Annual Report 2008/09 Evolving through exchange and inspiration Page 2 Contents Title Page Review of the year 3 – 5 About us 5 – 6 The year in numbers Strategic objectives 7 Our programme 8 – 11 Total number of people involved in our work 23,357 Audiences and participants 12 Total performance events 127 Funding 13 Our supporters 14 – 16 Walks, talks and visits 18 Financial statements 17 Total outdoor events 20 People 18 Total free festival events 31 Total premieres 15 Radio broadcasts 10 Page 3 Review of the year 2008/09 has been a full and fulfilling year for Looking ahead Spitalfields Music – our first year with our new name. Our programme of activity has continued 2009/10 sees a number of new initiatives starting, to go from strength to strength and new plans which seek both to involve people even more closely which were forming at the time of writing last in our programme and organisation, and find even year’s report are now starting to come to fruition. more points of intersection between our Learning & Participation programme and festivals: 2008/09 programme • With a grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation we begin Stomping Ground, a 2008/09 has been the final year under Artistic three year initiative to develop our whole Director Diana Burrell and her two festival programme to get even more people involved programmes have showcased the quality of her across the borough as volunteers, curators, programming. For our Winter Festival 2008 (spilling audience and participants for our work. into 2009) her invitation to the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists with Sir John Eliot • We commission a new participatory piece Gardiner captured imaginations and drew in the for 250 voices for next summer’s festival Business plan largest audience ever for our Winter Festival. In – a piece which will celebrate different the Summer Festival 2009 her inclusion of three communities and involve young and old We enter 2009/10 in a strong artistic, educational substantial new pieces of commissioned music, people, city workers and local residents. and organisational position. The financial by Michael Finnissy, Jonathan Dove and herself, • We begin a new primary programme with position is more challenging, with unprecedented marked the highest level of attendance for new neighbourhood primary schools within a 15 economic conditions having contributed to both music in any of our festivals and the pieces drew minute walk of Spitalfields market. a shortfall in our fundraising and depletion in significant critical acclaim. I would like to thank the value of our reserves in the past 12 months. Diana for her inspiring and thoughtful leadership of • We develop our volunteering programme to Whilst the immediate impact of this is felt in the our festival programming over the past three years. involve more people in our festivals and to figures reported here, (to the end of 2008), we build volunteering through the year. have set a course to a ‘break-even’ annual budget Our year-round Learning & Participation for 2009 and taken steps to ensure our balance • We move from working with a single Artistic Programme continues to thrive with this year’s sheet position has every chance of recovery. focus on working with fewer people in a more Director to a series of Artistic Associates sustained and in depth way. In particular, offering the chance for artists to work with Whilst the finances from our July 2008 business our Special Education Needs programme us over a period of time and to be involved plan have been revised in the light of the last developed with partnership from Sing Up!; the in our festivals and year-round programme. 12 months, the overarching objectives and playingfields programme concluded after three individual project goals remain our focus and years; our choir Women sing East hit its highest despite significantly reduced resources we have level of membership and made its evening achieved 65% of our goals for the year across our concert debut in Wilton’s during our Summer programme, resources, marketing and fundraising. Festival and our Apprentice Artist Scheme expanded its reach significantly. In September we ran a first ‘mini festival’, working with local partners to celebrate the beginning of the Cultural Olympiad with a weekend-long programme called Spitalfields Opens Up! Page 4 Review of the year Partners and collaborators Thank you Our work is delivered in partnership with It is thanks to our many loyal and generous others, locally and nationally, and it is due to supporters, that we are able to deliver our strong and creative partnerships that we have programme. In particular we would like to been able to continue to deliver so much in a thank the Arts Council England, City of London challenging financial period. Our key venues: Corporation and London Borough of Tower Christ Church, Wilton’s Music Hall, Shoreditch Hamlets for their support of our work, both Church, Brady Centre and Bishopsgate Institute financial and with expertise and networks. have all supported us by allowing us to use We are very grateful to our founding group of their spaces without charge. We are extremely Champions, who established a new individual grateful to them for this support. Spitalfields supporters group during our Winter Festival 2008 Estates working with us on Arts Box and on our and to all of our individual supporters who have outdoor festival programme continue to work continued their support for us through the year. tirelessly to get the best from our partnership. Our project with The Monteverdi Choir and The There have been some changes to our Council English Baroque Soloists proved what can be during the year. Thank you to Sarah Kemp for achieved through artistic collaboration: bringing many years of energetic and creative contribution the highest quality music making to the borough as she steps down from the Council. Also to Wilf and offering ways for as many people as possible Weeks OBE who stepped down as Chair during to get involved. And our schools, our City of the year, following a period of ill health. His London Arts Partners, our Create partners and tenure at the helm was brief but the impact of his the THAMES team continue to be important efforts significant – laying the ground for many partnerships for us. of the developments which are now coming to fruition. Andrew Blankfield stepped in, initially as Acting Chair, and then taking over in November, steering the organisation on a steady course through a challenging 12 months. I’d like to thank him for his huge energy and effort. Going in to 2009/10 we welcome Sir Alan Moses as our next Chair, a role he begins in October. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our activities in 2008/09: none of this would have been possible without the staff, Council, volunteers, advisers, funders and partners whose vigour and enthusiasm are the core of our success. I look forward to the coming year and to the next phase. Abigail Pogson Executive Director Page 5 About us Our impact is measured by those involved in our work. Here are some of their comments: The course has increased my general This project was really fun and satisfying Music is a fantastic medium by which we happiness and well-being, encouraged me to be involved with. I felt that the children can engage a community and improve to listen to a wider range of music and I’ve gained a great deal from the project – both people’s confidence, discipline and ability to made new friends. musically and in terms of self-esteem. communicate. Spitalfields Music continues Leadership was really inspiring and I learnt to offer the local community all of these Women sing East participant a lot from working with [her] and Jim. benefits, whilst providing a new and exciting engagement opportunity. Artist involved in workshop leading Paul Edwards, I really enjoyed the hands on experience of Head of Sustainability, Hammerson the whole programme. I was really proud to be involved. The kids were focused and really Excellent performance, wonderful venue, what willing to perform. It gave each of them a more could I ask for? More of the same! sense of achievement. A real treat for the Audience member Works commissioned by British music school and parents. festivals are often the size of a mouse. Yet Troy Gering, Teacher, Phoenix School the plucky Spitalfields Summer Festival managed to gather just enough funds to Last night’s concert was great - wonderful generate a major work by that abrasive choir and orchestra. The evening at maverick Michael Finnissy. A fun, interactive experience. The project Spitalfields was lovely as usual. It’s a great The Times – Geoff Brown built on their team working skills, self- venue, the programme is always excellent confidence and performance skills, enabling with performances of high standard. Wish I children to see their own potential and talent. could come more often. [The project helped in] building links with Audience member Herbert Smith has been proudly supporting [the] local community and other schools. community organisations in the local area The artists were great, inspirational, very for close to 20 years, and we are delighted enthusiastic and passionate about music. to have been able to extend that support to promoting live music performance. We Hurca Mohsin, Teacher, Osmani School would like to congratulate Spitalfields Music on their hugely successful programme this year and wish them all the best for 2010. Ian Cox, Partner, Head of Real Estate, Herbert Smith LLP Page 6 About us 2008/09 in summary Our programme has a local, national and international reputation Vision: Messy Songs for Messy Play • 500,000 people have been directly involved Changing lives and aspirations through music in to date.