# **THE SCOTTISH SOCIETY FOR ART HISTORY** **Annual Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31st October 2025** ## **The Scottish Society for Art History Annual Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31st October 2025** ## **Trustees’ Report** Board of Trustees and Administration Details The Scottish Society for Art History was established as an unincorporated association and registered as a charity in Scotland (No. SC035621) on the 7th December 2003. The Society is governed by its constitution. The structure of the charity consists of members from whom the Executive Committee is recruited. Elections are held at a General Meeting. The Executive Committee has the power to appoint additional members to fill vacancies until the following Annual General Meeting. The current Executive Committee members, as well as those who served during the year, are: Carla van de Puttelaar (Chair, Journal Editor), Hans Hönes (Treasurer), Kirsty Matheson (Membership Officer), Tara King (Minutes Secretary; Website, until 11/2025), Catriona McAra (Minutes Secretary, from 12/2025), Shona Elliot (Newsletter Editor), Michelle Kaye (Research Grants), Matthew Jarron (Events; Website), Astrid Bridgwood (Website, from 12/2025), Tasmin Petrie (Social Media, until 11/2025), Enxhi Mandija (Social Media, from 01/2026), Alice Strang (General Member), Sarah lepson (General Member), Freya Spoor (General Member). The office of the charity is Museum Services, University of Dundee, Hawkhill House, Hawkhill Place, Dundee DD1 4HN. ## The Objects of the Charity The object of the Society is to advance the education of the public in the study of art history as a branch of the wider study of the visual arts and in furtherance of this the Society seeks: - a) to provide a regular forum for the exchange of ideas and the discussion of topics of mutual interest; - b) to promote the study and understanding of the subject; - c) to express, from time to time, wherever appropriate, a collective view in matters that may seem to have a bearing on the study of the history of art in Scotland. ## Trustees’ Annual Report The Scottish Society for Art History hosted a busy programme of online and in-person events for our members and wider audiences in 2024-2025: - 4 December 2024 – Online event: Uncovering the Legacy of Anna Forbes-Irvine - 16 December 2024 – Online launch of the _Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History_ on ‘Forty Years of Art and Art History in Scotland’ - 6-7 February 2025 – Art & Text Conference, organised in partnership with the National Library of Scotland - 5 March 2025 AGM – Short presentation by Sandy Wood on the RSA at 200 - 15 March 2025 – Curator’s Tour - Collecting the Contemporary, Kirkcaldy Galleries - 5 April 2025 – Bet Low Walking Tour - 7 June 2025 – Livingston Public Art Walking Tour - 16 September 2025 – Online event: Ian Hamilton Finlay – Avant Gardener - hosted by the SSAH for the Association for Art History’s Art History Festival 2024 - 20 September 2025 – Millais in Perthshire - Curator's Tour 1 ## **The Scottish Society for Art History Annual Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31st October 2025** ## **Trustees’ Report (continued)** The SSAH’s 2024-2025 Journal was edited by Carla van de Puttelaar, (Co-)Chair and Journal Editor, with contributions from our Editorial Board and team of Sub-editors from the SSAH Committee. Shona Elliott, Newsletter Editor, assisted by Sarah Iepson, produced three issues of the Society’s newsletter, which contains reviews, reports, announcements and features articles. These and our other publications can be found on our website at www.ssah.org.uk . The SSAH continues to support scholarship in the history of Scottish art and art located in Scotland through our Research Support Grants Scheme. Five applications were received in the 2024 round of funding, with 2 applicants (Nina Reid and Lisa Williams) receiving an award. ## Financial review Income in the year was £9,274, higher than in the previous year thanks to a 35% increase in subscriptions income and receipts of a Gift Aid claim. Expenditure at £8,228 was also higher, owing to payment of two-years’ worth of accountancy fees. The organisation generated a surplus in the year of £1,046 and closed the year with £10,344 in total funds, all of which were unrestricted. The Executive Committee’s policy is to maintain reserves of around £5,000 to cover any shortfall in future funding. The Committee continues to develop the SSAH’s revenue generating activities by promoting the benefits of society membership. These benefits include the opportunity to attend a wide variety of events and receive copies of our annual journal and newsletters. Approved by the Executive Committee and signed on its behalf: 26/03/2026 Signed …………………………………………. Date ………………………. 2 ## **The Scottish Society for Art History Annual Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31st October 2025** ## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the Scottish Society for Art History** I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] October 2025 which are set out on pages 4 – 5. ## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The Trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## **Basis of independent examiner’s statement** My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: • to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and • to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 26/03/2026 Signed …………………………………………. Date ………………………. Anna Chworow AAT Professional Diploma Craigart Ladybank KY15 7PA 3 ## **The Scottish Society for Art History Receipts and Payments Account for the Year Ended 31[st] October 2025** |Receipts
Subscriptions
Visits and events
Journal sales
Donations
Gift Aid
Total receipts
Payments
Payments for charitable activities:
Journal costs
Event costs
Postage, stationery, bank charges
Research grants
Website costs
Travel costs
Total payments for charitable activities
Governance costs:
Accounts and independent examination
Total payments
Transfers between funds
Surplus/(deficit) for year
Cash funds brought forward
Cash funds carried forward|Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Unrestricted
funds
£
3,451
2,385
2,236
246
956
9,274
3,973
2,161
70
800
143
41
7,188
1,040
8,228

-
1,046
9,298
10,344|Total
2024/25
£
3,451
2,385
2,236
246
956
9,274
3,973
2,161
70
800
143
41
7,188
1,040
8,228

-
1,046
9,298
10,344|Total
2023/24
£
2,545
2,034
1,402
-
-| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||5,981
2,721
3,315
1,227
467
-
-| |||||7,730
-| |||||7,730

-
(1,749)
11,047
9,298| 4 ## **The Scottish Society for Art History Receipts and Payments Account for the Year Ended 31st October 2025** ## **Bank and cash on hand** 2024/25 2023/24 £ £ Opening balances 9,298 11,047 Surplus / (deficit) for year 1,046 (1,749) Closing balances 10,344 9,298 **Assets** 2024/25 2023/24 £ £ Gift Aid estimate 300 917 ## **Grants awarded** 2 research grants of £800 were paid during the year (2024: 2 grants, £467). Applicants must be working at a post-graduate level or above and should either be resident in Scotland or doing research that necessitates travel to Scotland. ## **Trustee expenses** The Executive Committee members did not receive any remuneration. Travel expenses of £41 were paid to one Trustee in the year (2024: nil). Approved by the Executive Committee and signed on its behalf 26/03/2026 Signed …………………………………………. Date ………………………. 5