2025-03-31-accounts

Ad Lib Arts

Trustees’ Annual Report Period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025

Charity contact information

Ad Lib Arts

Scottish Charity Number: SC049397

Address: Suite 43

St Martin’s House South

St John’s Centre

King Edward Street

Perth

PH1 5UT

Website – www.ad-libperth.co.uk

Facebook - www.facebook.com/adlibartsperth

Charity Trustees

Bankers

Royal Bank of Scotland 12 Dunkeld Road Perth PH1 5RW

Trustees Report

The Trustees present their report and the accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2025.

Objectives and activities

Background

Ad Lib Arts is a relatively new organisation, having been established as a SCIO in June 2019, but it is a successor to Ad Lib Theatre Arts. Ad Lib Theatre Arts was set up by in 2011 with the objective of providing affordable opportunities for the local community to be involved in arts activities.

In the 9 years of operating as Ad Lib Theatre Arts the organisation offered children, youths and adults the chance to take part in choirs, classes in musical theatre and drama, as well as providing individual tuition in singing and musical instruments. Students took part in 31 full scale theatre productions at a range of venues across the city, including West Side Story at Perth College, Rock of Ages at The Whitehall Theatre Dundee, Shout the Mod Musical at Stonehaven Town Hall and culminating in a production of Oliver at Perth Theatre in May 2019.

A number of young people received professional training through Modern Apprenticeships with Skills Development Scotland and Community Jobs Scotland (SCVO) and others developed their skills through volunteering to work with younger groups. Whilst many students over the years have gone on to university and college courses in the arts, many more of all ages have benefitted from being part of the close community which has grown up around Ad Lib. They have developed transferable skills such as communication, independence and selfawareness, and gained confidence through participation in drama and music.

The ethos has always been one of “Arts for all”, with a commitment inclusion, providing opportunities and a warm welcome irrespective of ability, background, age, gender, belief or disability.

The move to charitable status with the creation of Ad Lib Arts in 2019 was an exciting development, intended to allow the organisation to develop and grow.

Our Objectives

• to provide a wide range of opportunities for participation in arts activities at an affordable cost

• to ensure that activities are inclusive and accessible to all

• to encourage involvement by the local community and promote the arts as beneficial for health and well-being

What we do to achieve our objectives.

This past year we are happy to say that the organisation has been able to continue offering our normal activities as well as focusing on growth in our classes, expanding our capacities and working together to be able to deliver the best experience to our classes.

This includes:

• Weekly Classes in drama/musical theatre for all age groups

• Providing opportunities for our students to engage and participate in public events and performances

• The re-implementation of a fundraising team which helps to raise funds through a range of activities and events involving members, students and the public.

• Enabling the use of our facilities by other providers to offer affordable opportunities to the local community in line with our objectives.

• Provide students with the opportunity to further grow and develop their skills through volunteering.

Structure, governance and management

Ad-Lib Arts is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) governed by a constitution embodying its rules and principles.

The organisation is administered by a Board of Trustees who set policies and approve any major expenditure, ensuring that the charity complies with the rules and principles set out in the constitution.

Trustee recruitment and appointment

Any fully paid-up member of the organisation is eligible for election or appointment to the Board of Trustees.

Elections take place at the AGM which is held at the start of the new term in the August/September. Additional members may be appointed by the board as trustees at any time. Trustees are elected for a period of two years, at the end of which they may stand for re-election.

The board consists of no more than 10 or fewer than 5 members. These must include a chai ~~r,~~ secretary, and treasurer.

New trustees will receive training to brief them on the work of the organisation and ensure that they understand their legal obligations as charity trustees.

Achievements and performance

At the beginning of this year Ad-Lib was beginning to get back to business as normal and were in a position that meant we were more financially secure than we had been in previous years. We are proud this year to announce that we are now in a position for the first time that class fees can support the day to day running of the business which means that any additional profit that is generated in income from shows can be reinvested in the charity to ensure that we can continue to support our productions and provide additional equipment that we require. We were able this year to purchases much needed mirrors for the studio as an example of this.

We have had a year of very successful shows and classes. Starting with our Youth/Junior Drama classes, Megan directed and ran class productions last year for both age groups, the shows being DNA and You, Me and Mrs Jones. There was a summer workshop this year which was run by and which was well received. The them of the workshop was “Musical Mayhem” which was a showcase of some of the favourite numbers from previous junior and youth productions. We also had quite a busy calendar of productions across the classes, the junior musical theatre class performed Annie Jr, the youth class performed Les Misérables, and the adult musical theatre returned to Perth Theatre to perform Shrek the Musical. Our annual pantomime, Robin Hood, was a complete sellout this year which was very welcome. This year also saw a first for Adlib, with a collaboration across all the musical theatre classes performing on the stage of Perth Concert Hall for the first time. “Encore” was a celebration of the first ten years of musical theatre within Adlib and saw some old faces return alongside newer members of our group to perform a selection of songs from some of the shows that we have performed.

Income from fees has slowly grown as we have increased the number of classes that we offer as well as increasing the capacity of some of the classes that we run.

We are very proud as a board to be able to say that we have managed to reach a point where we have contracts in place with our Freelancers, as well as the beginnings of a structure for bringing in other freelancers

for various projects, these contracts allow for a re-defined understanding of the roles and responsibilities undertaken by our various freelancers, and ensure that they are properly compensated for the time and effort that they dedicate to the organisation.

There were once again changes to the composition of the board of trustees this year, with and joining the board.

At the end of this period, we celebrate the success of our years productions as well as looking forward to the upcoming Rock of Ages, which rehearsals are already underway for.

Participant numbers as of 31[st] March 2025:

• Junior Drama – 21

• Youth Drama – 11

• Junior Musical Theatre – 32

• Youth Musical Theatre – 35

• Adult Musical Theatre – 43

Previously we also had a very successful run of Panto (Robin Hood) in 2024 also which the attendance was – 21

Audience attendance for productions

• Annie Jr – 452

• Les Miserables – 553

• Musical Mayhem – 135

• Shrek – 1352

• Robin Hood – 595

• Junior Drama - 176

• Encore - 664

Financial Review

We are pleased to say that this has been a successful year financially. As previously stated, there has been a boost in income from classes due to increased capacity. We have also had a successful run of shows with Annie Jr, Les Misérables, Summer Workshop, Robin Hood, Shrek and Encore.

The variety of fundraising events that have taken place helped to provide necessary finance for productions both during and after the end of this period.

Running costs have been kept low but we are no longer keeping to an absolute minimum as the organisation is in a more comfortable place to be able to re-invest.

Income from classes has amounted to £58,739 up over £17,000 from the previous fiscal year, show income has amounted to a total of £27,007, fundraising £6,960 and grants £7,300.

Statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

As our income is derived principally from fees paid by students at the start of each term, monies raised from performances and fundraising, it is difficult to maintain a consistent reserve. Ideally the organisation would hold a surplus equating to three months of core staff and overhead costs to reduce risks from any period of financial difficulty. This is a situation that this year we are feeling more confident about after having a successful year.

At the end of the financial period of 31[st] March 2025 the surplus in unrestricted funds was £44,549, a significant increase on the £10,071 surplus from 31[st] March 2024. This is a situation that as a charity we are extremely happy with as this puts us in a comfortable position regarding our goals to hold three months' worth of operating costs.

Risk management

Risks are assessed and monitored by the Board of Trustees.

Financial Risks

• The board regularly monitors income and expenditure, and compares actual income with predicted income.

• Major expenditure needs approval by the board.

• Budgets are prepared in advance for each performance and reviewed regularly by the board to ensure that expenditure remains within budget.

• An accounting software package is used to ensure that financial systems are clear and transparent.

Safety Risks

• Risk assessments of the premises are carried out by the Board of Trustees at the start of each term and on a regular basis by staff.

• An independent fire and safety check is completed annually.

• Fire drills are held on a regular basis.

• Activities undertaken at the studio are risk assessed by the staff leading each activity.

• All staff working with children and vulnerable adults hold current PVG certificates and follow the guidance in the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.

• All staff and volunteers are familiar with policies for Health and Safety, Acceptable use of Computers, email and internet and Child Protection and Safeguarding and a Code of Conduct is in place for the safety and security of students, staff and volunteers. Adlib Arts holds Public Liability Insurance

Responsibilities of Members of the Board of Trustees

Charity law requires the persons in control of a charity to prepare accounts that give a true and fair view of its state of affairs and its income and expenditure for the budget year. In doing so members of the board are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently

• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

Members of the Board of Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the organisation, and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the relevant legislation. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the organisation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Appointment of Independent Examiner

A resolution was passed at the Annual General Meeting to appoint as independent examiner of the organisation’s accounts.

Declaration

Signed on behalf of the charity trustees:

Designation

Treasurer

17/10/2025

Date