Eastside Arts Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Eastside Arts Year ended 31 March 2024 Opinion We have audited the financial statements of Eastside Arts (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account), statement of financial position and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is appliGable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In our opinion the financial statements- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitys affairs as at 31 March 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources. including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended: have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice- 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 auditorfs 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 a 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. W8 believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. Concluslons relating to going concern In auditing the financial statements. we have conduded that the trustees, use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial slatements 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 concem are described in the r818vant sections of this report. 14
Eastside Arts Company Llmlted by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Eastside Arts (eontlnuedj Year ended 31 March 2024 Other information The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial ststements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other infomiation and, expt to the extent otherwise explicitty stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is malerially inconsistent with the financial ststements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misslated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other infomiation. If, based on the work we have perfomied, 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. Opinions on other matters prescribed by tho Companies Act 2006 In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit.. the information given in the trustees, report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and the trustees, report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on whlch we are requlred to report by exceptlon In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit. we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees, report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you rf, in our opinion: adequate accounting records have not been kepl. or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us: or the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or certain disclosures of trustees, remuneration specified by law are not made; or we have not recelved all the inforniation and explanations we requlre for our audlt. 15
Eastside Arts Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Eastside Arts (continuedj Year ended 31 March 2024 Responsibilltles of trustees As explained more fully in the trustees, responsibilities statement, the trustees (who are also the directors for the purposes 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 concem and using the going concem basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic altemative but to do so. 16
Eastside Arts Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Eastside Arts (contlnued) Year ended 31 March 2024 Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financlal statements 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. 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: In identifying and assessing risks of material misstat8m8nt in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we considered the following.. the nature of the industry and sector, control environment and business performance including the design of the remuneration policies, key drivers for directors, remuneration, bonus levels and perfomiance targets: results of our enquirles of management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities; any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed documentation of their policies and procedures relating to: identifying, 8valuating and complying with laws and regulations and whether management were aware of any instances of non-compliance., detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whethar manag8m8nt have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud: the intemal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations. the matters discussed among the audit engagement team including significant component audit teams and relevant internal specialists, including tax and valuations specialists regarding how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud. As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and Incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and identified the greatest potential for fraud. In cornmon with all audits under ISAS (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override. We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks in operation, focusing on provisions of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included ongoing compliance with the UK Companies Act and tax legislation. In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamental for their ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. 17
Eastside Arts Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Eastside Arts {eontlnuodJ Year ended 31 March 2024 As part of an audit in accordance with ISAS (UK). we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also: Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perfomi audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery. intentional omissions, misrepresentations. or the Oveide of intemal control. Obtain an understanding of intemal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures Ihat are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the intemal control. Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees. Conclude on the appropriateness of Ihe trustees, use of the going concem basis of accounting and. based on the audit evidence obtained. whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charivs ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditorfs report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going concern. Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transaclions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. We communicate with those ¢harged with govemance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in intemal control that we identify during our audit. 18
Eastside Arts Company Llmited by Guarantee Independent Audltor's Report to the Members of Eastside Arts (continued) Year ended 31 March 2024 As explained more fully in the Trustees, Responsibilities Statement (set out on page 12). the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements In accordance with applicable law and Intemational Standards on Auditing (UK). Those standards require us to comply with Ihe Financial Reporting Council's (FRC's} Ethical Stsndard for Auditors,, in the circumstsnces set out in note 21 to the financial statements. Use of our report This report is made solely to the charity's members. as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorfs report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume SponSibl11ty to anyone other than the charity and the charity's members as a body, for our audit work. for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. Paul Dolan {Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Finegan Gibson Ltd Chartered accountants & statutory auditor Causeway Tower g James Street South Belfast BT2 8DN 6 December 2024 19