annual report 2013-2014 - creative future

Creative Future is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee Charity number: 1132889 Company no: 6891365

Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG

www.creativefuture.org.uk

ANNUAL REPORT

2013-2014

Yvonne Foster ‘Untitled’

Creative Future’s Annual Report 2013-2014 2

Claudia Benassai ‘In Bloom’

CONTENTS

WHO WE ARE

Organisation & Governance 3

Objectives, Vision, Mission & Aims 4

Our Service Users 5-7

Partnerships 7-8

ACTIVITIES

Summary of 2012-2013 Activities 9

Social Return on Investment 10

Exhibitions, Publications & Events Programme 11-13

Workshop Programme 14-16

Mentoring programme 17 WHAT NEXT? 18

FINANCES 19-20


WHO WE ARE

Organisation & Governance

Creative Future is a Registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee.

The organisation is run on a day by day basis by its two Directors: Dominique De-Light and Simon Powell. Staff changes in 2013-14 included: change of Administrator, from Trish Mullins (16hrs per week) to Niamh Hicks (24 hours per week) who also became our volunteer co-ordinator (8 hours a week). Freelance book keeper Andy Lucas became our Finance Officer, Kate Davey, our Communications Officer moved on at the end of the year. Further freelancers (15 in total) were employed as project & event managers, tutors and mentors. An Advisory Panel of five service users input and feedback on Creative Future’s activities. An elected representative from this sits on the Creative Future’s board. The board meets every three months and consists of:

- Colin Campbell: (Trustee) Architect and Operations Director for the 3rd largest architectural business in the UK, experienced in project management, fundraising & private sector contracts.

- Jenni Lewin-Turner: (Trustee) Arts Consultant and founding director of Urban Flo Productions. www.urbanflo.com - Victoria Bantock: (Trustee) Founder & Director of What The Dickens? magazine. Victoria has had great success with this literary magazine by utilizing the power of social media and crowdfunding. www.wtd-magazine.com

- Linda Salway: (Advisor) Head of Creative Arts Development at Eastbourne College, experienced arts manager, fundraiser, project manager and sponsorship raiser. - Esther Freeman: (Advisor) Art and Craft Manager at Blind Veterans UK (formerly St Dunstan’s). Previously an arts facilitator who has worked with the Royal Bethlem Hospital, Pupil Referral Units, Children Psychiatric wards and Whitworth Art Gallery.

Previous organisational patrons included: Alison Lapper, artist and Marc Steene, Director, Pallant House Gallery. The organisation is actively seeking more patrons.

http://www.urbanflo.com/


Creative Future’s Objectives, Vision, Mission & Aims

Objectives as listed in our governing documents are:

“To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by working with people who are socially excluded on the grounds of their - Mental ill health - Physical ill health - Learning disability - Substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs - Homelessness - Long term unemployment - History of criminal offending

relieving the needs of those who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society in particular but not exclusively by providing mentoring and training to develop their artistic talents.”

Our vision & mission, redefined during our 2011-2012 strategic review are:

Vision: To create an environment in which talented socially excluded artists/writers have equal access and opportunities in the professional arts sector.

Mission: Creative Future exists to nurture marginalised artists/ writers and their creative development, leading them to high quality professional creative practice. We provide skills training, support, exhibiting, promoting, publishing, and selling opportunities to individuals by offering access to the arts and encouraging creative development.

Aims: 1. To inspire aspiration and artistic excellence amongst marginalised artists and writers. 2. To bridge the gap between community arts and the professional arts sector in the South East. 3. To work towards reintegrating marginalised artists/writers through their creative work. 4. To maximise audiences for marginalised artists’/writers’ work, challenging public perceptions. 5. To offer opportunities for talented individuals to exhibit/publish their work. 6. To encourage talented individuals to use their creative talents to increase their confidence to enable them to re-engage in economic activity.


Our Service Users

Since our inception in 2007 we have worked with 2123+ marginalised adults. In 2013-2014 we engaged with 979 service users (216% more than 2012-13)

of which:

Only 26% of service users disclosed their age, this information is based on their replies. Though we try to capture as much data as possible, if engagement is via entry submission forms or when advice is given over the phone it is inappropriate to ask too much personal information. When we do ask, many service users prefer not to disclose information when offered the choice.

Location We know the location of 79% of our service users, of these, 26% are based in Brighton and Hove, 22% came from London. Reflecting our call out for national events, 7% came from outside the South East Region and 3% were international – submitting work from the USA, Morocco & Germany to name a few- tripling the number of those we’ve worked with overseas compared to 2012-13. 68% of those we work with live in the south east region.


Client group

This chart represents 55% of this years’ service users who chose to disclose information. Many service users often cross categories with many being dual diagnoses – combining mental health, substance misuse & homelessness issues. The vast majority (@ 80%) of our service users are unemployed with Mental Health problems.

‘Public’ category are members of the public who volunteer, attend some workshops & who we have given advice to.

Ethnicity The following data is based on the 24% of service users who disclosed their ethnicity.

Case Studies

Creative Future first worked with Moray in 2008. A carer with low creative self-confidence she initially attended a writing workshop. She has regularly attended writing workshops since and has submitted work to the Creative Future website, our publications and events. She has been published in our anthologies (Amazement- 2009 and Life - 2010), our Museum Tales pamphlet (2013), on our website and the Brighton Museum blog in 2012 & 2013. She has performed work at our White Night events in 2008 & 2009, our Brighton Museum performances in 2012 & 2013 and had her work displayed at our exhibitions at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester 2008, Ropetackle, Shoreham by Sea, 2008. She entered the Creative Future Literary Awards in 2013, the first national literary competition she had ever entered and won the top prize. As all entrants were judged anonymously it was a great moment when we realized that someone we had worked with for so long had won one of the top awards. In her own words: “An amazing ceremony, enchanting setting and a prestigious event. I am so unbelievably proud and stunned to be a Platinum winner. The competition has restored my confidence after all these years of being a carer and has taken my mind away from everyday problems”


Christopher Samuel

‘Reflection’

Catherine suffered a breakdown and when isolated and at an all-time low she joined the Worthing Art group in September 2013. Through attending she gained skills and confidence and her work was exhibited at a public exhibition on Worthing Pier. With the help of the tutor she applied and has since been accepted onto a BA (Hons) textile design course at Northbrook College. In her own words: “I would not have done this if not for the Creative Future workshops. THANKS!!”

Partnerships With Other Organisations

Since inception Creative Future has worked with over 84 organisations. We continued to deepen relationships with organisations we already work with, for example, New Writing South were instrumental in developing the Creative Future Literary Awards (CFLA), held for the first time in September 2013. This event also created new partnerships such as with Kingston University Press who published the CFLA anthology and Myriad Editions who helped judge the awards and typeset and edited the

anthology. The Impact Art Fair held in July 2013 also deepened old partnerships such as with Studio Upstairs and created new ones such as with gallery Block 336. Below is a list of 84 organisations we continue to work with, who refer service users, provide workshop venues, exhibition space, in kind or funding support:

1 Collected Works 43 New Writing South

2 Kingston University Press 44 Action Space, London

3 Kingston Writing School 45 Connection Crew, London

4 Myriad Editions 46 Cooltan Arts, London

5 Self Self Self Digital publishing 47 Family Mosaic

6

South London and Maudsley NHS Trust 48

Outside In

7 Studio Upstairs 49 South East London Art Network

8 The Art Collective 50 Shape

9 The Big Lemon 51 Smart Network, London

10 The Other Side Gallery 52 The Bethlem Gallery

11 Amnesty Bookshop Brighton

53 Three Cs, London

12 Charleston House, Lewes 54 BHCC Lifeskills Project

13 Brighton & Hove City Council

55 Brighton Life Drawing

14 Blanch Nuit Festival, Amien

56 Brighton Museum

15 Block 336, London 57 Brighton Unemployed Families Centre Project

16 Brighton College 58 CAPITAL, Bognor Regis


17 Brighton Media Centre, 59 Care Co-ops, Brighton

18 Brompton Hospital 60 City Reads, Brighton

19 Candid Arts Trust London 61 Crawley Library

20 Corn Exchange, Brighton 62 Friends Meeting House, Brighton

21 Express Yourself 63 Grace Eyre Foundation, Brighton

22 Ground café, Brighton 64 Impact Workability

23 Guardian Building, London 65 Langley Green Hospital

24 Jubilee Library, Brighton 66 Lewes Your Way Centre

25 Pallant House Gallery , Chichester 67 MIND, Worthing, Horsham, Midhurst

26 Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham 68 Southdowns Housing CMH Day Centre

27 St Paul’s Church, Brighton 69 St John’s Church, Horsham

28 The Cosmo Bar, Brighton 70 St Stephen’s Church, Worthing

29 Wellington House Day Centre, Brighton 71

Stead Resource Centre, Burgess Hill

30 White Night Festival, Brighton 72 Sussex Oakleaf Housing Association

31 Worthing Museum 73 The Bourne Centre, Eastbourne

32 Yolos café, Brighton 74 The Cornerhouse, Shoreham

33 Access to Art & Rockets Project 75 The Richmond Fellowship, Bognor Regis

34 BHT, Brighton 76 United Response, Bognor Regis

35 Drug & Alcohol Action Team, Brighton 77

Whitehawk Library, Brighton

36 First Base Day Centre, Brighton 78 Community Base, Brighton

37 Friends First Hostel, Brighton 79 Newhaven Your Way Centre

38 Our Art, BHCC EQUAL Project, 80 Company Paridiso

39 Project Artworks, Hastings 81 Liberty Festival

40 Recovery Project, BHT, Brighton 82 East Sussex County Council

41 Service User Involvement, BHT, 83 Mental Health Foundation, London

42 Sussex Partnership Trust 84 Sanctuary Housing Association

Dolly Sen ‘Balanced Mind Lores’


Dion Hitchings

‘Art Clash Self Portrait’

2013-2014 ACTIVITIES

Summary 2013-14 was another great year for Creative Future. 100% of funding was in place at the start of the financial year for the second time running. This enabled us to deliver an expanded workshop programme and mentor 7 marginalised artists & writers. We also delivered a social media engagement project; training service users in social media skills and getting trained volunteers to train others. We delivered two high profile events: The Impact Art Fair at Block 336, London (July) that exhibited 288 artists over 30 stalls and the Creative Future Literary Awards held at Small Wonder Festival at Charleston House, Lewes (September) that was publicized to over 1.6 million people. Our new website was launched and freelance event managers were taken on. These developments increased the organisation’s professionalism and meant that service users had increased opportunities to develop their skills and get there work out there. As in 2012-13, secured income enabled the organisation to develop substantially; consolidating past successes, offering more opportunities to service users, embedding organizational systems, all of which we hope will lead to a more sustainable future.

In 2013-14 Creative Future: Engaged 979 marginalised artists and writers, making an accumulative total of 2123+ since Creative Future started. This represents an increase of 216% more than 2012-13.

30% were exhibited or published through Creative Future’s activities (300 people). 26% of those exhibited earned income through sale of their work.

Mentored 7 marginalised artists & writers

Delivered 42 courses (429 teaching hours) engaging 364 participants – 16% more courses & 24% more participants than 2012-13

141 volunteers contributed 1312 hours. This is 5 times more volunteers contributing three times as many hours than in 2012-13.

£9372 was earned by marginalised artists & writers through sale of their work, including publication in the Big Issue, and prize fees (817% more than 2012-13)

19,475 people saw the 4 events we held this year.


Terence Wilde

‘Pupae stage’

Social Return on Investment

11% of those we have worked with (106 people) went into positive destinations (further education, mentoring or volunteering) purely as a result of engaging with Creative Future. For those that attend our workshops, 30% move onto positive destinations. Creative Future’s income for 2013-14 was approximately £153,239. During this time Creative Future engaged 979 socially excluded artists and writers. Of these beneficiaries, 106 (11%) moved into positive destinations. The average cost per 18-24 year old not in education, employment or training per year is £4528i. By moving 106 individuals into positive destinations, Creative Future has saved the public purse £479,968. Therefore the cost of moving people out of long-term unemployment, and into education or training via Creative Future is £1446 per person per year. This is over 3 times more cost effective per person.

Social Return on Investment = £1:£3.13

Therefore, this shows that for every £1 invested into Creative Future this year, the social return on the investment is worth

£3.13 This figure is less than last year (2012-13: SROI = £1:£5.24 as 26% of service users moved onto positive destinations) as in 2013-14 we held two national events that attracted people from across the UK who couldn’t access our follow on courses, mentoring or volunteering opportunities.


CREATIVE FUTURE’S PROGRAMMES

Our activities are a result of our three main services:

1. Exhibitions, Publications & Events Programme

As a result of 2011-12 strategic review Creative Future now focuses on three high profile events. The two showcases for artists, the Impact Art Fair and the Tight Modern, alternate biennially; 2013 was the turn of the Impact Art Fair. The Creative Future Literary Awards competition was launched in April 2013 with the award ceremony held in September.

The Impact Art Fair Block 336, Brixton, London, 26th-28th July www.impact-art-fair.org.uk

288 artists exhibited over 30 stalls

1400 people attended

43 volunteers gave 705 hours of their time to support the fair (including 20 service users)

£9,000+ sales of artists’ work

6000+ artists had the chance to submit work for the fair via participating organisations

15 arts organisations had stalls at the fair representing many artists

340 artworks published – via catalogue, press publicity, website and social media

“I have had an intense struggle with the Depression this Winter, being an

"Invited artist" to the Impact Art Fair has helped to raise me up and for that I am very grateful. The help and encouragement I have received has greatly increased my confidence as an artist. Even though I still struggle with my mental health and life in general, producing my artwork gives me some relief from my problems and really helps me get through. Thanks.” Esther Thomas, artist at Impact Art Fair

The Creative Future Literary Awards (CFLA) Charleston House, Small Wonder Festival, 27th Sept 2013 www.cfliteraryawards.wordpress.com The CFLA competition was launched in March 2013 for the best flash fiction and poetry written by marginalised writers.

CFLA award winners

http://www.impact-art-fair.org.uk/

http://www.cfliteraryawards.wordpress.com/


Over 1.6 million people saw/heard of the Creative Future Literary Awards via press/online publicity

20% of entrants had never entered a writing competition before

80% found out about new writing opportunities as a result of the CFLAs

High profile award ceremony at the Small Wonder Festival, Charleston, Lewes, hosted by Lemn Sissay, award winning poet and performer, and with guest Ros Barber, prize winning author of The Marlowe Papers

20 prizes worth £5000+ distributed to 18 award winners

2 award winners offered further writing development opportunities as a direct result of the awards

The Spark awards anthology produced and printed in association with Myriad Editions and Kingston University Press

“To have won a gold award and received such a wonderful set of prizes is astonishing and very, very validating. I have decided that I will be more positive about my writing now, and try to stop assuming that I am no good. It has really helped me with my confidence and feelings of being excluded from literature.” Cathy Bryant, Gold Award Winner, Poetry “The award event was brilliantly successful because it was organized and run professionally. The venue was magical and all award winners were made to feel special. It will be a ‘stand out moment’ in my life.” Anon, Award winner

Exhibition & event Date Location Numbers exhibited

Audience figures

S.U.s attendance

Jubilee Library

22/4/13-30/4/13

Jubilee Library, Brighton 4 17500 10

Impact Art Fair 2013

25/7/13- 28/7/13 Block 336, London 288

1400

100+

Tight Modern at Liberty Festival 07/9/13

Olympic Park, London 12 500 10

Creative Future Literary Awards 27/9/13

Charleston House, Lewes 18 75 20

TOTAL 322 19475 140

On-Line Promotion Awards for All funded a social media project this year. This entailed replacing the very outdated and problematic office IT equipment and the purchase of a laptop that could be used in workshops. A freelance project manager, Helen Goss, was contracted to tour workshops teaching service users the benefits of


social media and public volunteers were recruited and trained to teach service users how to access social media. This increased service users’ opportunities to promote their work on-line via: Creative Future’s social media, their own accounts and other sites such as Etsy (2 service users have gone on to sell work via Etsy and Artfinder). It also increased Creative Future’s social media activity as more services users accessed our accounts.

Creative Future has four websites promoting artists’ and writers’ work.

1. Creative Future www.creativefuture.org.uk - a brand new website with greater social media interactivity. Still being populated but currently features 121 artists and writers and approximately 800+ pieces of writing and artwork

2. Impact Art Fair www.impact-art-fair.org.uk – 150 images 3. Tight Modern www.wix.com/tightmodern/gallery - 210 images 4. Creative Future Literary Awards www.cfliteraryawards.wordpress.com

Creative Future, the Impact Art Fair, the Tight Modern & the CFLAs all have their own Twitter and Facebook accounts and there is a general Creative Future Linked In & Pinterest account. Partly as a result of the social media project and dedicated development via the Communications Officer, our total connections have more than doubled in 2013-14 from 3111 to 6437 people.

Increased social media activity means increased opportunities for service users, the raising of the organization’s profile and improved marketing of our services.

Publications

We published two pamphlets as a result of the mentoring programme:

Yvonne Fosters’ Inside

and

Andrzej Lyszkowicz Terrifying Fruit

Museum Tales II - an anthology featuring 8 writers of work created during the 2 writing courses held at Brighton Museum. The Impact Art Fair catalogue – featuring 66 artists and The Spark, the Literary Awards anthology, featuring 20 writers including Lemn Sissay and Ros Barber.

http://www.creativefuture.org.uk/

http://www.impact-art-fair.org.uk/

http://www.wix.com/tightmodern/gallery

http://www.cfliteraryawards.wordpress.com/


Workshop Programme

This year we delivered:

40 courses in 21 locations across Sussex

totaling 429 hours (16% increase on 2012-13)

to 364 participants (24% increase on 2012-13).

Course Title Hrs How many

Start Date End Date

1 Getting Your Work Out There 1 3 6 23/05/2013 23/05/2013

2 Lewes Art 14 13 23/05/2013 19/09/2013

3 Photographing & Digitising Artwork 1 4 2 13/06/2013 13/06/2013

4 Creativity and Wellbeing: Its Science and Practice 3 39 18/06/2013 18/06/2013

5 Getting Your Work Out There 3 2 4 20/06/2013 20/06/2013

6 Marketing your artwork 2 2 10 21/06/2013 21/06/2013

7 Museum Tales 1 12 6 26/06/2013 24/07/2013

8 Managing your Money 1 6 2 26/06/2013 26/06/2013


10 Lifeskills 2 8 Jul-13 Jul-13

11 Getting your work out there 4 2 3 05/07/2013 05/07/2013

12 Volunteering for art projects - 1 2 6 10/07/2013 10/07/2013

13 Volunteering for art projects - 2 2 10 11/07/2013 11/07/2013


15 Organising an Exhibition 12 6 05/09/2013 05/12/2013

16 Reading your work in public 6 4 13/09/2013 13/09/2013

17 How to Write a Blog 6 6 17/09/2013 24/09/2013

18 Lifeskills 2 7 19/09/2013 19/09/2013

19 Creating your own website 1 9 8 25/09/2013 09/10/2013

20 1:1 Photograph and digitising artwork 1 1 08/10/2013 01/04/2013

21 Applying for Grants 2 7 8 16/10/2013 16/10/2013

22 Using Social Media to Promote Yourself 1 6 3 22/10/2013 29/10/2013

23 Brighton Creative Writing 32 31 06/06/2013 20/02/2013

24 Writing for a Living 12.5 7 04/11/2013 02/12/2013

25 Worthing Creative Writing 14 14 18/09/2013 04/12/2013

26 Worthing Art 28 24 11/09/2013 02/04/2014

27 Bognor Creative Writing 30 20 21/05/2013 10/12/2013

28 Crawley Art 30 33 22/05/2013 11/12/2013

29 Brighton Art 28 25 23/05/2013 12/12/2013

30 Hailsham Art 14 13 12/09/2013 05/12/2013

31 Horsham Creative Writing 44 10 30/04/2013 25/03/2014

32 Managing your Money 7 3 05/02/2014 05/02/2014

33 Reading Your Work in Public 7 3 25/02/2014 25/02/2014

34 Applying for Grants 7 4 05/03/2014 05/03/2014


35 Newhaven Art 16 9 03/10/2013 30/01/2014

36 Running a Writing Group 10 6 13/02/2014 13/03/2014

37 How to promote yourself using social media 6 5 18/02/2014 25/02/2014

38 Creating Your Own Website 9 8 12/02/2014 26/02/2014

39 Writing for a Living 2 12.5 5 27/02/2014 27/03/2014

40 Museum Tales 2 10 6 06/02/2014 06/03/2014

TOTAL 429 364

“It has been brilliant at reducing stress levels. It is relaxing and enjoyable and I have practiced so many new techniques and skills. Thank you.” Participant, Crawley Art group “I am now running a writing group as a result of this course. Everything I have learnt from this course will be used.” Participant, How to Run a Writing Group “It has really helped my confidence. My children have more respect for me, especially because my picture was used for the exhibition on the pier.” Participant, Worthing Art course “The class has boosted my confidence immensely. I always needed reassurance, but now I realise that it was never enough, I try to reassure myself. This is easy to do through art and creative activities. The class is a wonderful support for me. I am always astonished at what I am able to achieve. I have been attending for a year and a half and I am so grateful.” Participant, Worthing Art group “This really helped me with my confidence on putting up my artwork on the web.” Participant, Using Social Media to Promote Yourself “This has been an amazing course! I've learnt so much - so inspirational! Claudia has shared literature and the museum with such mouth-watering enthusiasm that I spend all week longing for more!” Participant, Museum Tales course

Colin Hambrook ‘Sins of the Fathers’ from the

series Knitting Time


Yes87%

No13%

Workshop made me more likely to engage with other cultural activities

Workshop participant feedback

The data below was collated from evaluation forms completed by 88% of all workshop participants:


Excellent83%

Good17%

OK0%

Poor0%

Support given to achieve goals

Good50%

Excellent50%

OK0%

Poor0%

How was method/level of contact?

Excellent67%

Good33%

OK0%

Poor0%

Mentoring increased wellbeing?

3. Mentoring Programme Four artists and three writers were enrolled in the mentoring programme in 2013-14 (making a total of 83 people mentored since 2007). These places were paid via the Arts Council. This is less than 2012-13 as we were unable to secure match funding for the programme. Personal successes for mentees included: being exhibited and published, selling artwork, attending a New Writing South industry day, volunteering and being accepted onto a printing degree course.

“The support of my mentor has enabled me to actively investigate and discuss potential outlets for my work, and to be realistic about my practice and potential marketing.” Art Mentee

“I'm extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity. My work has improved dramatically as a result and I have learnt so much.” Writing mentee Feedback collated from evaluation forms completed by 2013-14 mentees.


Polly Ballantine

‘Untitled’

WHAT NEXT?

2013-14 was a great year for Creative Future in that funds for all planned activity were in place at the start of the financial year. Through grants via Reaching Communities from the Big Lottery Fund, Grants for the Arts from the Arts Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, the Joseph Levy Foundation, the Maudsley Charity, Awards for All and the Henry Smith charity it was not only possible to deliver existing services but greatly expand the opportunities on offer. This resulted in

an expansion of the organisation – increasing our administrator’s and finance officer’s hours, employing event and project managers and

installing a much needed new IT system. This expansion enabled us to manage the increased demand for our services, increase our reach and increase the opportunities for our service users. Improved publicity, an annual course brochure, a professional interactive website and active social media accounts enabled us to market these services further and wider. As well as our 4 part time staff we contracted 14 freelance tutors, 6 freelance mentors, 2 event managers, a fundraiser, a project manager and a finance officer to ensure we delivered all the services we were committed to. Our services continue to expand and as a result we are reaching far more people. We’ve engaged 216% more people this year than last (979 people as opposed to 453) this follows an annual growth trend as can be seen by the graph below:

Organisational review. As stated as a priority in the 2012-13 annual report we analysed organisational job roles. This was done by the board and CF Project Directors (now known simply as Directors) and was facilitated by Jenni Lewin-Turner, arts consultant. The conclusion was that CF Directors were undertaking duties way beyond the standard remit of strategic managers and were delivering the work of several members of staff, this was extremely detrimental to their health. The board agreed to increase hours of certain roles (eg the book keeper, administrator) & contract a fundraiser to help secure further income so that in future a full time operations manager and freelance event/project managers could be employed. This was estimated to cost a further £122,000 per annum – roughly double CF’s current income. Until this has been achieved it has been agreed that the administrator should work 4 days a week, the book keeper (now Finance


Pat Gregson ‘Woods’

Officer) should increase to 2 days a week and where possible, events should be run by freelance event managers to reduce CF Directors’ workloads.

We have also, as stated in our 2012-13 report, been working towards ensuring events are fully funded before their launch, with fundraising now occurring approximately 12 months prior to the event. The Impact Art Fair and the Creative Future Literary Awards had approximately 80% of funds in place at the time of launching and fundraising for 2014-15 events has already started.

We have also increased the capacity of our organization by recruiting more volunteers – via the social media project and through members of the public who have heard about us via our events and social media activity.

Along with delivering our services and events, priorities for 2014-15 are:

1. Secure funding for 2015 and beyond. Two major grants end in March 2015 so for our services to continue at the current level we need to secure new grants – we are working with a freelance fundraiser to achieve this.

2. Find alternative sources of income. We are working on securing alternative income streams such as housing association contracts, social enterprise grants and more sponsorship.

3. Securing funds to employ staff to manage/deliver events – enabling CF Directors to focus on strategy and networking.

4. Organising events with a longer lead in time - so that staff are less pressured.

5. Events (Impact Art Fair, Tight Modern and Creative Future Literary Awards) to occur annually. To fundraise to enable this to occur.

FINANCES

Creative Future has 100% of the 2014-15 budget in place – either as secured income via grants from: Arts Council England, Reaching Communities from The Big Lottery Fund, the People’s Health Trust, the Joseph Levy Foundation or, commissions from: Sanctuary Housing Association, East Sussex County Council, St Helens County Council or, from income we are confident of securing such as fees for workshops, art sales etc. This provides much needed stability for the organisation. However, only 30% of 2015-16 income has been secured so this year the priority is fundraising for the next 3 to 5 years.


2013-14 has been a very successful year financially with 14% more income than predicted (and more than double predicted on graphs in previous annual reports). Income from art sales, commissioned services and submission fees for events were higher than expected. Reserves are currently approximately £19,000 – enough for 3 months wages as CF policy dictates. This resulted in the following income breakdown:

Creative Future’s rapid growth, financial decline and recovery can be seen as follows – including already secured income for 2014- 2015 (which we hope to add to with other grants, sponsorships and private income):

For further detail please request our annual accounts. Once again, Creative Future ends the year on a positive note with finances secured for the future year and great outcomes achieved. We look forward to sharing our successes in the years to come.

Dominique De-Light & Simon Powell Creative Future’s Directors May 2014

i Cabinet Office. (2014).Unit Cost

Database. Available:http://data.gov.uk/sib_knowledge_box/

toolkit?utm_source=NCVO_PSDNbulletin_Feb2014&utm_medium=email&utm_campa

ign=NCVO_PSDNbulletin_Feb2014. Last accessed 16th April 2014

annual report 2013-2014 - creative future

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