# **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2025**
www.mcopera.com
**McOpera** is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The objectives of the charity are promoting performance projects, giving opportunities for talent from communities within Scotland; the advancement of education and the advancement of the arts, heritage and culture.
Our Charity Reference Number is SC052541
Our address is: 31 Tannoch Drive Milngavie G62 8AS
## **Trustees**
Recruitment of Trustees – all trustees are appointed/ reappointed at AGM.
## **Objectives and Activities**
**McOpera** was formed in 2012 by musicians from the Orchestra of Scottish Opera to develop a portfolio of activity ranging from operatic productions, recording projects, orchestral performances and community outreach projects across a wide social and cultural demographic. McOpera now focuses on devising programmes across two main strands of activity – performance and outreach - expanding the range of practitioners and collaborating with musicians and creatives drawn from across Scotland’s creative industries.
## **Charitable Purposes**
Our charitable purposes fall under two categories: b) the advancement of education and g) the advancement of the arts.
Our fundamental purpose is to encourage engagement in the arts and improve the creative skills of people of all ages and backgrounds, to enhance the quality of people's lives and support cultural cohesion within communities and schools. In facilitating a range of activities which promote the arts, inviting participation and stimulating the generation of creative ideas, we aim to support enjoyment, appreciation, and greater understanding of the arts in general and music in particular.
www.mcopera.com
## Trustees’ Report
## Achievements, Activities and Performance
## Outreach engagement to May 2025
- e bespoke side-by-side/ professionally mentored instrumental projects - including Festivals, music societies and clubs, youth music organisations, council Instrumental Music Services and Arts Services (YMI) and schools
- e Education packages for early years, primary and high schools including o Early Years Storytelling Programme - 3 Billy Goats’ Gruff (Nursery — P3) o Let’s Make an Opera programme for upper primary (P4-7) o Song-writing programme for primary schools
June 2024 Let’s Make an Opera for East Lothian Arts Service/ YMI, 3 Billy Goats Gruff for Kinross PS PTA, Song for Haddo Legacy Recordings for Haddo Arts
Nov 2024 3BGG Milngavie Primary School for Milngavie Music Club
March 2025 3BGG Woodland View School Kirkintilloch for Milngavie Music Club
May 2025 Let’s Make an Opera for East Lothian Arts Service/YMI
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|No|of|
|Age|range|participants|
|3|Billy Goats|Gruff|| Lower|Primary (P1-3)|
|SEN|P3 -|P7|(age|7-12|yrs)|
|Let’s|Make|an|Opera||Upper|Primary|P4 —7|(age|8-1|1yrs)|
|StaffCid|
|Song|For|Haddo|
|Legacy|Recordings|
|Total number of participants|accessed|||655|
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The length of the performance was perfect for early years in school and the interactive movement and dance was a great idea too, as they struggle to sit still for too long. It also kept them engaged.
a. P1 Teacher Kinross Primary
| thought the project was highly creative and inclusive. | thought it was a fantastic opportunity for all pupils - great for inclusion and giving confidence to pupils. a. Class Teacher
| would like to do it again because when you're doing music and there's only one person, you can't add as much structure. But if you're doing it with a lot of people, you can add different structures or different layers. P6 pupil Let’s Make an Opera
My class have struggled this year with friendships, and it has been an area we have had to work hard on as a class. A lot of the class also have found it hard to manage their emotions in terms of managing friendships or conflict due to friendship breakups, so! know they benefitted massively from writing and creating a song about it. | loved watching them use real life experiences to create such a beautiful song and work together as a class.a. Class Teacher, Aberlady Primary
| Groups" ||havewecengagedwith? ~———S—CWho Primary Schools Aberlady Primary School, East Lothian Burgh Primary School, East Lothian (Campie Primary School, East Lothian Cockenzie Primary School, East Lothian Kinross Primary School, Perthshire Longniddry Primary School, East Lothian Loretto Primary School, East Lothian Milngavie Primary School, East Dunbartonshire New Deer Primary School, Aberdeenshire Udny Green Primary School, Aberdeenshire
## **Concert performances and chamber music**
A one-stop orchestral resource for choral societies and organisations, ranging from small orchestral reductions to full symphonic forces
**May 2025** Bearsden Choir _Elijah_
## **Our Collaborative Partners from May 2024 – May 2025**
Haddo Arts, East Lothian Arts Service (YMI), Milngavie Music Club, Perth Chamber Music Society, Bearsden Choir
## **Reflection**
We consistently receive very positive feedback from people we create programmes for and/or work with.
The _Song for Haddo_ programme has now come to its conclusion, and Haddo Arts are unlikely to be in a position to commission further work. We are currently collating the final legacy resources and once completed, these will be stored on and access via the McOpera website.
We have had significant challenges recruiting workshop leaders to replace . The latest _Let’s Make an Opera_ programme for East Lothian, whilst extremely well received and very successful, had serious personnel challenges which has resulted in a recruitment campaign to replace this team. Video footage of this programme will be available online in early September, but the draft video can be currently accessed on the following link: https://vimeo.com/1105841966/87c1be2cce
We are still working to update our website, social media channels and comms. This has been slow progress this year due to external time pressures for McOpera directors. Consequently, the website has still not been updated fully or relaunched.
Our activities have addressed our charitable purposes well but whilst we remain in a strong position to expand our stable of activities and programmes, we are struggling with infrastructure and the financial ability to ringfence time. This is largely due to the
www.mcopera.com
lack of core financial support for the organisation and the need to generate income from projects to pay for overheads and project administration costs.
We continue to ensure that we abide by General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). We are also ensuring that other policies, such as equalities, fair work and health and safety are kept up to date, and all outreach practitioners and project assistants have full PVG status from Disclosure Scotland and appropriate CPD training prior to delivery.
## **Future Plans**
The _Let’s Make an Opera_ strand will be re-named as _Let’s Create an Opera_ and will run for a fifth year for East Lothian Arts Council YMI, focusing on environmental and sustainability via devised ‘mini-operas’. A new workshop leader will be recruited for this to work alongside current team members, .
We are still to achieve funding to develop our musical tales library for the Early Years’ Storytelling programme, to include commissions from ( _Seanchai_ and traditional storytelling, .
Whilst our concert activity has been reduced this year, there are plans in the pipeline for further work, including a collaboration with Deepness Dementia for their 2025 festival in Dundee https://www.deepnessdementiamedia.com
The trustees will continue to seek funding to develop a well-curated and focused range of arts and music-related programmes, balanced against ongoing performances of chamber music and orchestral projects.
## **Thanks to Trustees**
Many thanks to our Trustees for their continued support, and with their support, we look forward to re-energising our work over the coming months.
Chair August 2025
www.mcopera.com
## MCOPERA
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|STATEMENT OF BALANCES|AT|31 MAY|2025|2024/25|2023/24|
|Co-operative|£|£|
|Bank Current Account|1251|1907|
|TotalAssets|1251|1907|
|Balance at beginning of year|1907|0|
|(Deficit)/Surplus for|the year|-658|1907|
|Balance|at end of|year|1251|1907|
|RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT|YEAR ENDED 31|MAY 2025|
|Recelpts|2023/24|
|Grants|(note 2)|0|£|1000|
|Donations (note|2)|13|400|
|Outreach project Income|10819|7130|
|OtherPerformance project income|2500|16964|
|Total|18|
|13350|25494|
|Payments|
|Artists fees and expenses|11058|23251|
|Equipment hire/transport|0|200|
|Studio costs|1330|0|
|Administration|1578|96|
|Subscriptions (note 3)|40|40|
|Total|14006|23587|
|(Deficit)/Surplus for year|-656|1907|
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## APPENDIX 3
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Scottish Charity Regulator
Independent examiner’s report onthe accounts «
Report tothe Charity name
trustees/members of M Cc O p ere
Registered charity SCO © 4) Fu
number
On the accounts of the Period start date Period end date
charity forthe period __ Oay Month Year , Day Month Year
6 2024 ° 3 | KE 2025
Set out on pages
| teem ant oe prvkon
Respective the charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts In accordance
responsibilities Of with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) 2005 Act and the
trustees and examiner Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity 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 My examination |s carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts
examiner's statement Regulations. 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, | do
not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts
Independent examiner’s In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention [other than that
statement disclosed on the attached page’)
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
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## have not been met, or
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2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the nts to be reached
Signed**:
Name:
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body
(if any):
Address:
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*Piease delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. If the words do apply, set out those matters which have come to your attention on the OSCRfollow will accept digital or typed signatures.
## McOpera 2025
## Notes to the Financial Statements – year ended 31 May 2025
Accounting Policies and Taxation The financial statements have been prepared under receipts
and payments basis, in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
Grants/Donations. One donation from Music Co-Operative Scotland on winding up the company
and bank account.
3. 4. CMS Subscription to the Tours book
Public Indemnity Insurance through the Musicians’ Union players’ cover. 5. Trustee Remuneration None
Additional note: McOpera musicians played on 29.5.25 but the invoicing and payments are to be included in next year’s accounts.