ucces5ful. The mu¢h blgg•r for growth of incomB comes from the 'Photography Seprflce¥' outlined below. Photogrnphy Sprvlcg8 Belf88t Exposed h88 8een a Signifwnt rigo In Interest and demand for bp8poke phokjgraphy course8. Both from Indldual5 seeklng bespoke One-tOone 8e681ons, to groupB, communities and staff teams requirlng a photography cour88 to be tailored to suit thoir need8, whether that be to knprove partlclpants, w¢llbeing, to learn 6peclfic photography $k1118, or for 8tsff to b8 b8tter equipped to create thelr own contant and visuals for onlino motkoting PUfP08e8. Pmr to 2021, thls a8pect of our business wa8 néver fulty developed or e8tabll8h•d and wa8 dellvered on an ad hoc b8818. The potentlal of the8e 8ervices are nthv belng fully re81ised, wfth the development of the Wellbeing Photography Prouramme,, the Improved marketlng be8poke cours08. and Importantty tho strategic approach to batter package the b06poke cour8e8 for buslne8se¥, Foll¢)wlng th8 Implementation of the 8bove aspect8, the flrst fin8ncl81 year of 2021r22 br¢ught Sn an Income of £9,980. Tha followlng financial year of 2022r23 a further Increase %Mth an Income of £12,840. For the first month (Aprfl 2023) of the current financlal year has elready brought In £1,330. Tho 'Photography Serrfices. aspect of the Trainlng yogramTh ha8 provkled o huga opportunty for growth and mre incom& from our cour8es. BOOKSHOP The Bookshop provides 8 Small, yet 8te8dy and reliable. income for Beif88t Exposed, generating approxlnMtely £3,000 to £4,000 par year. We contlnually expand and dlvernify the books we offer through sought-aftar publication8 from local and international photographers, in dernand new rele85es, and boDk8 tallored for our photography course8. Additionally. we ptan to provide a range of products like archive Prints, Postcards, and merchandise Including a 8m8rtphone photography kit. photobook-maklng kit, 8nd branded pens. badges, notebook6, t- 6hlrt8, hoodlas, umbrellas and t(Ae bags. Thete are areas for growth and further Income generation In Bookshop, with one of the maln areas bolng the huge Potential of an e-commerce webstte. To help wth the financial Sustainability of the organlsation, we plan to launch a brand-new website Mfjth &commerce fijnctionallty in 2023 which would prfjde u8 wlth the abilty to 8811 books. products and merchandise worldwlde In a much more efficlent and user-friendly way for our onllne custrxnors. -12-
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantee Tru8te88' Annual Report (Incorporatlng th• Dlractofs Report) fconthued) Year ended 31 March 2023 We plan to produce more of our own publicatlon8. ccxnmissioning artists to create photobooks and zines. 8nd a series of themed editions of images from our archive. One standout opportunty. whith will contribute to the financial sustsinability of the organisatlon. is th& production of 'Stt>rie8 of Baffasv - a collection of b)k3 from the Belfast Exposed Archlve. This links to our business plan to developing products for cuftural tourists and devebping overseas markets. The books will 8150 have a degree of local Int8rest, and ¢an also be a key proJe(a to mark our upcomlng 40th anniversary and cebbrate th8 8ignifrAnce of the archive. VENUE HIRE Offerlng our 8P8ces for venue hlre has been very successful. This 8erylce was never fulty establlshed or irtili88d until a faw years ago. Now, It Can generate anywhere from £4,000 to mor6 than £9,000 per year. The 8uc¢e88 h88 come from providing uniqu8 spaces at afft)rdable pric88: the addition of more gallerie8 and spa¢os avallabl6 to hire. repeat CU8tomers booking throughout the year, and the growlng range and varfety of events including belng a set to film TV Show8, to being a venue for wedding ceremonie8. Th8 Incre88e of gallery spaces al80 makas It more possible for clients to hire a space for an eknibttlon, whlch [8 a comm¢n rnquest that w• ¢an now 8ccommodat•. MARKEfiNG Marketlng - 2022r23 Thi8 year ha8 $8en 919nlncent growth In marketlng actlvity and a 8erf88 of 8UCC888es In prcrything 8elfa6t ExpoBed and our worf( to a wider audlence. both Ioc81ty and intsmationally. To better rnanaga workload and make the nTht of 8t8ff expgrttse, the deci81on was made to spltt the Digital Markatlng Officer Into two (part time) roles: Marketlng & Communlc8tlons Officer: focu8inG on area? Such a8 email marketlng, PR, communlcation8, copywrStlng and Digltal Medla OffKer. taklng prfmary re8pon8lblllty for eocial media management, vldeo productlon. contont production and dlgltal adverti8ing. hile both ro168 overlap con8ld8rably and work together to fulfil our broad8r marketing 8trategy, the epoclalisatlon ¢f each role he8 8180 allowed us to grow our markIng nSIderablY over th• y•ar. Dlgltal Markotlng Our mad(eting ha8 many plattorm8, one of which is using Mallchimp to send targeted email campaigns to Ifsts of 8ubg¢ribers. The goal of the8e campaign8 IS to ralse awareness of upcixnlng woth, generate Sale8 of courses and books and brfng audSence8 to the gallery space8. There are main perfonnance metric8 when mea8urirwJ the porformance of emall rrArketlng: Open Rate and cl Through Rate. Open R8te18 the % of 8ub8cr*>er8 who received an emall and opened ti. Clid( Through Rate 18 the % of 8ub8crfbern who r8celved an email and cllcked on at least one axternal link rtthin an email, In lemis of benchmarking carnpaign perf0mnCe against these metric8, Mail Chimp'8 own 8tstlstiC8 ve us the following statl&tics to measure our performanco against: ForALL Industri888¢10rs, the avarage email Opon Rat818 22.71 % ForALL industriesl8ector6, the 8verage email Cllck Through Rate 18 2.91% For the 'ARThSIARTISTS' sectoi. the average emall Open Rate ig 26.27% Forthe 'ARTSIARTISTS' 80Ctor, the average emall Cllck Through Rale IS 2.95% 13-
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Limlted by Guarantee Ttea8. Annual Report (Incorporating the Dirgctorf8 Report) (MnUn(Md) Year ended 31 March 2023 Vlhll8 th88e metrics not the only ways in which wo measure performance - and they can be mislaading without context - they offer some of the 9t and m08t aeSSIble ways of VIn9 the perfonnance of our 8mail marketing actNities. Compared to the88 b8nchmarks, Belfast Exposed's digital marketing has been con8iStentty above average in 2022-23. Our Average Open Rate for email campaigns was 42.53thl . As can be seen In the graph below, our email c8mpaign8 were Significant above 8veraga in this rn98rd throughout the entir8 A¥er4Èe mttnib1l E,m411 4are Compiaytii its Malldiim A¥era8es 22 - 23 '/'>°j"/° /',/,/" Me8nwhile, our Average Click Through Rate for email campaigns wa8 4,56%. Agsin, this 18 8ignlficandy abova average for the year.. -rrj8joI %Jick TlirL'.v J7 P.ate r.fJ>)If4bl'ed trJ f-; ..ver¥Kl*:. 2Q22 - 23 Plot Ar aATYA 4JXI1' 14-
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guarantse Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Dlractorf8 Report) (confjnufj4 Year ended 31 March 2023 Press & Medla The 2022-23 pariod was 8trong for Belfast Ewosed In temm of pr888 & media cover8ge. Our approach to press & media has involved the revislon of our pre8B malling lists, the cultivation of personal retationships wtth journalists and editors. and a concerted affort to broadc88t our worft through more consistent press releases and Social media. A number of high-profile 6how8, leveraging press & media contact8 and a more targeting approach to pres8 rel88888 and Joumalists lead to one of our best year8 in temis of the volume of press coverage. In total, B81fa8t Expo$ed has featured In 77 pCes of medla coverage In 2022 - 23. This marks our m08t successful year for press & medla on record. wllh our previou8 hYJhe8t for a year b•lng 44. Tht8 coverage rang88 from review6, nows pieces based on pr888 rel8a888, exhibition & event Ilstings and knteryiews in both regional 8nd natlonal publications. Wa have a180 been fe8tur8d In Aeveral BBC Radio Ulstar shows and on Nirrv. Selected outlet8 Included B6lf•8t Llve, The Belfast Telegraph, The Ulster T8tler. The Irish News, Bdfast Media, Tha N8w8letter. The Irlgh Time, The Scotsman. Th8 Independent, BBC Radlo. Dazed M89azine, Vlaual ArU8ts N•w3, Thg lrnh Art8 Review, Nvfv, Ae8th•tlca Magazlno and Vogue. Intsmatronally, B8lfa8t Expoged appeared b•for¢ an internattonal audi6nc• vla Aesthetts Magazlhe and Vogue related to The Truth18 In Tho Soll and Sh? l Herl Hers l Hernall respective. Dlgltal Engagemont Strategy Utili8ing a dlgtt81 engagement 8trategy over th8 la8t year, BelF88t 058d h88 now learnt a varlety of le880ns that will have Shaped th8 Strategy ovor the year At the beginnlng of the year 80clal Media an81ytiPA showed th8 U88r engagement of videos 88t signlflcantty higher than on any other Style of rnedia. How6v•r, with Instagram's pernistence to morph to a vldeo first platlomi, other pl8tfOm such TlkTok and Facebook have now adapted th&ir algorithm8 to promote im8ge4Jased posts to compete with th8 used depend cornlng from Instagram. A8 algorithms continue to change, Belf88t Exp08ed stay8 Updated with curr8nt trends to en8ure content is optimised for u8er engagernent A8 W811 as algorfthm8 shfftlng. 80 are layouts of p18tfonns. A recent post 8tyb ch8nge on Facebook is now longer showing 9..16 (portrait videos) in thls ratio but rather 8howlng only a 4.5 ratlo. Posts are now carefully d•81gned w content18 fvIIy vi8lble on a tlmellno. We have focused on creatlng hlgh quality vkleD content and are now experim8nting wtth anlmated Infcgraphlcs. AwAJrding to re8earch infographlcs give engagin9 vl8ual that attract follower8 and encourage them to 8har•. it a180 mak88 R more probable for a post to be 8h8red to nelwork8. As Betfa8t Exposed Invests in digltal engagement we activety encourage our exhlbitlng artists to do 80 alao. We have monitored h•JN the use of collaboratlve content Posting on digital platfonns. 1.8 sharing and saving content can encourage positlve algorithms. 80 content 1$ optimised. An example of this is the successful sharlng of Seen to Be Heard content In March of 2022. Wrth muttlple social media profiles sharing Belfast Exposed eonlen( it resulted In a 8ucce83ful campalgn in advocating for change and educating audiences. It is nothv an aspect of artist contracts to engage whh our 8ocl81 media plarform8 and digitsl strategy, so they 8hare our content and tag our platforms In thelr own. wrth video content, trend8 over the last year have 8hMI an increasing preference for subtitles to be embedded in the vrdeo as 80% of social media VKleos 8re now viewed silently. Subtitles 8IIow8 U88rs to watch videos on their commute a8 they do not need to hear the content to engage. Belfast Exposed Ideos now u88 8ubtitles as this allgns wlth our key aim to be aCeSSibl1 to all and il incre&qes engagement by 15%. -15-
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Limlted by Guarantee Trustee8' Annual Report {Incorporatlng the Dlrectorf8 Report) {whhiu6dJ Year ended 31 March 2023 Archive In the pa8t year, Bewast Exposed has taken Important 8teps to Improving accessibllty to our photography archive to draw in new researchers and community memb8rA. Using the Spectrum Museum standards, wa havo bean working towards assigning new KtienllficatkJn numbers to our files lo make eedy of the$e more readlly Itxatable for those interested in Vi8Fti'ng our archive. Archlv8 Staff hava 8180 created a finding aid for thi8 purpose. Shce June of last year, we have digitised over 1000 negthe8, and wlth the help of sevaral new voluntee¥s, we have successfv1 begun di9it18ing our print media-primarily the contact Sheats that ac£ompany our larg8 collection of 35mm negatlves. Wa have recent acquired a new collection from a member of th8 Bella8t Comrnunity-now called The C>wen8 Collectlon-whlch conslsts of approximately 750 negatNe8 and sllver gelatine prlnts d8ted to c. 192&1960. Approximately 200 of these Imag88 have already been digitised and we are looking forward to 8haring a selection of photographs from thi8 collectlon wtth the public. We are also In the proce86 of acqulrlng another collection of photographs from a communRy member. Our 8rchlva ho8 thu8 contlnued to grow and has becom8 more diverse. On 8 weekly basis, we are a180 featurfng new arChe imaoes on our 8OCI81 m8dla pages to promots our dfvor8e collectkJn8. We h8ve 8180 been p8rticlpatlng In Var81 exdting projects with organisalions such as the Belfast Cty Councll and the Gallery of Photography (Dublln). Our ongolng collaboration with the Belfast Cty Council ha8 8eèn to a vld80 belng produced and Shared to promote a new tourfsrn centre that will open downtown In 2027. Imagés from our archive were u88d In this project to promote our hlstort88, the uniquenes8 of our city and local communltleg. Our collaboratlon with the Gallery of Photogr8phy 18 ongolng. 8s Imag88 are beng 8ourc4d from our Gollectbns for a larger exhibition concoming the history ol Ireland. In the coming year, we will continue with our large-gcala dlglllsation project ond we hope to draw nN)re volunt6ar8 In who ara Interested in the field8 of collections man8g8m8nt, photography preservation and archNing. Wle bok foThv8rd to the next gtsge of our collaboration vlth the Belf86t Cty Councll. and wlll ntInue to ¢o118borate with other organ18ation8 to Share Images from our 8h1Ve. In Concluslon Tha past year at Belfast Exposed ha8 been marked by ex¢eptlonal growlh, re8111ence, and innovation. We have successfully advanced strategic initiotives, expanded our audience reach, and celebrated the art8 through a der8e ranga ol 8xhlbltlons, program8, and Initiave6. As we move forward, Belfast Exposed is poised to continue it8 mlsslon of fostering creatlvlty, supporting emerging talen( and engaging wrth communttieB to promote the p(wer of photography 88 an art form and a tool for positive change. We expre88 our gratitude to our dedlcated Staff, tTUBlee8, voluntser8, artists, partklpants. and 8UPPOrter8, a8 well as our fundlno bodies, including tho Art8 Council of Northem Ireland, Belfast Cty Council, Art8 & Bu8lnes8 Nl and Barring Foundation for thelr unwavering commstrnent to Belfast Expo8ed's vl$lon and mlsslon. Together. we look forward to a future filled wtth even more ImpacVul exhibf(ions. Innovative programs, and meaningful communrty engagemenl.
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmited by Guarantse Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporatlng the Dlrectorfs Report) (ronthu} Year ended 31 March 2023 TN8t808' responslbllltle8 8tstoment Th8 trustees. who are also dlrectors for the purposes of company law. ar8 responsible for Pparing the trustees, report and the financlal ststernents in accordence wlth applicable law and Unrted Kingdom Accountlng Standards (United Kingd Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the charfty tru8te8S to prepare financial statements for each year *thich glve true and feir view of the stste of affairs of the ¢hwltable company and the Incoming resou and applicatron of re80urce3, Including the Income and expenditure, for that period. In preparfng th08¢ financial statemonts, the trustee8 are requlred to: selact 8Uitable 8(%ounting pollcies and then app them con81stently', ob8arve the m•thod8 and prinGlpkg8 In the applicable Charitie8 SORP: make judgmant8 and accountlng estNiiat•8 that are r•a8onable and prudent. prepare the flnanclal 8tatements on the golng concern bajis unles8 tt18 Inappropriate to pre8um• that the charity wlll continue in buslnes8. The trustee¥ are re8pon8ible for k88plng odequate accourrtlng records that are 8uffl¢lent to show and explaln the charty's transactions and di8clo8e wlth rea80nable aGGuracy at any tlme the financial posltlon of the charity and enabl8 them to en8ure that Ihe financl81 statements comply wlth the Companie8 Act 20Q8. They are also re6ponsible for 8afeguardlng the a$gets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable Steps for the prevention and dete¢tlon of fraud and other Irregularfties. Audftor Each of the persgn8 who18 a trustee at the date of appr¢xol of this report conflmi$ that.. 80 far as they are awaro, there18 no rolevant audlt Information of whlch the thar6ty's auditor Is un8ware', and they have taken all 8tep8 Ihat they ought to have taken 88 a trustse to make thom8el¥e8 aware of any r818vant audit Informatlon and to e8tabli8h that the charitrf6 auditar 18 aware of that Infomiatlon. The audftor is deemed to have bean re-appolnted In accordance whh 8ectlon 487 of the Companies Act 20CK8. Small company provl•lon8 This report ha8 been prepared In accordance wllh the provlslons 8pplirAbla to Mmpanle8 entitled to thè 8m811 companles, examption. 17-
Belfast Exposed Photography Company Llmlted by Guaranteé Trustses. Annual Roport {Incorporatlng the Dlrectorfs Report) fconunuod) Year ended 31 March 2023 The trustees, annual report was approwd on 28 Septsmb8r 2023 and slgned on b8haif of the board of trustees by.. CE Doran Trustse 18-