NORDEN FARM CENTRE FOR THE ARTS
A presentation from Jane Corry, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts.
Minutes:
Martin Kaye, Chairman, John Seymour, Trustee and Chair of Finance and Ray Bowyer, Committee Financial Controller, all attended the meeting as Jane Corry was unable to attend.
John Seymour went through an overview of the finances 2015/16.John Seymour explained that the plan was tocover the costs and achieve a small net operating surplus after receiving the core grant. The total net income had increased by 8.2%, mainly due to a substantial improvement in the catering contribution. The overhead costs were 6.2% higher, mainly due to the need to meet minimum pay requirements, marketing costs and replacement of the foyer carpet. The overall we achieved was £10.3K operating surplus after our core grant. This was ahead of budget and better than previous year.
For the budget of 2016/17, the income would increase by 4.5%, mainly due to room hires, donations and gift aid, and pricing. The overheads would increase by 5.3% due to work place pensions and the living wage. The small operating surplus after RBWM core grant would be maintained.
The highlights of the year included:
• The 15th anniversary was celebrated and record numbers of people came to see the shows and take part at the Farm!
• Another 3 years of core funding by RBWM was awarded.
• Norden Farms own show, Kipper’s Snowy Day toured in London & Leicester for Christmas and played to over 7000 people, whilst another show was played to over 10,500!
• The Norden Farm Night School was launched, which was immediately popular.
• Norden Farm were voted number 1 attraction in Maidenhead by Trip Advisor and they received their second Certificate of Excellence.
Martin Kaye went through the 2015/16 actual numbers and highlighted that students from 23 RBWM primary and 5 secondary schools made sculptures, saw plays and live films, quizzed actors, wrote poetry, improvised on Shakespeare, made instruments, designed theatre lighting, wove willows and created animations.
Special projects at Norden Farm included:
• Jump In! Family Arts Festival
• Norden Farm Beach
• 6 week project with 8 local primary schools.
• Daily beach craft and story telling sessions.
• Activity weeks in circus, theatre and art.
• Family shows & Films.
• Young Leadership Scheme.
• Annual Lantern Parade: Carnival of the Animals.
Subsidised Hires for community groups included 38 days to members of the Maidenhead Arts Council. Performances included Tale of Two Cities, God of Carnage –Red Hot Theatre and Allo, Allo.
Norden Farm are looking at a corporate membership scheme, new seats for the farm, £250 each with a plaque for ten years and an education wing, for which, feasibility funding has now been secured from the Arts Council, RBWM and others.
The Chairman commented that there was a lot of physical management at Norden Farm, it was a very well run organisation. The £100k grant was an enabler for Norden Farm to take forward projects. Martin Kaye explained that the Norden Farm ethos was to do things for the community in Maidenhead. To do this, Norden Farm needs to be open and to be open, the books need to balance. The borough’s grant keeps Norden Farm open in order for them to fulfil their ethos.
Councillor McWilliams clarified that Norden Farm had received the £100k grant for the last 15 years and asked if they would ever become less dependant. Martin Kaye explained that until four years ago, Norden Farm had received a £130K grant from the Arts Council, this had been lost. Norden Farm was 50% dependant on the RBWM grant before but were now only 15% dependant. If they ran Norden Farm as a business, which they didn’t want to, it could become less dependant. The SLA expects an organisation receiving a grant to break even or make a surplus of 0.1%. Martin Kaye told the Panel that Norden Farm had hoped for a 0.95% increase in grant in the future.
The Chairman and the Lead Member thanked Norden Farm for broadening the arts for residents and for the exciting new programme for the elderly that was taking place.