Annual Report 2016-17 & Future Ambitions

Charity no. 232488

THANK YOU

Little Angel Theatre is pleased to be supported by a wide range of organisations and individuals.

Public funders

Principal funders: Trusts and Foundations

Significant funders: Trusts and Foundations

1970 Trust D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Molecule Theatre Company 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust Garrick Charitable Trust Old Possum’s Practical Trust Anthony and Rachel Williams Golsoncott Foundation The Radcliffe Trust Charitable Trust Harold Hyam Wingate Royal Victoria Hall Foundation Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust Foundation Santander Foundation Backstage Trust John Thaw Foundation Theatres Trust CEP 3 Programme The Leche Trust Chapman Charitable Trust The Mercers’ Company

Generous Friends

Anonymous Mary Buckley Micky Johnson Alice Brotherhood (in memoriam) Anthony Conway

Company of Angels

The Company of Angels are philanthropic friends of Little Angel Theatre who give between £5 and £40 per month. Thank you for your continued support – we couldn’t do the work we do without you!

Golden Angels (production syndicate who supported the creation of Me … in 2016)

Andreia Jurquete Dr Felix von Reiswitz Roger Mears Betty Taylor Jacqui Beecroft Sarah-Jane Fenton Clive Owen Olivia Bridges Sharon White

Arch Angels

Amaia Barcena Haewon Hwang Sarah Lee Ana Cascon Jill Nicholls Selina Macnair Ann Marshall Kit Tarry Sigrun Danielsson Catherine Owen Michael and Tamsin Imison Stef Chocieszynska David and Eileen Hall Marcus and Caroline Jones Peter Allen Elizabeth Comstock-Smith Sarah B. Fleming

Thank you also to our wonderful 30 Family Angel and 71 Little Angel members. We are also grateful and humbled by those who choose to put Little Angel Theatre in their will.

BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

We are proud to work closely with a number of businesses on mutually beneficial sponsorship arrangements. If you are interested in partnering with Little Angel Theatre please contact [email protected].

Major Sponsors

Significant In-Kind Support

Thank you to all the local businesses who support us throughout the year. After Noah, Aesop, ARIA, Belle Epoque, The Breakfast Club, Brewhouse and Kitchen, Brown Bear Coffee and Home, Cabana Brasilian Barbecue, Cass Art, Cherry Trees B&Bs, Coffeeworks, Dalziel & Pow, Dansk, Gill Wing, Hilton Islington, Hummingbird Bakery, Igloo, Kidzania, La Divina, La Farola, Lost Property of London, Monsoon, Neal’s Yard, Paperchase, Planet Organic, Paul A. Young Fine Chocolates, Paul’s, Petit Bateau, Pistachio and Pickle, Ray Stitch, Screen on the Green, Thyme and Lemon, Udderlicious, Waterstones, Wild Swans.

WELCOME

It has been another busy and exciting year for Little Angel Theatre. We have reached more people than ever before – both through the productions in our own venues and through our touring and Education and Community work – and received rave reviews for the quality of the work. We have collaborated with some really exciting companies, from Goblin Theatre to Kneehigh – and we have many new exciting collaborations planned for the year ahead. We also piloted our first ever performance installation at Little Angel Studios, Santa’s Little Workshop, which was a sell-out success. It blended performance and participation, enabling audiences to have a very different Little Angel experience. We will be welcoming Santa back for Christmas 2017, as well as developing two further performance installations next year.

We have also hosted more visiting companies than ever before – many performing at Little Angel for the first time, and some in our Studio space, many of whom would never have been able to perform on our mainstage because of the style of the show. I’m so thrilled that we have been able to programme a diverse range of work. I’m equally thrilled about the number of artists – both established and newer to the profession – who we have been able to support through free mentorship, space and networking opportunities.

Our Community Engagement programme has become an entrenched part of Little Angel’s core activity. The programme was formally launched in 2016, with the appointment of a dedicated Community Engagement Manager, and has gone from strength to strength, engaging some of the most vulnerable people and ensuring that those that might not easily access theatre are given the opportunity to do so. Indeed, we gave away more Puppets for All Tickets than ever before, further developing our commitment to making the arts accessible to everyone.

All in all, it has been a fantastic year for the organisation and I am really looking forward to the year ahead.

Samantha Lane, Artistic Director

The wonderful Little Angel Theatre has punched above its weight for over 50 years and, put quite simply, is the heartbeat of UK puppetry. I’ve loved being an audience member over the years and was honoured to have joined such a fantastic Board as Chair in April to help and support Samantha and her team at such an exciting time. This Annual Report marks another outstanding year for the organisation; playing to a record 90,000 people; doubling the amount of visiting productions; creating new partnerships across the UK; and delivering a fivefold return on every philanthropic pound invested. The Little Angel Theatre looks forward to exploring and developing even more ways to introduce puppetry to audiences both locally and globally whilst rigorously managing its economic core.

James Bierman, Chair

YEAR AT A GLANCE 2016-17

Audiences 51,756 at LAT 37,883 on tour 89, 639 in total – highest ever attendance

Shows 5 in-house productions, 489 performances 30 visiting productions, 258 performances 4 national and international tours, 413 performances

Visiting Companies 21 visiting companies presenting work in Little Angel Theatre 9 visiting companies presenting work in Little Angel Studios

Creative Learning and Community 4,440 child participants in courses, classes, schools workshops and holiday activities 587 adult participants in evening classes, weekend courses and professional training 3 primary schools with a Puppeteer in Residence. 200 workshops in schools, community centres and other settings 19 community outreach events/projects with a total of 130 regular participants and 2,000 + attendees

Artist Development 3 FIRSTS companies given space, seed investment, and mentoring to launch a new production 4 associate artists 2 bursary artists 8 companies given free research and development space at Little Angel Studios

Professional Development workshops and masterclasses in a variety of disciplines, including marionette carving, puppet construction, writing for puppetry, costuming, shadow and light, live animation, long-string marionette performing, object manipulation and various panel discussions

Access Over £10,000 worth of show tickets and workshop places given away for free through our Puppets for All scheme £5 tickets available for most shows; highest ticket price £14

Staff and Employment Employed 16 core members of staff (full and part time) Employed over 68 artists, 27 workshop leaders, 23 technicians, 7 Front of House and Box Office Assistants Engaged 10 interns on education placements and 88 volunteers

SHOWS

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt 14 April – 26 June 2016 Based on the book by Michael Rosen Adapted by Peter Glanville & Barb Jungr | Directed by Peter Glanville | Puppet Design by Lyndie Wright | Set Design by Simon Plumridge | Music by Barb Jungr

10 week run | 126 performances | Attendance 11,355 “A must-see family show” The Stage

Emily Rising 10 September – 20 November 2016 Written by Dan Rebellato Directed by Oliver Hymans | Puppet Design by Alison Alexander | Set Design by Rachael Champion | Music composed by Patrick Furness | A Little Angel Theatre & Goblin co-production

10 week run | 106 performances | Attendance 3,930 credit:Ellie Kurttz

“Dazzling and Beautiful“ The Guardian Photo Photo

Let’s Fly 16 September – 20 November 2016

Directed by Samantha Lane | Music composed by Will Dollard & Mary Erskine | A Little Angel Theatre & Goblin co-production

9 week run | 107 performances | Attendance 6,881 “Groundbreaking” The Stage

Photo credit:Ellie Kurttz

The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings 26 November 2016 – 29 January 2017 Written by Anna Maria Murphy & Mike Shepherd | Directed by Mike Shepherd | Puppetry directed by Sarah Wright | Designed by Lyndie Wright | Soundtrack by Ian Ross, Benji Bower & Anoushka Shankar | Lighting designed by Malcolm Rippeth | Original storyboarding by Joe Wright | Inspired by the work of Gabriel García Márquez | A Little Angel Theatre & Kneehigh co-production

9 week run | 68 performances | Attendance 4,885 “A little miracle of a show” The Times

7 week run | 82 performances | Attendance 6,225 Photo credit:Ellie Kurttz “Obscenely adorable” Time Out

SHOWS

In 2016/17, LAT continued to present a healthy mix of new work with high quality revivals. The year was book-ended by two of our most loved shows from recent years: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt in Spring, and, for our slightly older family audience, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings at Christmas. But at the heart of this year were three new productions: two original pieces in Emily Rising and Let’s Fly, and one book adaptation of Me…. We have continued to make partnerships with other arts organisations. Emily Rising and Let’s Fly were created as co-productions with Goblin Theatre and A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings with Kneehigh Theatre. We are also developing new projects with Royal & Derngate, Wizard Presents, Orange Tree Theatre, Omnibus Theatre, Polka Theatre and Perth Theatre.

Visiting Shows Since April 2016, we have more than doubled the number of visiting productions from the previous year with a total of 30 companies coming through our doors. In Little Angel Studios a new lighting rig was installed in Studio 1 alongside a curtain track and retractable dance floor, which means that the space has become more suitable for visiting productions. The visiting productions from national and international companies have brought a great variety of puppetry to our audiences at Little Angel Theatre and has helped to support these artists find a platform in London.

Companies performing at Little Angel Theatre: Light Theatre, Tucked In, Ronnie Le Drew, DNA, Puppet Revolution, Lyngo Theatre, Puppetcraft, Lori Hopkins, Storybox, Whalley Range Allstars, Stuff and Nonsense, Topsy Turvey, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre, Indigo Moon, Half Moon Theatre, Shake Shake Theatre, Garlic Theatre, Hijinx and Polka Theatre.

Companies performing at Little Angel Studios: Tessa Bide, House of Stray Cats, ToF Theatre, Traum Theatre, Monstro Theatre, Tortoise in a Nutshell, One Moment in Time, Baby Panda and Indefinite Articles.

Future Ambitions Little Angel Theatre will continue to produce world-class puppetry for family audiences. We want to reach out to new audiences by creating innovative, accessible and welcoming new work. We aim to raise the profile of the art form generally through collaboration with a greater diversity of writers, performers, designers, directors and venues. We will continue to tour work, and will be exploring new ways of presenting puppetry to our audiences, including a new digital strand, currently in development.

“The show was a delight. I used to come to the theatre as a little girl (I'm in my fifties now) and it brought back strong childhood memories. The ending made me feel quite emotional. I brought a friend and her daughter today and both loved the experience. So glad the theatre lives on.” Audience member on The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Dec 2016

TOURING Handa’s Hen UK tour (11th January – 17th April 2016) 14 week tour | 183 performances | Attendance: 11,428

We revived this classic production, touring theatres, libraries and schools, bringing the work to children and giving some of them their first ever theatrical experience.

“Another fantastic example of the Little Angel Theatre’s superb ability to engage little audiences.” Curious Mum

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt UK tour (19 September – 24 December) 14 week tour | 107 performances | Attendance: 20,336

Fast becoming one of our most celebrated productions, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt completed its fourth successive UK wide tour.

“A magical theatre visit, more than worthy of your little angels.” Londonist

Handa’s Surprise UK tour and transfer to Beijing (17 – 30 October)

2 week tour | 25 performances | Attendance: 1,630

Handa’s Surprise completed its fourth international transfer. The tour began with London schools, before transferring to Beijing, where we performed at Theatre M and schools around the city.

“This is a peach of a show that ends apple-y ever after” Flossie Waite Photo credit:Ellie Kurttz Wow! Said the Owl UK tour (14 December – 23 April) 19 week tour | 98 performances | Attendance: 11,316

Opened with a Christmas run at HOME in Manchester, before touring theatres, schools and libraries around the UK. Achieving an average 89% capacity and bringing this much-loved production to a whole new audience.

“This show floods the stage with colour and a thousand magical flourishes” The Guardian Photo credit:Ellie Kurttz

Towns & Cities visited this year: Barking Didcot Manchester Salisbury Barnard Castle Folkestone Mold Southport Bath Harrogate Nelson Mews Suffolk Beijing Hatfield Newcastle Swansea Birmingham Haverhill Nottingham Taunton Brentford Hemel Hempstead Oldham Tisbury Brighton Ipswich Oxford Waltham Cross Burnley Leigh Peterborough Watford Cambridge Lichfield Pewsey Wiltshire Canterbury London Radlett Wokingham Coventry Luton Rayleigh Wolverhampton Craven Arms Maidenhead Rochford Crawley Maidstone Rossendale

COMMUNITY

2016 – 2017 saw the first year of our Community Engagement Programme, delivered by a funded Community Engagement Manager. Projects to date have included: The Crib – Teenage Mum’s Group This group meet weekly for craft activities and talks. It is an opportunity to make friends, socialise, create art and provides a safe space for their children to play. More recently we have welcomed mothers from Islington’s temporary accommodation for families. Specialists come in regularly to talk about issues particularly concerning these young women, such as oral health, domestic violence, mindfulness and speech therapy.

Islington Centre for Migrants and Refugees A new partnership has been established with the Art and Writing group from our local refugee centre who saw a performance of The Magic Lamp and then participated in a shadow puppet workshop. Funded by the Camden Trust, this experience was a huge success with 28 members and staff sharing lots of laughter and creativity. We are hoping to move forward with this partnership and are currently developing a writing and performance project for the Autumn.

“Watching the children I felt the sadness and lack in our members’ lives… the family members left behind or lost. Then, when it started - a play about the universal need for light and hope… I watched people’s faces engaged in play, imagination and joy …. people no longer sat in the shadow lands of loss but were enraptured by the magic of the essential community experience that is theatre.” Sita Brahmachari: Writer in Residence

North London Cares We ran a 10-week muppet making course with elderly people and young volunteers, and we are continuing to work in collaboration with the group by running regular puppet making activities at local social clubs as well as hosting group visits to see performances at the theatre. Most recently we ran a spider puppet making workshop in Kings Cross and had a group of 40 neighbours in to see Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

“One of our older neighbours Annabella was shy when she attended her first workshop. But once she was matched up with her younger neighbour Maisie, and started making ‘Fred’ her Muppet, she became much more confident.” Emily Clarke, North London Cares

“Every day I wake up wondering if this will be my best day of my life – well today really has been!” Elsa, 86.

Solace Women’s Aid In May we began a partnership with Solace Women’s Aid, a charity working with women and children who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Each woman designed and made their own puppet, and we created a short film of their puppets in action. The participants have really benefited and enjoyed engaging with this creative project and escaping from the realities of life for a few hours each week. We hope that this will be the first of many future collaborations with this charity.

Community Suitcase Project This is a small scale performance project that will tour to those who are isolated or confined and unable to access the theatre. This short, one person show, will tour into care homes, hospitals and visit those that are housebound. Rehearsals begin in July and the show will be ready to tour from October onwards. We are grateful to those that have funded this project: The Royal Victoria Hall Foundation, The McGrath Charitable Trust, Harold Hyam Wingate and Islington Council.

Additional groups we are supporting As part of our commitment to keep Little Angel Studios accessible to local people, we offer free space to local people and organisations. Currently we support: an Autism Support Group, set up by two local families for children with Autism diagnoses; Packington Children’s Centre who run a variety of regular groups and classes for parents & children and London Village Network, an organisation who offer mentoring, training and employability support to NEET under 25 year olds. We have also held a number of events for local residents, organised with local residents, with the aim of learning about what they would like from us.

All of our community work is offered free and is therefore made possible by the generous funding from trusts and foundations and donations from some very wonderful individuals.

COMMUNITY

Puppets For All

Puppets for All is our flagship free ticket scheme which includes subsidised tickets and free workshop places for local disadvantaged children. Together, these two elements help to increase local engagement with the theatre and provide educational activities for families that could not otherwise afford to pay for them.

In 2016-2017, we worked with 16 community organisations and 6 schools in Islington to distribute over £10,000 worth of free tickets to 1,413 people.

Summer Party

Every summer we throw open our doors and put on a free Summer Party for the local community. The theatre and the grounds of St Mary’s Church are awash with families enjoying face-painting, puppet making, live performances, cake sales, storytelling, backstage tours, and much more. Entry to the event and the activities are free, though people are welcome to make donations if they are able, which further supports our community work.

Summer Party 2017 – Sunday September 10th

Community Organisations that we have worked in partnership with in 2016/2017 include:

Arcola Theatre Packington Children’s Centre Finsbury Park Homeless Families Project Shade Abdul Architecture Hackney Carnival Soul in the City Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants St Mary’s School Islington Museum Waterstones London Village Network Whitecross Street Party Manor Gardens Whittington Park North London Cares William Tyndale School

CREATIVE LEARNING - SCHOOLS

We believe passionately in the value of participatory arts, and run extensive opportunities for all ages to learn puppetry skills and develop their creativity. Our education department is in its seventeenth year and goes from strength to strength engaging schools in imaginative education and participatory activities which improve confidence, team working skills and tolerance, and raise aspirations. In 2016-17 we ran over 200 workshops in schools across London which explored a variety of puppetry styles.

School Visits Schools have visited the theatre and studios for a wide range of shows and workshops. This year we have run various inset and CPD sessions for teachers and educators, exploring the themes of the performances and ways of using puppetry in the classroom.

Puppeteer in Residence During this year we have had three puppeteers in residence based at Winton & Brookfield Primary Schools, including an eighth consecutive year at Thornhill Primary School. Aims of this programme include: to use the learning questions to stimulate ideas for a puppetry project and inspire puppetry design; to provide pupils with the opportunity to design, make and manipulate puppets; to link with other areas of the curriculum if appropriate; to allow the pupils the opportunity to feed into the plans and outcomes of the project; to support pupils in developing their work; to build the confidence of staff using puppetry through joint planning, modelling and team learning. Each school has its own exclusive relationship with Little Angel Theatre.

“Working with artists in residence has done a great deal to raise pupils’ achievement in the arts.” Brookfield School

Schools Partnership Programme In January, our first School Partnership launched with William Tyndale School. In this exciting new partnership programme pupils have had access to shows, workshops and behind the scenes opportunities. Teachers have had access to training and support in bringing their curriculum to life via puppetry. It is an opportunity for local schools to engage with us on a much deeper level over a prolonged period of time. With William Tyndale School we have been working particularly with Year 5, who designed and crafted puppets based on figures that lived in Islington 100 years ago to celebrate their School’s centenary. Currently in rehearsal phase, these puppets will be brought to life in a performing day at the Little Angel Studios where pupils will also learn about the staff roles and duties involved in putting on a production. The whole school have been on backstage tours of the theatre and so far over 300 children have attended performances.

“Working with professionals in the theatre industry is invaluable for all our children. The quality of the shows and work that Little Angel delivers is excellent, providing a rich learning experience. The children are not only developing their imagination through their visual experiences, they are also learning about how a theatre is run from the box office to the design and making of the puppets. This partnership offers excellent value for money. We look forward to making this an ongoing partnership”. Sophie Gavalda – Assistant Head Teacher, William Tyndale School

We have also run a bespoke project at St Mary’s C of E Primary School, via Islington Council Arts Office and Creative Schools. The aim of the project was to support speaking, listening and writing across all key stages focusing on the new curriculum; to develop middle leaders and subject leaders across the school and to develop a cross curricular project that embeds the arts and has a whole school impact. We look forward to launching a formal partnership with St. Mary’s School in September.

Future Ambitions We intend to run the School Partnerships Programme over 3 years till July 2020. At least 50% of the pupils in our surrounding primary schools have never visited Little Angel Theatre before, and would not normally be able to access our creative activities due to financial and social barriers. We aim to break down these barriers by enabling pupils to access shows, workshops and behind the scenes opportunities. Many educational establishments recognise the value of puppetry as a tool to enhance literacy levels, self-expression, communication, and team work skills, as well acting as a key cross- curriculum teaching tool. Through the Schools Partnership Programme, teachers will have access to training and support in bringing their curriculum to life via puppetry.

A Puppetry Traineeship Programme will be piloted this September. This twelve month programme offers a unique opportunity for local Islington NEET young people aged between 18 and 24 to learn skills and gain confidence and experience with a series of master classes from experts on making and working with puppets as well as the skills and techniques necessary for leading successful workshops in a range of educational settings.

CREATIVE LEARNING – COURSES & CLASSES

Little Angel Studios continues to be the home for our termly classes in making and performing puppetry. The Creative Learning department has run an increased number of activities over the year, including termly adult classes in making and performing puppetry, specialist masterclasses for honing skills, the youth theatre who performed their annual showcase at the theatre in March, Spectrum Youth Theatre catering for those with high functioning autism, and regular weekend and holiday clubs for children aged 2 and up.

Saturday Puppet Club and After School Puppet Club – ages 5-11 These popular courses work with over 150 children a year - 70% of those are returners whilst 20% are part of our Puppets for All scheme. Each term the groups are inspired by a visit to the theatre and then devise their own production making puppets themed around what they have experienced. Each term culminates in a performance for friends and family at the theatre. “My son gains confidence from the workshops. It helps him learn how to get on with other kids and work as a team. It makes him happy.” Parent

Youth Theatre – ages 11-18 Our youth company work with professional puppetry directors and makers to create their own unique performances which are presented on the Little Angel Theatre stage. There are between 16-20 participants, many of them are loyal to the group as this is the only youth theatre in the country dedicated to puppet making and performing. “Training and learning at Little Angel gives more opportunities to develop puppetry skills (in a working theatre) than in a college environment. It gives young people like myself another way into a professional career” Phoebe, aged 15

Spectrum Youth Theatre – ages 11-16 Working with professional puppetry directors and makers this youth theatre is for young people with high functioning autism. In March our Spectrum Youth Theatre, supported by Smoking Apples Theatre, performed their production ‘Beyond the Flash’ at Canterbury’s Autism Arts Festival. This provided an exciting opportunity to share their hard work and gain greater performance experience. “I enjoyed the experience because it gave us an opportunity to share our show skills and talents with a wider audience, alongside raising positive awareness about autism.” Josiah, aged 14

Holiday Activities and Fun Days Little Angel Theatre runs regular one-off activities which include themed fun days usually related to shows on at the theatre, an Easter Holiday ‘Puppet Passport’ week of workshops, and drop-in craft sessions. We also run a dedicated puppet making workshop on the morning of our annual Summer Party, giving children the opportunity to feature their puppet in the afternoon parade. We work with approximately 400 children in this way, of which 25% are from our Puppets for All scheme. These sessions are fun and inclusive, offering participants the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded children that they wouldn’t normally engage with during school life.

Adult Foundation Course This is a course for absolute beginners designed by puppet master, Oliver Smart, exploring a variety of different puppet forms and learning the basics of puppet manipulation and making. This is our most popular course and offers a great springboard into puppetry for novices, as well as professionals.

Adult Makers and Performers Courses These more advanced courses are for those interested in developing puppetry making and performance skills. Over the year we have several master puppeteers and makers leading a diverse range of classes; large scale puppets, moving mouth puppets, marionette making, storytelling with puppets, make your own suitcase show.

Adult Performers Each term focusses on different puppetry performance skills, including Shadow puppets, Table Top puppets, Bunraku, object manipulation and short-string marionettes.

Adult Puppetry Company A non-professional group of like-minded people who are passionate about puppetry meet weekly to develop ideas for a show, which is presented at Little Angel Theatre. In 2016 the group worked with Oliver Hymans to devise, design and make the puppets for a production of the ghostly short story “A Man of the People” by Edgar Allan Poe. The production used life size puppets and live video projection.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

We offer a range of professional training throughout the year for puppeteers, performers and puppet makers, as well as opportunities for artists and companies to create work and develop their practice.

We have also developed a new Professional Development programme which involves supporting artists over a year to develop ideas and gain industry insight. We have taken on 2 bursary artists/companies thus far: Edie Edmundson and Smoking Apples. Both Edie and Smoking Apples have been given R&D time, attended a networking event, a producing seminar and a one-week facilitation course; and have met twice with their mentors, Steve Tiplady and Sarah Wright (Little Angel Associate Artists). They will attend further sessions on financial planning and management, co-producing, marketing, touring and setting up as a charity.

Emerging Artists In addition to the above, we have provided free space for 8 emerging and established artists/companies to develop new puppetry work.

In 2016-17 we’ve been able to offer an even more expansive programme of professional training and adult courses supported by the Leche Trust, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Radcliffe Trust. This year we have run professional development classes in the following:

Marionette Carving course with John Roberts

Marionette Puppet Surgery with John Roberts

Puppet Construction course with Peter O’Rourke

Behind Closed Doors with Samantha Lane

Listening to the Material: Devising with Objects with Rene Baker

Shadow and Light with Steve Tiplady

Behind Closed Doors with Mike Shepherd

Workshop Facilitation Course with Samantha Lane

Research & Development with Objects and Puppets with Oli Smart

Writing for Puppetry with Rachel Warr

Puppet Space – a networking & skill sharing event

“I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to you and the whole team at LAT. I discovered Little Angel last year whilst looking for puppet making courses in London, little did I know of the huge positive impact that this little theatre would have on me!.....I didn't realise how much the actual 'process' of building both the physical puppet and its character would affect me –“ Participant

credit: Photo Ellie Kurttz FINANCES

Little Angel Theatre follows a robust business and financial plan. This year we saw for a ninth consecutive year a growth in projected turnover. We always work to diversify our income streams and hold a healthy level of reserves to make us more sustainable and allow us to take more artistic risks.

Our projected income for the period ending 31st March 2017 is £1,144,186 and we expect the period to show a surplus.

Where did our income come from?

Shows and Creative Learning (£704,704)

Trusts and Foundations (£141896)

Investment income (£63,281)

Arts Council England (£51,326)

Donations and Memberships (£118,883)

Corporate sponsors (£3000)

Merchandise and royalties (£44776)

Other (£16320)

This year we saw a large increase in income from Trusts and Foundations and Donations and Memberships who support our charitable aims and development of new work. As in previous years the majority of our income is made up from our core activity: ticket sales for in-house shows, fees paid to us by venues for our touring productions, and tickets and fees received for delivery of our education and community work.

As always, we are grateful to a large number of individuals who have given donations or become members, including the Golden Angels, a new syndicate who support the creation of a new show each year.

A comprehensive breakdown of our income and expenditure will be available in the audited accounts published following our AGM in October.

FINANCES

What did we spend it on?

Shows and Creative Learning (£868,591)

Administration, Utilities and Finance costs (£221,608)

Unrecoverable VAT (£31,683)

80% of our expenditure was ploughed straight into our primary activity: producing shows, touring work and running an expansive education and participation programme (including our artist development and community programmes). Included in this is income sacrificed in order to offer free tickets and workshop places to disadvantaged people through Puppets for All.

As a result of Little Angel Theatre’s activity, we: . employed 16 core members of staff (full and part time) . employed over 68 artists, 27 workshop leaders, 23 technicians, 7 Front of House and Box Office Assistants . entertained 51,756 people in-house, reached 37,883 people on tour and engaged over 4,000 children and young people in our Creative Learning activities

Value for money

We generated £5.50 for every £1 raised from grants, sponsorship and donations.

Future Ambitions

Under the leadership of new Artistic Director Samantha Lane and with the full support of the Trustees, Little Angel Theatre will build on its solid financial base to provide the best resources possible for making world class puppet theatre and delivering high impact participation and community activities. This means continuing to attract a wide range of philanthropic giving, developing new enterprise models to increase earned income and ensuring we maximise the potential of our corporate relationships.

If you are interested in supporting Little Angel Theatre in any way, please contact [email protected].

PEOPLE

Honorary Patron the Creative Employment Joy Haynes Gregory Doran Programme and Islington Council Lori Hopkins Fiammetta Horvat Patrons Front of House and Box Office Luka Jovanovic Dame Judi Dench DBE William Aubrey-Jones Barb Jungr Clive Owen & Sarah-Jane Fenton Jum Faruq Keith Jury Michael Pennington Amy Kemp Michal Kameyo Baroness Pitkeathley OBE Ashleigh Loeb Roger Lade Sir Simon Rattle CBE Charlotte Mafham Ronnie Le Drew Michael Rosen Zoe Mills Rachel Leonard Hannah Sless Matt Lloyd Trustees Sophia Lovell Smith James Bierman (incoming Chair) Interns (placements as part of Anna Maria Murphy Melinda Burton their FE or HE qualification) Kit Massey Sophie Clissold-Lesser (outgoing Allie Boothe Peter O’Rourke Chair) Jessica Brewer Yana Penrose Meena Gill Max Fairman Amelia Pimlott Rhian Harris Clara Greenhalgh Simon Plumridge Bailey Lock Louise Harter Chloe Purcell Chris Lowry Emily Hayward Dan Rebellato Emily O’Byrne Sasha McLaren Webster Malcolm Rippeth Katie Owen Irene Nickerson Ashley Rose Fiona Phillips Varshini Piche-Muthu Tom Rosenfeld Kayleigh Willets Ian Ross Honorary Associate Peyvand Sadeghian Ronnie Le Drew Shows – creatives and Andrea Sadler Lyndie Wright MBE performers Dominic Sales Shakera Ahad Alex Scott Associate Artists Luis Alvarez Mike Shepherd Rachael Canning Lasharne Anderson Jo Silverston Matthew Robins Louisa Ashton Kaz Simmons Steve Tiplady George Bellemy Marcia Stephenson Sarah Wright Benji Bower Samantha Sutherland Jenny Carr Tim Sykes Core Staff Rachael Champion Gilbert Taylor Aminat Balogun* Hyunjung Choi Steve Tiplady Polly Beestone Verity Clayton Marleen Vermeulen Alex Carter Sally Connie Todd Nix Wood David Duffy Sharon Davey Lizzie Wort Wood Godwin Mumba Dodwell Ed Wren Laura Halliwell Will Dollard Lyndie Wright Terri Harris David Emmings Sarah Wright Laura Harwood Mary Erskine Judth Hope Bryn Fitch Authors and Illustrators Slavka Jovanović Michael Fowkes Eileen Browne Samantha Lane Keith Frederick Emma Dodd Chris Marsh Hilfiger Molly Freeman Julia Donaldson Miranda Pitcher Kelly Frost Tim Hopgood Sarah Schofield Patrick Furness Michael Rosen Martin Walsh Peter Glanville Sean Taylor Beth Warnock Arran Glass Chris Wootton Ben Glasstone *paid internship part-funded by Jimmy Grimes

FIRSTS companies 2016-2017 Ruth Luckins Puisan Law Lori Hopkins Nicola Maddox Kezia Louch House of Stray Cats Chand Martinez Lottie Manz Smith. Raven Kaliana Ines Minkiewicz Cath March Vanessa Owusu Lydia Markham Rebecca Sawyer Grace Maxted Workshop Leaders and Assistants Marcia Stephenson Thomas Mayer Rene Baker Josephine Tremelling Naina Mehendale Polly Beestone Jason Vakharia Ainoa Mela Connie Black Kayoko Yamazoe Jane Melrose Luke Breen Alex Melville Hyunjung Choi Volunteers Elizabeth Moffatt Bronia Evers Caroline Ada Gareth Mohen Molly Freeman Christina Addae Laura Moran-Morris Kelly Frost Tamara Al-bassam Fahad Mostafa Laura Halliwell Pippa Aspin Rosy Mulryan Judith Hope Paola Augusta Capuano Kara-May Murray-Wallace Oliver Hymans Shelley Ayliffe Elizabeth Noble Carol Justin Atilio Baez Liz Noble Samantha Lane Frances Barry Jane O'Donoghue Matt Lloyd Polly Beck Jay Palmer Sarah Morgan Wendy Betsworth Tonya Pellecchia Kinga Nadolna Alesha Bhakoo Harriet Piper Priya O’Brien Connie Black Marina Pyurbeeva Peter O’Rourke Nuria Blanes Moreno Rachel Rank Kate Powell Sasha Bond Grace Redpath Chloe Purcell Allie Boothe Fiona Revell Peyvand Sadeghian Corinna Bordoli Sophie Rimington Alice Searle Alicia Britt Hannah Rose Mike Shepherd Scott Cater Peyvand Sadeghian Tinka Slavicek Jimin Cha Marie Sennyey Oliver Smart Hyunung Choi Alena Skalova Catherine Thomas Luisa Cotardo Emi Slater Hattie Thomas Ann Cross Adam Stanley Mandy Travis Wanda D'Onofrio Angus Stanley Rachel Warr Sheryl Devries Becky Strange Berit Eik Sophie Thompson Technicians & Stage Managers Lauren Elcock Elena Uderzo Alison Alexander Samantha Griggs Giulia Var Luis Alvarez Irina Grinkova Madt Vermillio Emilie Cheshire Hakan Hafizoglu Flossie Waite Verity Clayton Rosemary Hanson Katharina Waldner Sherry Coenen Annie Hasler Mikyla Warr Helen Comerford Gabriela Hujova Victoria Wells Jacob Corn Phoebe Hyder Kate Wicks Nele de Craeker Bethan Illman Polly Wicks Amber Donovan Kate James-Moore Ben Winter Bryn Fitch Vera Janke Millie Wise Beth Hoare Barnes Grace Khoo Simon Lade Sukyung Kim Ian Lowe Mary Klaber

Little Angel Theatre 14 Dagmar Passage, London N1 2DN 020 7226 1787