ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Company limited by guarantee

Company Registration Number:
14589080 (England and Wales)

Unaudited statutory accounts for the year ended 31 January 2024

Period of accounts

Start date: 12 January 2023

End date: 31 January 2024

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Contents of the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 January 2024

Balance sheet
Additional notes
Balance sheet notes
Community Interest Report

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Balance sheet

As at 31 January 2024

Notes 13 months to 31 January 2024


£
Current assets
Cash at bank and in hand: 8,175
Total current assets: 8,175
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year: 3 ( 8,529 )
Net current assets (liabilities): (354)
Total assets less current liabilities: (354)
Total net assets (liabilities): (354)
Members' funds
Profit and loss account: (354)
Total members' funds: ( 354)

The notes form part of these financial statements

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Balance sheet statements

For the year ending 31 January 2024 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The directors have chosen not to file a copy of the company's profit and loss account.

This report was approved by the board of directors on 19 September 2024
and signed on behalf of the board by:

Name: Zoe Lafferty
Status: Director

The notes form part of these financial statements

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 January 2024

  • 1. Accounting policies

    Basis of measurement and preparation

    These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 1A (Small Entities) of Financial Reporting Standard 102

    Turnover policy

    The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance withFRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (as applied to small entities by Section 1A of the standard).

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 January 2024

  • 2. Employees

    13 months to 31 January 2024
    Average number of employees during the period 0

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Notes to the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 January 2024

3. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year note

13 months to 31 January 2024
£
Trade creditors 431
Accruals and deferred income 5,714
Other creditors 2,384
Total 8,529

COMMUNITY INTEREST ANNUAL REPORT

ARTISTS ON THE FRONTLINE CIC

Company Number: 14589080 (England and Wales)

Year Ending: 31 January 2024

Company activities and impact

Projects were created in collaboration with artists and change-makers working on the frontline of war, occupation, oppression and discrimination, with a particular focus in Ukraine and Palestine, exploring the intersect of activism, politics, community organising and live and digital first-hand storytelling. Projects expanded the use of technology, digital exchange, and models of global solidarity, finding ways to circumnavigate censorship, borders, and repression. WITH FIRE AND RAGE won The Stage Digital Award for innovation, while other projects used more simple technology as a means to amplify voices and build solidarity and mobilisation when there was very little or no funding. Sixteen different resources were made available online that collated, further reading, watching and listening on subjects including climate, democracy, colonialism, abolition, patriarchy, censorship, and forced displacement. Projects in further detail included: WITH FIRE & RAGE an immersive audio experience following the stories of artists on the frontline in Ukraine. Created in collaboration with Parade-Fest in Kharkiv it was commissioned by Culture Liverpool as part of Eurovision's EuroFestival 2023. Combing testimony with video, visual art, 360 photography, poetry and music, this smartphone adventure featured the work of over 50+Ukrainian artists. Urgent stories expose attempts to eradicate the country’s cultural identity - a tactic of war, highlighting artists facing intensive repression Over 1000+ audience members walked through Liverpool, hearing stories of creative resistance at key public and cultural locations from the Liverpool Everyman to the Philharmonic. Audio extracts were also made available online for audiences outside of Liverpool. MAYDAY, an artist-led citizen journalist platform, shed light on the resilience of artists from Jenin, Palestine, amidst ongoing invasions, attacks, and censorship. Since its launch in July 2023, the project has drawn significant international attention, and by early January 2024 250,000 people had engaged with its content on Instagram alone. SNAPSHOTS OF CHILDHOOD was inspired by interviews Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights conducted in Jenin Refugee Camp. Speaking to artists and youth participants at The Freedom Theatre her questions focused on the challenges of childhood and the power theatre can play in young peoples lives. To coincide with the release of the UN report, audio extracts were edited from these interviews and recorded with artists from or with heritage from Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. Made available on Spotify and across social media, on Instagram alone 25,00 people listened worldwide. THE REVOLUTION’S PROMISE, a global solidarity project based on testimonies from Palestinian artists facing censorship, continued to be performed around the world. Originally launched in 2021, it has been translated into eight languages; its model of global solidarity allows those internationally to mobilise within their own communities. Readings included but were not limited to USA, Norway, UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Chile. Often combine with talks and workshops it was an opportunity to connect across political movements and exchange learnings. Funds raised from these events went directly to The Freedom Theatre in Palestine, to pay Palestinian artists to lead local workshops and trainings in Jenin. IN A THOUSAND SILENCES was Palestine’s first-ever virtual reality film. Created in 2021, in partnership with The Freedom Theatre and Relative Motion its making was funded by British Council. A week of showings at Migration Matters Festival in Sheffield, meant it was possible to buy a VR headset for the UK and share the piece with further researchers, artists and students. MESSAGES FROM GAZA was part of a long-term collaboration between Theatre For Everybody in Gaza & AZ Theatre in London. Diary entries written by theatre maker Hossam Madhounin in Gaza, Hassan Abdulrazzak, edited audio extracts which were recorded by actors across the UK. Made available on Spotify and social media, on Instagram alone 60,00 people listened worldwide.

Consultation with stakeholders

The digital work and online platforms have successfully engaged global audiences, particularly in the UK, USA, Ukraine, Palestine, Germany, Ireland, and France. Key creative collaborations, especially with artists in the UK, Palestine, and Ukraine, have developed over several years and continue to evolve. Additionally, smaller-scale collaborations have involved artists from Norway, the Netherlands, USA, Germany, and Catalunya. A significant evaluation was conducted for WITH FIRE & RAGE, which was collated for Culture Liverpool. This evaluation examined audience engagement, feedback, and the piece’s impact on Liverpool, highlighting both positive and negative aspects of the collaboration. Notably, feedback included input from Ukraine’s Vice Minister of Culture and the British Council. Parade-Fest played a significant role in all aspects of the project, including feedback from the needs of Ukrainian artists, especially when there were differences in cultural approach. The project was awarded The Stage Digital Award 2024 by The Stage, the UK’s most respected performing arts news outlet. This was a significant recognition of technological innovation and the contribution this project made to the UK arts scene. The format of THE REVOLUTION’S PROMISE evolves and is shaped in consultation with participating artists and communities. Those finds and developments within the project are shared online for all to benefit. MAYDAY is developed in consultation with contributors in Jenin Refugee Camp associated with The Freedom Theatre. Due to the safety of the artists involved, there is a protocol where they can opt in and opt out of contributing and where editing of written texts is signed off by the artist before publication. To ensure the safety of the artists, a strict protocol allows them to opt in or out of contributing, with final approval over edited texts before publication. The project’s global impact is bolstered by feedback from solidarity networks in the USA, France, and Norway, leading to refinements in format and clarity. IN A THOUSAND SILENCES was showcased at the Migration Matters Festival in Leicester, where it received praise and was recommended for wider programming. In general collaborations in Palestine, particularly in Jenin, are carefully crafted with The Freedom Theatre’s leadership, who offer critical consultation and feedback. This partnership has driven the development of new models for working with artists in hostile environments. The research and practical resources to which were presented in a new project launched in February 2024.

Directors' remuneration

Provided in accounts

Transfer of assets

Virtual Reality headset and accompanying case at an original cost of £318.99

This report was approved by the board of directors on
19 September 2024

And signed on behalf of the board by:
Name: Zoe Lafferty
Status: Director