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Annual Report 2014 - 2015

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“Theatre has the power to transform the lives of people who make and watch stories unfold on stage, that can radically alter their real life for the better. When you put those tools in the hands of children who’ve experienced domestic violence, help them tell their and others’ stories, it can be overwhelmingly powerful, lead to them beating the oppression that keeps them down and finally succeeding in real life. FACE FRONT do this work with passion and have the experience to help these young people help themselves.”

Mat Fraser

Face Front Inclusive Theatre creates original, ground-breaking Inclusive Theatre with a company of disabled and non-disabled artists. The company produces professional, entertaining and challenging multi-layered theatre, through its Theatre in Schools, Participation and Theatre programmes.

Face Front aims to:

Patrons“Face Front leads the way in consistent, accessible, high-quality theatre and arts to the widest audience. With the fragile economic environment Face Front remains a charity worth investing in and as a charity they invest in great theatre for their participants, who in turn experience art and inclusive practice as a tool for personal and artistic growth, which in turn affects and influences the great arts community. I am proud to be Face Front with Face Front.”Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE

Aims and objectives of Face Front

• Use the arts as a tool for social engagement in all aspects of society

• Create pathways to employment in the arts for disabled people and those not traditionally involved in the arts

• Develop productions that explore social issues, raise awareness and enable people to engage in the process of change

• Provide programmes that enable disadvantaged adults and children to participate in the arts

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The company continues to produce innovative and inclusive theatrical productions using both professional and community actors, many of whom have physical and/or learning disabilities who display such talent and commitment to their art.

Our two repertory schools productions, SexFM and Whisper Me Happy Ever After continue to tour to schools in North and West London and we put in lots of effort during the year to extend the number of local authorities where we perform these pieces. We are also continuing to work with funding partners to develop professional productions targeted at school leavers with learning disabilities, their families, and professionals who work with them.

Our community groups, Broken Silence, InterAction and DDM continue to flourish and have put on well-received shows during the year.

I would like to pay tribute to our staff and freelancers who have shown an extraordinary amount of commitment to

the company, and to my fellow trustees. Two of our long-standing board members, Jackie Kohnstamm and Claire Fossey, stood down during the year, and my predecessor as Chair of Trustees, Patricia Place, has decided to retire at the Annual General Meeting. I would like to thank them for the service they have given and to wish them well for the future. I would also like to welcome Onjali Rauf and Judy Hepburn to the board, their combination of experience in the third sector and in the arts will be very valuable to us.

Andrew BradfordChair, Face Front Inclusive Theatre

Chair’s report Contents

2 Patrons

2 Aims and Objectives

3 Chair’s Report

4 Director’s Report

5 Financial Report

6 Special Projects - Commissions

8 Theatre in Schools

10 Workshops in Schools

12 Theatre Participation in the Community

14 The Future

15 Who is Face Front?

BROKEN SILENCE

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Face Front has had another excellent year reaching over 15,000 people throughout London, made possible by the hard work of all our staff, volunteers, trustees and freelancers.

For the next three years we are focusing on 4 key areas of work to improve emotional well-being and address social injustice:

• Sex and relationships

• Domestic abuse and its effect on mental health

• Anti-bullying focusing on cyber-bullying

• The transition of Learning Disabled people from school to adulthood.

At the core we want to extend the reach of our work so that we create greater opportunities to inspire young people, develop new work and to become the leaders and innovators of inclusive art.

We are very proud of all the achievements made this year including:

• ‘Whisper Me Happy Ever After’ our Theatre In Schools production for 9-12 years about the way domestic violence affects the mental health of children.

• Our Island’ an original, joyful, musical performed at the Dugdale Theatre to great acclaim devised by ‘Broken Silence’ our theatre group of adults with disabilities.

• ‘It’s My Move’ a new project for young people and emerging artists with learning disabilities/difficulties about the changes for young disabled people from child to adulthood.

• ‘InterACTion’ our inter-generational group who have created an ambitious new musical play ‘The Determined and the Damned’ performed at the Dugdale Theatre late 2015.

• ‘Xplosion DDM’ disabled young people have learnt how to be arts leaders as well as achieving their silver arts award.

We would like to give a special thanks to Andrew Bradford, our present chair for his dedication and constant support of all aspects of the work, to Patricia Place who has previously served as our chair and is now stepping down, to Natasha Graham and Shirley Mason whose contracts came to an end in 2014 and who brought so much to Face Front, to Tracey Viechweg our general manager who works tirelessly all year to keep us on track and Jon French for his invaluable time, effort and dedication within the company.

Annie Smol Artistic Director

Face Front works

inclusively using the

transformational power of

theatre in order to challenge

inequality and improve

emotional well-being

Artistic Director’s Report

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Financial Report

As we are a registered charity we can accept donations and any payments made under the Gift Aid scheme, if you are a taxpayer, the government allows us to claim back 25p in every pound you give.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you can help us in this way and feel assured that you will be investing in a well run company that really makes a difference.

Running Costs (£10,543)Rent & Rates (£7,975)Wages & Salaries (£44,671)Depreciation (£1,053)Access workers (£4,080)IT Costs (£3,407)Governance (£4,074)Utilities (£1,153)Performance & Workshop Costs (£17,851)Performance & Workshop Staff (£108,394)

Sales (£56,322)Investment Income (£53)Donations (£3,207)Grants (£142,790)

Breakdown of Income 2014-2015 (Total £202,372)

Breakdown of Costs 2014-2015 (Total £203,201)

The financial statements show that the Company’s expenses exceeded its income by just under £1,000 in the year, which is a considerable improvement over the past two years. Since the end of the financial year we have been successful in securing one large grant from Arts Council England, as well as many smaller ones. The Arts Council grant of £80, gives the company a much more confident future.

Our lease on our Edmonton Green Studio expired at the end of October, and we have agreed terms for a new six-year lease with a price increase of just under 12%, which is both reasonable and affordable.

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Theatre ProgrammeSpecial Projects - Commissions

REMEMBERING: VOICES PAST AND PRESENT

‘We’re the voices of the fewSurvivors with a tale for you’

Face Front was commissioned by Enfield Council to create a play based on local people’s experiences of the Holocaust which was performed in Enfield for Holocaust Memorial Day. The play was very well received by over 120 people and we would like to thank the generosity of the volunteers who shared their stories and especially Jackie Kohnstamm for her research and work writing the piece.

‘A wonderful performance, very moving, and so important to keep these memories alive.’ - Audience member

Funded by: Enfield Council.

TALES OF THE NEW RIVERA team of 4 actors adapted an historical play originally created by our inter-generational group. The team delivered 8 performance workshops to 240 young people from 9-11 years who joined in the action, learning about the history of the building of the New River in the 17th century.

The team also performed the full play to a further 600 young people from 7-11 years at three schools and it was very well received by teachers and pupils alike.

‘It was the best day ever.’ - Pupil

‘What a brilliant way to learn about history, geography, economics and drama, I wish you could inspire the children like this every day.’ - Teacher

Funded by: Enfield Council.

COMMUNITY HELP SCHEMEFace Front created a piece to promote the Community Help Scheme where young and vulnerable people can get help in public places. A diverse group of 12 disabled and non-disabled participants from 18 to 90 years old performed to over 150 people at the Dugdale Theatre and at Forty Hall.

‘You were amazing, it was the best part of the day.’ - Delegate member

Funded by: Enfield Council.

7REMEMBERING: VOICES PAST AND PRESENT

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Face Front creates accessible, issue-based theatre closely linked to the needs of schools to engage and inspire pupils, supporting their social, emotional and creative development and helping them to lead active, healthy and positive lives. SEX FMThis was the fifteenth tour of this highly acclaimed Forum Theatre programme for 13-15 year olds about sex and relationships. We performed 44 shows to schools in Enfield, Haringey and Barnet, reaching 4700 young people and their teachers. The programme was updated and again enabled young people to make informed, responsible and healthy choices helping to prevent teenage pregnancy and STI’s whilst also adding in the negative role of pornography in relationships, the issue of consent and the dangers of

‘sexting’ and online bullying.

‘The young people were engaged throughout, an excellent way to teach sex and relationships.’ - Teacher

‘I enjoyed the show so much and I have learnt about the consequences of having sex and sexting.’ - Pupil

Funded by: Enfield Council, Haringey Council, Tottenham Grammar School Foundation.

WHISPER ME HAPPY EVER AFTER‘Whisper Me Happy Ever After’ written by Julie McNamara explores the way domestic violence affects the mental health of young people and is for

audiences aged 9-12. The show was developed with over 300 disabled and non-disabled children and young people. With over 50 performances we reached 3800+ young people in primary, secondary and special schools in Enfield, Haringey, Barnet, Brent and Bracknell Forest. The response from pupils and teachers alike demonstrated the urgent need to tackle this issue; over 300 young people made disclosures about their own problems at home and were helped. The team also performed at conferences and events on domestic violence in north London and Essex, and the piece has been used as a tool to train professionals in safeguarding young people.

‘This is drama, education and intervention in one and the effects and spin off are immediate and quick. Children open up and talk because they can really identify with the characters in the play. I had no idea about the problems being faced by some of the children who have shared their worries. I had no idea at all. Now we can do something and help these children.’ - Child Protection Officer Haringey

‘It was quite funny. I liked that we got to interact with the play. We got to change the ending.’ - Year 6 Pupil

Theatre in Schools

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‘I learned you can’t be afraid to talk to someone when something is making you sad or scared.’ - Pupil Year 5

‘Domestic abuse is not acceptable. Tell someone you trust.’ - Pupil Year 6

Funded by: John Lyon’s Charity, Enfield, Haringey and Bracknell Forest Councils, Tottenham Grammar School Foundation,

TRANSITIONS – IT’S MY MOVEFace Front has created a theatre and training programme about the transition of young people with Learning Disabilities/Difficulties (LDD) from school to adult life. We were fortunate to have been supported by the Cultural Institute at Kings College London and have been working alongside Dr. Maria Vaccarella to look at two main areas. 1) How inclusive is our process? 2) the impact of using theatre to help with and influence the transition process for young disabled people and their families.

Since then we have:

• Run a series of performance workshops for disabled young people across Enfield special and mainstream schools.

• Performed at a national conference ‘Critical Minds’.

• Been developing emerging LDD artists along with arts partners across London including Action Space for set design, Vital Exposure for writing, Blink for choreography/dance and Heart n Soul for the music.

• Created a theatre piece to train professionals in transition planning.

• Started work on a national tour of the piece for young disabled people.

Commissioned/Funded by: Enfield Council, Council for Disabled Children, Arts Council, Kings Cultural Institute.

‘I thought they were excellent performers performing to professional level,… so they could act as positive role models for the young audiences it is aimed at.’ - Arts Professional

‘I liked it that it showed what is possible, that it had elements of fun and was not too intense. I learnt that I am a bit like Warren’s Mum - it’s very hard to let go, it’s a little bit painful to see it - it’s so real.’ - Parent

‘The workshop helped me to think about my future and make sure that I use my voice to tell people what I want.’ - Pupil

WHISPER ME HAPPY EVER AFTER

Theatre in Schools

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Face Front has been delivering a variety of bespoke workshops for schools and other educational institutions, working with over 5600 young people and adults including:

SPEECH BUBBLESFace Front have been working with the London Bubble to support children aged 5-7 in developing their speaking, listening and attention skills and enhance the skills of school staff to run small group creative work based on story telling. We have been working in West Lea and Fleecefield Schools delivering 2 sessions per week for 24 weeks in each school. The sessions have really developed the children helping them to communicate and be creative.

‘He is much more confident now, both speaking and listening and he works well and plays well with his peers - the difference from when he started is incredible.’ - Teacher,

‘Speech Bubbles is the very best part of the week.’ - Pupil aged 6

ANTI-BULLYING / CYBER-BULLYINGA series of performance workshops for 5-13 year olds exploring bullying, its causes and consequences, positive friendships, how to keep safe online and the effects of cyber-bullying. We worked with over 3350 young people in total in Haringey and Enfield.

‘I learnt what can happen to someone who is cyber-bullied.’ - Pupil year 5

‘I learnt how to stay safe online.’ - Pupil year 4

‘The young people loved the session, an excellent way to inform them about serious bullying issues.’ - Teacher

PLAY IN A DAYAn interactive performing arts project designed for Key Stage 3 pupils (11-12 years old) who are facilitated by professional Face Front artists in drama, music, dance, poetry, set design or marketing. At the end of the day they all come together to create a spectacular ‘play in a day’. Various themes have been used at different schools including ‘Dreams and Nightmares’, ‘Changes’ and ‘Conflict/resolution’.

Schools commissions: Edmonton County, Burnt Oak, The Latymer

PREPARATION FOR WORK EXPERIENCEParticipants use role play to explore work-place dilemmas in order to find a favourable outcome. SCHOOL ATTENDANCERole plays and presentations for primary and secondary schools on the importance of coming to school. SEX AND RELATIONSHIPSArtists use role plays from ‘Sex FM’ to work on sex and relationships issues with young people aged 13-17 across North and East London boroughs. Teachers and pupils have commented on how much they have enjoyed the sessions and how it is a good way to learn how to make independent decisions and informed choices.

Workshops in Schools

11PLAY IN A DAY WORKSHOPSPEECH BUBBLES

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Theatre Participation in the Community

This year a total of 200+ young people and adults have been directly involved in arts projects, creating performances based on their issues of concern and presenting them to people. Participation has enabled disabled and non-disabled young people and adults, including those from diverse cultural backgrounds, gain confidence and skills for life.

The projects have helped raise awareness around physical and emotional health, enabling participants to express their emotions, develop arts, leadership and life skills. Participants have also developed supportive friendships, thereby reducing isolation and enhancing their quality of life

INTERACTIONInterACTion Theatre Group is Face Front’s inter-generational group with people from different age groups, backgrounds and abilities. Members are aged 11-90. The group has been working on a new piece that they created themselves about local Edmonton women called ‘Determined and the Damned’. The group were involved with writing, directing, set and costumes as well as performing in the piece and it is the most ambitious show that they have undertaken. They are now working towards OCN accreditation for their arts and leadership skills.

‘There is no way we will top this one - it will go down in history!’ - Older Participant

‘I was surprised at the incredible quality of the show, it was so interesting and so wonderful to see such a mix of people on stage together having fun and caring about each other.’ - Audience member

Funded by: People’s Health Trust and Enfield Council.

XPLOSION DDMThis is our performing arts club for disabled young people aged 12-19. The young people are trained in performing arts skills and this year we are so proud that the entire group have now achieved a Silver Arts Award accreditation learning how to become arts leaders with the help of Emma Ghafur and ‘Tiger Monkey’. ‘Xplosion DDM have been working with other mainstream groups sharing their skills and have also been on a variety of visits to arts events. The young people delivered a workshop in a mainstream

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Theatre Participation in the Community

primary school which went extremely well with all the young people involved.

Funded by: Children In Need and Enfield Council (ERPF)

BROKEN SILENCEBroken Silence is a drama group for adults with disabilities run by Face Front Inclusive Theatre. Based in Enfield, the group is made up of 20+ adults with sensory and mobility impairments, mental health issues

and learning disabilities. In May 2015 Broken Silence returned to Dugdale Arts Centre in Enfield Town for three incredibly well received performances of ‘Our Island’, their new original musical.

Devised by the group, written by Angie Wallis with songs and lyrics by Greg Williams, ‘Our Island’, followed the lives of the Elder and his daughter, Innocent who were the only human inhabitants on a remote island with a whole host

of extraordinary animals to keep them company. Packed with original songs, amazing puppets and the Broken Silence performers, ‘Our Island’, transported audiences of over 300 disabled and non-disabled people to a fantastical world thrown into turmoil as decisions had to be made and truths had to be told.

Funded by: Lloyds TSB and Enfield Council

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Face Front has been building on the success of the work achieved and has created inclusive theatre projects for schools, national touring and participation. Face Front continues to extend its reach and profile both regionally and nationally.

Projects planned over the next three years include:

Face Front will continue to do extensive fundraising, develop capacity building, looking at ways of growth to put into place a new marketing strategy and to create a new business plan for new economic times.

The Future

Development and expansion of our schools tours for ‘SexFM’ and ‘Whisper Me Happy Ever After’.

Developing disabled artists providing regular training and work placements for artists with learning disabilties/difficulties.

Touring our new inclusive programme around the transition of disabled young people from school to college/adult life, to special schools and FE colleges nationally, as well as providing training for transition professionals in partnership with the Council of Disabled Children.

Producing a new children’s play for 5-7 year olds inspired by sound, to tour schools and theatres nationally written by Alex Bulmer.

Creating a new theatre piece for schools around anti-bullying.

Developing partnerships locally and nationally around our thematic areas of work, researching what education will look like in the future and our place within in it and researching new sources of funding and income so that the charity can develop and grow.

Funders

Enfield Residents Priorty Fund - Enfield Capacity Fund - Coutts Charitable Foundation

Tottenham Grammar Foundation

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PATRONS Mat Fraser and Josette Bushell-Mingo BOARD OF DIRECTORSAndrew Bradford (Chair), Geoff Folkes, Patricia Place Jacquelyn Shreeves, Annie Smol (Company Secretary), Alan Spence, Sheila Barry, Meseret Zekai, Jackie Kohnstamm (resigned 2014) Claire Fossey (resigned 2014) STAFFAnnie Smol (Artistic Director), Natasha Graham (Executive Director - Contract ended 2014), Tracey Viechweg (General Manager), Shirley Mason (Participation Manager - Contract ended 2014) VOLUNTEERSAndrew Bradford, Luke Ricketts, Hatice Ivecen, Jon French, Rebecca Seabrook, Joanna McCarthy, Mo Cross, Anthony Kralik, Peter Faventi, Anne McGilchrist, Pat West, Danny Charalambous, Rima Chowdhury, Patrick McCarthy, Will Smith, Meseret Zekai, Barry Churchill, Jacquelyn Shreeves, Jackie Kohnstamm, Shade Oladiti, Julie Parker, Sally Ricketts, Jane Hermans. FREELANCE / PROJECT STAFFRay Downing, Julie McNamara, Shirley Mason, Darren Carr, Francessca Newham, Rachel Denning, Leon Wander, Pete Faventi, Ellen Goodey, Jo Melville, Jai Vethamony, Karl Brown, Greg Williams, Jo Bakhurst, Vicki Hambley, Nigel Kellaway, Joe Conteh, Leesa Gazi, Danny Charalambous, Angie Wallis, Laura Davitt, Katherine Gill, Delson Weekes, Francis Majekodunmi, Warren Adams, Flo Hazard, Emma Bakare, Frena Kidane, Matthew Haigh, Sarah Akokhia, Emma Ghafur, Androullah Constantinou, Yomi Sode, Shade Oladiti, Amanda Mascarenhas, Rima Chowdhury, Luke Ricketts, Mandy Colleran, Milton Lopes, Rebecca Tortora, Jamilah Yakabu, Aldean Blair, Declan Leslie

INTERPRETERS/SUPPORT WORKERS/MENTORSTrish Smith, Greg Williams, Danny Charalambous, Darren Carr, Sarah Akokhia, Matt Haigh, Jamilah Yakabu, Alex Covell, Catrin Thomas, Ned Smith, Shelly Davis. PHOTOGRAPHERSRobert Workman, Andrew Bradford, Annie Smol, Simon O’Connor GRAPHIC DESIGNERNigel Kellaway

PARTNERSPilotlight, Immediate Theatre, Enfield Education/Healthy Schools, Haringey Council Education/Health, Enfield and Haringey Teenage Pregnancy Units, Enfield DV Forum, Enfield Joint Services for Disabled Children and Young People, ECYPS, Enfield Adult Services, Enfield Youth Support Service, Park Avenue Disability Resource Centre, Enfield Disability Action, Enfield Extended Schools Team, Ponders End Community Trust, Enfield Women’s Centre, MIND, Enfield Age UK, Rosehill Press, Ponders End United Reform Church, The Artzone. Bracknell Forest Council, Cultural Institute - Kings College London, Heart n Soul, Vital Exposure, Action Space, Blink Dance Theatre, Council for Disabled Children

Face Front Inclusive Theatre is an associate theatre company of Millfield and Dugdale Arts Centre.

Who is Face Front?

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IT’S ABOUT BELONGING

52 Market Square, Edmonton Green, London N9 0TZTel - 020 8350 3461 | Fax - 020 8350 3461 | Emai l - admin@facefront.org

Websi te - www.facefront.org | Twit ter @FaceFrontUK

Patrons: Mat Fraser and Josette Bushel l Mingo

Face Front Inclusive Theatre is a company l imi ted by guaranteeRegistered Off ice: 52 Market Square, Edmonton, London N9 0TZ

Registered in England and Wales No. 05154096 Registered Chari ty No. 1116506