Annual Report2012-2013

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Message from the Chair: 2012-13 was a significant year for Activate in a number of ways. Firstly, it marked our first full year as a National Portfolio Organisation with all the new challenges and horizons that brought us. Secondly, the financial certainty established via the NPO process allowed us to deliver one of the most successful Inside Out Dorset festivals to date alongside a rash of new initiatives and enhanced products helping to establish our role as the pivotal arts organisation in Dorset.

Inside Out Dorset was strong at all levels in 2012 with some sensational international outdoor work reaching new audiences all over the county and attracting them back time and again on occasions. Of particular note was the mind blowing (blowing being le mot juste) Harmonic Fields which took place on Portland over six magical days and enthralled young, middle aged and old alike with its beautiful wind driven soundscape against the backdrop of the Jurassic Coast. Like everything else in the 2012 festival, it was a testament to the programming skill of our joint artistic directors Bill Gee and Simon Chatterton and also to the adaptable and welcoming local communities in which they chose to base this work.

And though Inside Out was full to bursting with intrigue and delight, it was not the only high profile event on the South West cultural horizon in what proved to be a very busy summer for the Activate team. When we add in the role we played in both the nationally important 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the high mileage Torch Relay it really does demonstrate a breadth of work and challenge which the organisation is now fully equipped to meet.

On a personal note, I was particularly pleased to see the youngsters of the ‘The Remix’ project fully engaging with a once in a lifetime opportunity presented by the wonderful ‘Breathe’ performance on Weymouth beach to mark the opening of the 2012 sailing events in Weymouth & Portland as part of the regional ‘Battle for the Winds’ project. All who were there, or took part, on that memorable evening will have surely experienced the full power of the shared cultural experience – something that remains high on our agenda for 2013-14.

There were many other triumphs and achievements during this period, including further development of the Remix project and the success of our Portrait county youth dance company, and a genuine feeling of optimism that was clear in all our work began to emerge. This confidence in leadership was felt elsewhere across the county and bodes well for our future development, especially at a time of otherwise difficult conditions in the cultural sector.

As acting Chair of the organisation over the past 12 months, I have been pleased to receive the help and assistance of all fellow board members. That said, we were sad to lose our stalwart financial director, Ian Metcalfe, and a long standing member Caroline peacock, at the AGM in September after six years service. Ian and Caroline will be, and already are, much missed but I have been more than ably supported by both Board and staff team as we once again set our sights on the future. However, I am now acting Chair due

Message from the Executive Director: I am hugely proud of the Cultural Olympiad last year. It was the focus of a lot of intense planning and an enormous amount of energy and effort. With many cynics waiting in the wings for our opening ceremony in London to be an embarrassing disaster, it really wasn’t – it was intelligently crafted to be a once in a life-time experience for all those involved and those present at the live event, as well as a highly successful broadcast celebration to the rest of the world. It had a clear narrative about the UK, it was socially engaged and it had a sense of humour. I watched it sitting on the beach in Weymouth taking a short break from the opening weekend celebrations we were either producing or had a hand in producing: Battle for the Winds, the Cartwheelin’ project, Doldrums Lair, A Dance A Day and Breathe - and I was both inspired and relieved that we had collectively pulled it off.

Equally – the opening of the Paralympic games, artistically directed by Jenny Sealy of Graeae and Bradley Hemmings of Greenwich and Docklands Festival marked a new era for the recognition of our diverse communities and its talent and creativity as well as the sporting excellence that was under the spotlight. I think we broke new ground in the UK and I am very pleased that there is serious work being done to continue the legacy.

It was for us, a momentous year, in which programmes where we were either the lead producer, or we co-produced were seen

by an estimated 75,000 people and where we won a Tourism Award for Inside Out Dorset in Poole – made possible by the international phenomenon that was the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As always, achieving success for us means working with partners and the scale at which we worked in 2012/2013 meant that we worked with more partners and over longer period of time and in many cases brokering partnerships for others. We have credited all our partners, funders and supporters on page 17, however, I wanted to say an extra very big thank you to them all, as well as to the artists we have worked with and the volunteers that have given their valuable time.

It has been a feat to deliver the work that took place in ‘2012’, work that ranged from touring a distinctive ‘Dorset Cart’ to the Battle For the Winds, to anglo-french contemporary circus in Ashmore, from the Torch Relay overnight stop in Bournemouth and the Arts By The Sea Festival outdoor programme, A Dance A Day, Portrait and The Remix to Elixir at Springhead Trust. Take a look at the following pages at the highlights of the year and I look forward to working with our highly committed team next year as we continue to produce, promote and develop theatre, dance and outdoor arts and work on the legacy that has been 2012.

Welcome to our Chair of six years, Sara St George standing down and I would like to thank her on behalf of everyone in the organisation for her outstanding service in seeing the Board and the organisation through some changing and challenging times.

Finally, I must extend my very great thanks to Kate Wood and her energetic and enthusiastic team for all they have contributed to the organisation’s continuing success over the past twelve months. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, we are once again facing the next year ahead with relish.

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Planning

VisionTo help create a thriving

performing arts and outdoor

celebrations ecology in Dorset,

Bournemouth and Poole.

AimsActivate produces, promotes and develops the performing arts

in Dorset with the belief that artists can affect and/or provide

positive change in our communities.

Activate is the only strategic organisation in Dorset with the

sole focus on producing and developing contemporary theatre,

community dance and outdoor celebrations/festivals. We work

with venues, programmers, the education sector, artists, social

services, environmental agencies and economic development

among others who all play a part in the ecology, sharing and

delivering our aspirations with us.

Objectives

1. To promote the presentation of a wide range of high quality dance, theatre and outdoor celebrations at existing venues and in other locations, and to develop audiences for them.

2. To establish Inside Out as a strategically significant event for the region using the event as the culmination/celebration and mechanism for delivering a year round programme of development activity. Inside Out will be a beacon of excellence nationally.

3. To produce and support the production of new work in the county, especially by artists based in the county and wider region.

4. To offer and provide information, advice, networking, publicity and advocacy services to the dance, theatre and outdoor arts sector, partners such as the local authorities and the general public.

5. To increase participation and engagement in theatre, dance and outdoor arts, especially for young

people. Activate is committed to challenging perceptions that the arts are elitist and not for everyone. We seek to remove barriers to participation, particularly for under-represented groups and individuals.

6. To support dance, theatre and outdoor arts professionals and our own staff through training and continued professional development initiatives and enable them to reach their full potential.

7. To work collaboratively to define the short, medium and long term focus for development within the sector for the organisation.

8. To create a distinctive sense of place and build on the unique attributes of the geographic location in which Activate is based – a World Heritage Site in the Jurassic Coast, the sailing event location in Weymouth and Portland 2012 and the development of the performing arts at major venues in the conurbation of Bournemouth and Poole.Above: Mobile Homme - Inside Out Dorset in Poole - photo: Roy Riley

Right: Boy at the Edge of the Room - Forest Forge

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76,000 (est) audience members reached

92 performances and productions supported

11,500 visitorscame to Harmonic Fields during its 10 days in Portland as part of our Inside Out Dorset festival

8,168 attendances by young people at workshops

15,000 (est) audience members for Remix’s performance during Olympic opening ceremony

18 artists commissions were supported

4 artist residencies delivered

250 sessions of one to one advice delivered

12,500 people engaged in participatory workshops

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Objective #1: To promote.

Companies included:Angel Exit, Commotion Dance, Swindon Dance, Sadhana Dance, Forest Forge, Hoodwink.

Events and Companies:Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival: Paper Cinema, Wet Picnic, Ramshaklicious, Sandpiper Theatre along with companies presented at Inside Out Dorset such as Tuig (NL), Lieux Public (FR), Upswing Aerial (UK), Rouge Elea (FR), Les Philebulistes (FR), Trans Express (FR) and Cie Hors Piste (FR). Sadhana also included an exhibition that reached an estimated 140 people and we screened a film we made focussing on mature circus artists to an estimated 200 people at a seminar in France.

SUPPORT US So that we can continue to bring great art to everyone we always endeavour wherever possible, to ensure the Inside Out Dorset events are FREE.

Please support us in continuing to present high quality large scale work by making a donation, large or small, to Inside Out Dorset.

You can either choose to make a donation at an event, where our stewards will be collecting or online at www.insideoutdorset.co.uk or by sending a cheque payable to Activate Performing Arts

If you want to take a greater part through sponsoring and patronage we would be delighted to talk to you too - please contact Natalie Gowing on 01305 260954 or natalie@activateperformingarts.org.uk. Many thanks for your continued support.

Celebrating oursuccesses

Objective #2: To establish Inside Out Dorset as a beacon of excellence.

We delivered a highly successful festival. How do we know this – from the strength of both the audience and industry feedback. In appointing high quality creative staff and contracting and supporting excellent artists we are pleased that this has paid off. Artistic Assessments by assessors employed by Arts Council England of the Inside Out Dorset festival cite the highest quality artistic work, particularly in the presentation of Harmonic Fields and Trans Express winning a Sibbett Gregory Poole Tourism Award. See above for the artists presented at the festival.

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This page, clockwise from top:

Doldrum’s Lair, produced for Battle for the Winds - London 2012 Cultural Olympiad - photo: Jim Wileman

Wet Picnic at Bournemouth Arts By The Sea festival - photo: Natalie Gowing

Cartwheelin’ project linked to Battle for the Winds - photo: Wendy Petitdemange

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Objective #4: To advise.

We ran advice sessions on topics ranging from: artistic development, funding plans and project development to Economic Impact Measuring and Environmental Impact Assessments with organisations such as Julies Bicycle.

We progressed well against our website target, with over 28,000 visitors seeking opportunities and advice. Social media took off, with our combined channels reaching over 6,000 users. 2014 will see the launch of new website and increased use of creative technologies.

Objective #3: To produce.

Co-commissions included: Sadhana’s Elixir at The Springhead Trust in Fontmell Magna, Dorset; Zoelogic; Small Wonders with Fevered Sleep; Forest Forge and Dorset writer Richard Conlon; Mark Set Go film and performance with Peter Anderson and Jules Laville; Ramshaklicious; Paper Cinema; Jonny Hoskins; Cartwheelin with Niki McCretton and Marc Parrett; Doldrums’ Lair as part of Battle for the Winds; new community dance/choral commissions for Bournemouth Torch Relay; Landance; Danceroom; Spectroscopy and diverse community work with French artists and The Remix through PASS.

Objective #5: To increaseparticipation and engagement

Arts Award:Activate is an Arts Award Welcome organisation, working with DepARTure Arts and Wave to achieve significant targets within our Inside Out Dorset programme across a three year period, supported by the Rayne Foundation.

Cultural Olympiad:Our extensive programme included the cross county ‘Cartwheelin’ project that commissioned a ‘cart’ linked to Battle for the Winds, a Cultural Olympiad regional project that culminated in a performance in Weymouth during the games period. This project included the work with Diverse City and the Breathe national ‘Unlimited’ project, involving our youth company, The Remix.

Hundreds of young people took part in Cultural Olympiad programmes: Chalk Legends, Bournemouth Sings and Bournemouth Dances, which we produced for the council working with Soundstorm, BSO, Wave and Pavilion Dance.

Inside Out Dorset:We have a strengthened the Associate Programme with Inside Out Dorset and are looking at progression routes across this project as well as across the organisation, with a specific programme to be funded for disabled young people through our integrated, inclusive young company The Remix which now has a new group in the west of the county and has worked with many professional artists including our French colleagues within PASS.

New dance work at the High Angle Battery: Doldrum’s Lair as part of Battle for the Winds introduced young locals to contemporary dance and outdoor site specific practice.

Moving Tides large scale carnival procession completed the 2012 programme in late September for young people.

Young people worked with Subathra Subramanium at Springhead Trust and then performed a ‘curtain-raiser’ before the professional dancers in the grounds of the Trust.

Youth Dance:We supported young people to be part of UDance (a national youth dance performance platform) and for Portrait (county youth dance company), Whitewash (young male dance co.) and Bridport Youth Dance amongst others to perform with professionals and benefit from residencies with choreographers. We also supported the groups to participate in the dance programme at the ICCI360 that Plymouth University commissioned us to programme in Weymouth. Whitewash were supported by us and Wave to work with their rehearsal director, Jane White, to start to deliver workshops to schools, developing their portfolio of skills.

Dorset Loves Arts:We are a member of the county consortium, Dorset Loves Arts. We are particularly active within their children and young people’s hub and are included in the advocacy work that DepARTure is undertaking, as well as a joint bid to Synergy Housing and RIO to invest in the development of employability for young people in Portland. We are also members of the Cultural Hub in Bournemouth and Poole.

A Dance A Day: The A Dance A Day programme worked with older members of the community engaged in creative dance. Working within the framework of Arts and Health, it not only encouraged more senior members of our community to take part in an active and healthy lifestyle, but also a creative one and one which culminated in a celebration during the games period in Weymouth.

Below: Breathe featuring The REMIX - Cultural

Olympiad Opening Ceremony, produced by

Diverse City along with Quest.

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Objective #6: To supportdance, theatre and outdoor arts professionals.

A programme of support and a range of opportunities benefitted over 100 artists, including 4 artists residencies - with Janey Jeremie from Lieux Public linked to Harmonic Fields - mentoring and one to one support, workshops and skills development through programmes such as TheatreNet, DanceNet and the Inside Out Dorset Associate Programme, along with the PASS anglo-french programme and co-commissioning emerging artists.

Objective #7: To workcollaboratively.

None of our work for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad could have been delivered without our essential collaborators. We engaged with many of the producers for this great programme of work, along with a host of other community partners. We continue to focus on the strategic development of dance, theatre and outdoor events throughout the country.

We Chair the Dorset Theatre Promoters Consortium, and are members of the following partnerships and member organisations: Pavilion Dance South West, Theatre South West, PASS Channel Circus, Arts and Health South West, Cultural Hub,

Quest/Battle for the Winds, Creative Dorset, Dorset Culture Forum, Outdoor Celebratory Arts Network, Arts and Health Network, Bournemouth Arts and Culture Board, Cultural Hub, ISAN (Independant Street Arts Network) and OCAN (Outdoor Celebrations Art Network and Foundation for Community Dance.

Dorset Loves Arts: we continue to be a partner in the Dorset-wide collaborative work to strengthen the arts sector and raise the profile of our work for audiences. We lead on stronger organisations and are involved in the economy group, access and participation, children and young people and environment ‘hub groups’.

Left: Umoja Carnival

Top: Inside Out Dorset. Company: Hors Pistes -

photo: James Thrift

Right: Schraapzucht - Inside Out Dorset in

Wimborne

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This page, clockwise from top:

Chalk Legends - Aurore Parkin

Inside Out Dorset - Aeolian residency - Catherine Devenish

Inside Out Dorset - Cie Les Philebulistes

Opposite: Inside Out Dorset - Harmonic Fields - Roy Riley

Objective #8: To create adistinctive sense of place.

We produced 8 programmes of work that were part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad gaining national recognition as well as the Jurassic Coast Arts Programme.

• Battle for the Winds• Inside Out Dorset• Cartwheelin’• Doldrum’s Lair• The ICCI 360 Arena• Chalk Legends• A Dance A Day, linked to Big Dance

We supported the Etude Dance piece at Durlston castle as part of the Jurassic Coast/Earth Festival.

We were part of the other programmes that sit in the Cultural Olympiad ‘family’ including:

• Animating the streets in Weymouth and Portland

• The Torch Relay, significantly in Bournemouth for the community programme and then Weymouth with Moving Tides, and the youth dance project in Purbeck.

We had a strategic developmental role in production, communication and liaison with officials on behalf of the Dorset producers.

Top: Title

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Income and Expenditure For year ended 31st March 2013Balance Sheet at 31/3/13

Incoming ResourcesIncome £637,419

Resources Expended Expenditure £626,166 Net incoming resources £11,253 Balance brought forward £176,518 Balance carried forward £187,771

Fixed assetsTangible assets £693

Current assetsDebtors £60,137 Cash at bank and in hand £163,194

Total current assets £223,331

Creditors Amounts falling due within one year £36,257

Net current assets £187,771

The funds of the charityRestricted funds £67,936Unrestricted funds (Reserves) £119,835 Total charity funds £187,771

Full Activate Director’s and Trustee’s report and Financial Statements are available at the office.

PoliciesDiversity Policy, Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable People Policy, Environmental Policy, Reserves Policy,

Health and Safety Policy and Risk Management, Special Needs Policy, Training and Development Policy.

Finances

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Photo: Elixir at S, by Sadhana Dance at Springhead

With essential project support from the following freelance contractors who worked with us over a longer period:

• Sarah Colwell – PASS Project Manager• Jude Allen – The Remix Project Manger• Bill Gee – Inside Out Dorset Co-Artistic Director• Simon Chatterton – Inside Out Dorset Co-Artistic Director• Delphine Jones – Inside Out Dorset Assistant Producer • Claire Hodgson – The Remix East Artistic Director & founding AD for The Remix• Anna Golding – The Remix West Artistic Director• Aimee Smith – A Dance A Day project co-ordinator• Carly Reader – Portrait Artistic Director

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We are members of the following

Project funders and supportersThe Team

Executive Director: Kate Wood

Outdoor Events and Celebrations Manager:Catherine Devenish

Senior Administrator: Irene Archibald

Theatre Producers: Wendy Petitdemange and Lorna Rees (job share)

Dance Producers: Rosalind Conlon and Aurore Parkin (job share) Marketing Manager: Natalie Gowing Inside Out Dorset Production Manager: Cleo Evans

The Board:Miss S K L St George, Mr C Huxley, Ms J Rigler, Ms Adele Keeley, Mr M Kimberly

Core funders

Contact UsActivate Performing Arts7-9 The Little KeepBarrack RoadDorchester DT1 1SQ

Telephone: 01305 260 954Email: info@activateperformingarts.org.ukVisit: www.activateperformingarts.org.uk

www.facebook.com/ActivatePerformingArtswww.twitter.com/ActivatePArts

Company Number: 3439777Charity Number: 1069622

Cover image: Schraapzucht. Photo: Anke Tuenissen

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