The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” (issued in October 2019).
DASH cultivates spaces for extraordinary artists. Our vision is a society in which Disability Art is recognised as core and equally valued within the arts sector.
Our mission is to work with artists, audiences, communities, and organisations to challenge inequality and implement systemic change. DASH’s values are grounded in the Social Model of Disability and a belief in equality of opportunity and creative agency.
Our aims are to:
Engage Disabled, d/Deaf, and Neurodivergent artists.
Act as an innovator in talent development.
Support Disabled people as artists, audiences, and leaders.
Increase awareness of Disability Arts practices.
Support young Disabled people into creative careers.
Provide accessible, inclusive training across the sector.
Strengthen resilience and sustainability.
DASH delivers its aims by:
Provoking debate and shaping inclusive best practice.
Commissioning new artwork and creative methodologies.
Facilitating knowledge exchange.
Building participation and visibility.
Supporting organisations to embed inclusive programming.
2024–25 marked the second year under new leadership and the first full year of activity within our renewed Arts Council England NPO investment.
The trustees confirm they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in planning the charity’s activities. DASH provides public benefit by creating accessible opportunities for cultural engagement and supporting Disabled artists to thrive.
DASH continued to lead national conversations around disability justice, including coordinating a Welfare Cuts Campaign in collaboration with sector partners. We worked with seven UK visual arts organisations and shared new models of inclusive practice.
Our core work is funded by Arts Council England, as a National Portfolio Organisation. Several strands of our work were strengthened by the generosity of donors and charitable foundations, enabling pilot activity, early development work, and new access-led approaches across our programmes. DASH is particularly grateful for the support of the Adlard Family, Arts Council England, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Art Fund, and the Garfield Weston Foundation, whose investment has supported programme development and strengthened artist support.
Programme Delivery
Future Curators Programme (FCP): During 2024/25, one Disabled curator was appointed through the programme, marking the first stage of a national initiative to place six curators across seven visual arts institutions. Recruitment processes and partnerships for the remaining five curator posts were developed during the year, with appointments scheduled for 2025/26. Additionally, 56 participants undertook Social Model of Disability training. Evaluation of FCP activity is underway.
DASH also convened a monthly network and training programme with the seven partner galleries and institutions, centering intersectional disability justice and access as artistic and organisational practice. This programme created a shared learning environment for curators, producers, and organisational leaders, strengthening sector confidence in access-led approaches and building collective understanding of disability-informed methodologies. The network has become a key mechanism for shaping inclusive curatorial practice nationally.
How to Thrive (Survive): Our mentoring and training programme delivered its third cohort focusing on sustainability, care, and neuroaffirming practice.
It’s Not You, It’s the System: Our system change programme expanded to include talks, residencies, and partnerships.
DASH Touring Library: Our library of resources relating to art and disability continued development as a national resource.
Development Work (2024/25) Toward 2025/26 Delivery
In 2024/25 DASH undertook early-stage planning and partnership building for several initiatives that will begin delivery in 2025/26:
CVAN West Midlands: Supported through an uplift in our Arts Council England NPO funding, DASH advanced planning for sector transformation, leadership development, and regional equity-focused programmes.
Youth Engagement: Planning began for expanded pathways for young Disabled people and early-career artists, including integration into future Future Curator Programme cohorts.
Environmental Sustainability: Initial work commenced in 2024/25 focused on aligning access-led practice with environmental responsibility and low-carbon touring approaches.
International Programme: DASH developed plans for long-term partnerships with organisations in Germany, Canada, and Finland. This included scoping work, relationship building, and preparation for 2025/26 delivery of international exchanges and co-commissions. DASH’s international programme is important because it expands opportunities for Disabled artists, builds global solidarity and strengthens Disability Arts as an interconnected movement. Working with partners in Germany, Canada and Finland allows us to share access-led approaches, develop new creative models and amplify Disabled-led voices on an international stage. These collaborations bring fresh perspectives, increase sector influence and help build long-term resilience for Disability Arts in the UK.
Home-Based Situated Practice: Concept development and artist consultation were undertaken in 2024/25. The virtual residency model will launch in late 2025.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Equality, diversity, and inclusion remain central to DASH’s work.
DASH is a Disabled-led organisation and models disability justice through all aspects of its governance, systems, culture, and day-to-day operations. The majority of our staff and trustees identify as Disabled, d/Deaf, or Neurodivergent, and lived experience is central to the organisation’s leadership, decision-making, and programme design.
Our policies, working practices, and organisational structures are intentionally shaped by disability justice principles, including equity, access as a creative and political act, mutual care, and accountability. These principles underpin how we recruit and support staff, how we build partnerships, how we design programmes, and how we evaluate our impact.
As a Disabled-led employer, DASH embeds neuroaffirming practice, flexible working, access-led planning, trauma-informed systems, and psychological safety across all teams. This approach enables Disabled staff, artists, and trustees not only to participate, but to lead and shape the organisation’s long-term development.
DASH remains committed to strengthening Disabled leadership at every level of the organisation and across the wider sector, ensuring that Disabled people continue to drive cultural change locally, nationally, and internationally.
Organisational Development
2024–25 was a year of major organisational strengthening. DASH expanded to a team of 6 people. The team's work is supported by freelancers, partners and 3 Access to Work support workers who assist individual team members.
With the new Senior Leadership Team in place, this period marks a step change for the organisation into a stable, strategic, and collaborative structure — one that models creativity, care, and accountability at every level.
Key developments include:
Establishment of a new Senior Leadership Team (SLT).
Strengthened partnership with CVAN West Midlands, the contemporary visual arts network for the region.
Expanded HR, wellbeing, and trauma-informed support systems.
Staff development plans and neuroaffirming working practices.
Upgraded digital finance tools enabling real-time budget oversight, improved accountability, and enhanced planning across all teams.
The charity achieved a net income of £47,669 (2024: £122,304), increasing the fund balances to £287,320 (2024: £239,651).
As of 31 March 2025, unrestricted free reserves stand at £229,865 (2024: £142,986). In 2024/25 DASH maintained a reserves policy equivalent to 3–6 months’ operating costs: £67,005 to £134,010 (2024: £48,726 to £97,453). The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding they will be able to continue the charities current activities whilst consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised.
The trustees at the September 2025 board meeting have reviewed the reserves policy and the level of reserves. The trustees have revised the reserves policy to maintain reserves equivalent to 3 months of operating costs, reflecting the trustees’ view that holding higher reserves was unnecessarily restricting funds that could be used to further the charity’s objectives. This will enable trustees to seed-fund new programme ideas for early research and pilot projects. This will both strengthen our future fundraising pipeline, as we will have proved the programme concept, and support Disabled artists to begin work in the development phase of programmes ahead of confirmed funding.
Free reserves are calculated as total unrestricted funds, excluding designated funds, and any unrestricted funds tied up in tangible fixed assets. The trustees consider this sufficient to cover between three and six months' expenditure.
The calculation is as follows:
• Total Funds: £287,320
• Less: Restricted Funds: £(53,269)
• Less: Unrestricted Funds Invested in Fixed Assets: £(4,186)
• Free Reserves: £229,865
The trustees regularly assess risks and have systems in place to mitigate them. Key risk areas include:
Financial sustainability
Leadership and staff wellbeing and organisational capacity
Governance, data, and environmental compliance
External policy risk - disability benefit cuts
Mitigation actions include building key funder relationships, strengthening board oversight, and enhancing HR and wellbeing frameworks.
The Government’s proposed disability benefit cuts pose a major risk to Disabled artists’ financial stability and ability to participate in paid creative work. DASH is advocating nationally and preparing support for those affected.
Looking ahead to 2025–26 and beyond, DASH will:
Deliver The Quiet Room (Berlin) as a major international project.
Launch Home-Based Situated Practice residencies.
Implement the Intersectional Leadership Programme with New Art Exchange.
Develop CVAN West Midlands as a regional leader in equity.
Employ six Disabled curators across seven visual arts institutions.
Deliver international exchanges with partners in Germany, Canada, and Finland.
Expand youth engagement pathways.
Embed environmental sustainability across programme planning.
Continue advocacy, talks, and commissioning.
Maintain strong governance and financial resilience.
The charity is a private company limited by guarantee, incorporated on the 27 September 2001 in England and Wales. It is a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on the 19 February 2002. It is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The Board regularly reviews its composition to ensure an appropriate balance of skills, lived experience, and professional expertise. Succession planning, trustee development, and board diversity form a key part of DASH’s ongoing governance review.
During 2024/25, an open recruitment process was undertaken to invite new trustees with specialist skills needed to support the organisation’s next phase of development. Following this process, one new trustee was appointed. The Board welcomed Amanda Colledge, who brings significant financial expertise and strengthens the Board’s financial oversight and governance capacity.
Further trustee recruitment is planned for 2025/26 to continue broadening the Board’s skills base and to strengthen representation aligned with DASH’s values and strategic priorities.
All trustee appointments are subject to formal approval by the Board.
Long serving trustees
One trustee has served on the board for over 9 years; Ms T Raabe-Webber (11 years).
The senior leadership team comprises:
Heather Peak, Artistic Director/CEO
Peter Bonnell, Executive Director
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
There are no persons with significant control.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Disability Arts in Shropshire (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 7 to 17.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) - UK, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Disability Arts in Shropshire is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is The Hive Music and Media Centre, 5 Belmont, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1TE. Charity Registration No. 1090677.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Income from government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Liabilities are recognised as resources expended as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
DASH is supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation ACE West Midlands.
In the prior year, the CVAN WM fund (previously NAWM) was classified as a restricted fund in error. A restatement journal of £35,000 has been made to correctly allocate the related income to unrestricted funds.
In the prior year, the CVAN WM fund (previously NAWM) was classified as a restricted fund in error. A restatement journal of £5,442 has been made to correctly allocate the related expenditure to unrestricted funds.
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year. Travel, subsistence and event costs amounting to £1,018 (2024: £762) were reimbursed to three Trustees (2024: four Trustees).
An accommodation expense of £nil (2024: £179) was met by the charity on behalf of one Trustee.
At the year end £nil (2024: £365) was due to trustees.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
During the year to 31 March 2025, three employees (2024: one) received supported through Access to Work, a government programme that provides personalised support to disabled people.
DASH also engages support from a number of freelance workers throughout the year.
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements for grant monies received in advance of the Future Curators Programme.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Art Fund
To provide support for DASH to host an information sharing and networking event for museums and galleries across the UK who are interested in working with them to support the development of Deaf and Disabled Artists and Curators. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic the project became ‘Curating Institutional Change’. A series of three-panel discussions with incredible speakers responding to provocations and with an open Q&A in June and July 2021.
BEAST – Business Education and Skills Training
Funds were raised through the Aviva backed Crowdfunder programme to create a source of match funding for this programme. Additional funding is being sought through other funders to realise this programme of work in 2024.
British Council Cultural Bridging
To fund 'The Quiet Room' project with Berlinklusion (a Berlin network for accessibility in art and culture) which supports partnership building and practice exchange.
CVAN WM
In the prior year, the CVAN WM fund (previously NAWM) was classified as a restricted fund in error. A restatement journal of £29,558 has been made to correctly allocate the related income, expenditure and year-end fund balance to unrestricted funds.
.
The income funds of the charity include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds relate to the revaluation of the investments. The investments were sold during the year and the revaluation reserve transferred back to general unrestricted funds.
CVAN WM
In the prior year, the CVAN WM fund (previously NAWM) was classified as a restricted fund in error. A restatement journal of £29,558 has been made to correctly allocate the related income, expenditure and year-end fund balance to unrestricted funds.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).