ANNUAL REPORT 2020 CHARITY NO. 232488
PRODUCTIONS
AUDIENCE: 97,280 TOTAL VISITORS
58,438 31,047 2,366
total visitors at our own venues
4,041
were Friday Fives tickets at £5
38,842
of our visitors were children were free tickets via our Puppets for All scheme
CREATIVE LEARNING
visitors to our shows on tour
151
schools and nurseries came to shows at our venues
27%
of family visitors to our shows came from Islington
performances of 4 visiting productions
456 105 248 173
performances of 6 of our productions on tour creatives & performers involved in our shows puppets took part in Little Angel productions new puppets were made for this year’s productions
718
2,000
1,282
people took park in our participation projects
participants in our community projects
puppets were made by children in our participation projects
2,190
424
children over
children
Core activity
Earned Other
£0.5M £0.1M
INCOME
24
220
294
hours
Donated
performances of 14 in-house productions
workshops were delivered in schools, to a total of
574 £1M
833
6 partner schools
adults
Staff
£0.8M £0.5M
Other
£0.3M
ARTIST DEVELOPMENT
EXPENDITURE 15 artists led professional development courses
2.5M PEOPLE REACHED ON SOCIAL MEDIA
11 companies received 35 days’ worth of free R&D space
Top photo: Anton Arkemenkov
WELCOME 2019-20 was our most successful year yet, with more productions on our stages and more audiences reached than ever before. We worked with a record number of artists to produce 14 in-house shows, including creating our first piece of work specifically for babies and toddlers – The Bed – designed to introduce our youngest audience members to the magic of theatre. Outside of our buildings, our Take Flight national tour worked to develop relationships between venues and schools in areas with low arts engagement, and our suitcase show If Not Here… Where? combined puppetry and digital elements to tour to 15 hospitals and hospices across the country, giving children a chance to escape the realities of life on a hospital ward. The closure of the theatre in March due to COVID-19 was devastating, but I’m proud of how quickly and creatively the staff team redeployed their efforts to launch our digital programme Watch, Make and Share, which has reached
hundreds of thousands of people across the globe; as well as continuing to fundraise to keep the theatre alive. Looking forward, we hope to adapt If Not Here… Where? to tour again in a COVID-safe way in 2021, and will continue to build on our digital expertise to create content for those who are unable to visit our theatre in person, alongside restarting live shows in a safe environment. This year has highlighted the lack of diversity in the puppetry sector, and we are committed to addressing this in the coming years, offering more professional development and employment opportunities to underrepresented groups.
My first year as Chair of the Little Angel Theatre Board has been something of a roller-coaster! After the successes of our 2019 season, the UK-wide closure of theatres and performing arts venues back in March hit the cultural sector with extreme force. Throughout this surreal time, our wonderful team has stayed focussed and agile despite the unprecedented curve ball thrown at us. Within a matter of days of the theatre going dark, our work went fully digital and has subsequently clocked up over half a million views worldwide.
We are deeply grateful to our funders and our audiences for their generous and loyal support this year. On behalf of everyone at Little Angel Theatre, I’d like to say a big thank you to you all.
Samantha Lane Artistic Director
Katie Owen Chair of the board
PRODUCTIONS 2019–20 was our most prolific year yet. We produced 14 shows for our stages at the theatre and studios, and sent six productions on tour across the UK and internationally. In order to bring our shows to life, we worked with over 100 freelance artists and eight co-producers, some for the first time. Six of our shows were co-productions, with Perth Theatre (Prince Charming), Horse + Bamboo (Suffrajitsu), Cubic Feet and Monstro Theatre (The Dong with a Luminous Nose), Royal & Derngate, Northampton (The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat), Polka Theatre (The Paper Dolls), Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal (The Wolves in the Walls). We revived four of our much-loved productions, and created 10 brand new shows, working with some incredibly popular authors including Julia Donaldson, David Walliams and Neil Gaiman. We created our first ever piece for babies and toddlers, and continued to expand our work for KS2 with our Edward Lear season and the space-themed Out of this World. Our touring team has been busier than ever, piloting our strategic touring project Take Flight, which took two of our shows to areas across the country with low arts engagement, aiming to foster stronger relationships between venues and schools and show how the arts can be used to underpin learning. 40 schools took part in the project and 20 INSET sessions were delivered for teachers. In total, we were on tour for 51 weeks and visited 43 venues in 30 towns in the UK and China.
14 in-house productions 833 performances 4 visiting productions with 24 performances 6 national & international tours 456 performances
58,438
at LAT — 43,132 at theatre and 15,296 at studios
AUDIENCES
SHOWS
“This project helped us to take theatre to the hardest to reach in a way we could only dream of.” Trinity Arts Centre, Gainsborough
38,842 on tour 97,280 IN TOTAL Over 21,000 people visited the theatre for the first time this year
PRINCE CHARMING
8 February – 7 April 2019 “an audaciously sophisticated piece of children’s theatre” The Guardian A Little Angel Theatre and Perth Theatre new co-production. Written by Jenny Worton. Prince Charming feels the pressure of having to save the kingdom. Age group: 6–11 9 week run 73 performances Attendance 4,899 Capacity 66%
OUT OF THIS WORLD
15 March – 5 May 2019 “Theatre at its best” Audience feedback A Little Angel Theatre new production. Written by Sian Jones. Astrid invites you to the Little Angel Space Agency for a special mission. Age group: 7–11 8 week run 46 performances Attendance 1,670 Capacity 47%
THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING ELEPHANT THE JOURNEY HOME
Photos: Ellie Kurttz
THE FLYING BATH
1 March – 20 April 2019 “a lovely tribute to the power of imaginative play” Time Out Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts. A Little Angel Theatre new production. The bath toys help different animals with their water emergencies. Age group: 2–5 8 week run 70 performances Attendance 5,992 Capacity 97%
“My five year old is now building a solar system out of recycled cardboard. He has gone to the library and got three books out on space, and is reading them! All of this inspired by the wonderful Out of This World. ”
24 April – 5 May 2019 “Inventive and earnest” The Guardian Based on the book by Frann Preston-Gannon. A Little Angel Theatre revival. Polar Bear sets off in search of a new home. Age group: 5–11 2 week run 17 performances Attendance 1,278 Capacity 69%
10 May – 4 August 2019 “A magical and funny children’s show” West End Wilma Based on the book by David Walliams and Tony Ross. A Little Angel Theatre new production. Sam unwittingly adopts an elephant from the zoo. Age group: 3–8 13 week run 117 performances Attendance 8,610 Capacity 78% “It was completely faithful to the story and the children were enchanted.”
SUFFRAJITSU
23 May – 12 July 2019 “The details are exquisite” Theatre Bubble A Little Angel Theatre and Horse + Bamboo Theatre co-production. Written by Ruthie Boycott-Garnett. Meet the Suffragettes who learnt Jiu Jitsu. Age group: 7–11 8 week run 46 performances Attendance 2,312 Capacity 40%
THE BED
6–23 June 2019, 12 Sept – 6 October 2019, 27 February – 15 March 2020 (22 March 2020) “As enticing as a duvet on a chilly morning” Time Out Based on the poem by Sylvia Plath. A Little Angel Theatre new production. Beds come in all shapes and sizes. Age group: 6m–3 years 10 (11) week run 131 (145) performances Attendance 4,155 Capacity 89%
WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT
29 August – 8 September 2019 “A must-see family show which oozes melodious charm” The Stage Based on the book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. A Little Angel Theatre revival. We’re not scared! Age group: 3–8 2 week run 21 performances Attendance 1,901 Capacity 100%
THE DONG WITH A LUMINOUS NOSE
14 September – 10 November 2019 “a deliciously visceral experience” The Guardian Based on the poem by Edward Lear. A Little Angel Theatre and Cubic Feet co-production, in association with Monstro Theatre. The Jumblies turn Edward’s life upside down. Age group: 7–adult 9 week run 45 performances Attendance 2,954 Capacity 52%
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT
27 September – 17 November 2019 “The puppetry is so enthralling” Theatre Bubble Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake. A Little Angel Theatre and Royal & Derngate, Northampton co-production. What the Owl and the Pussy-cat did next. Age group: 3 – 8 9 week run 73 performances Attendance 6,212 Capacity 90%
“Magical, inspirational show. My 5 year old son was transfixed throughout and has been talking constantly about the piece since.”
Note: Figures in red indicate the planned length of the run prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My five year old grandson loved it and related the whole story back to his mum when we got back.”
ME...
THE PIXIE AND THE PUDDING
22 November 2019 – 2 February 2020 “Utterly spellbinding” The Stage A Little Angel Theatre new production. Written by Barb Jungr and Samantha Lane. A steaming pudding is left on the windowsill on Christmas Eve. Age group: 4–11 11 week run 112 performances Attendance 9,266 Capacity 82%
29 November 2019 – 2 February 2020 “An ideal introduction to theatre for little people” The Stage A Little Angel Theatre revival. Based on the book by Emma Dodd. A baby penguin finds her feet. Age group: 2–5 10 week run 113 performances Attendance 8,771 Capacity 95%
THE WOLVES IN THE WALLS
14 February – 15 March (26 April) 2020 “A perfectly pitched piece of family theater” Curious Mum Based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. A Little Angel Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal co-production. Lucy hears noises from behind the walls. Age group: 7–adult 5 (11) week run 39 (97) performances Attendance 2,559 Capacity 68%
“The puppetry was fantastic and fascinating to watch.”
THE PAPER DOLLS
6 February – 17 March (18 April) 2020 “An instant classic” Curious Mum Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb. A Little Angel Theatre and Polka Theatre co-production. A string of paper dolls head off on adventures. Age group: 3–8 6.5 (11) week run 59 (105) performances Attendance 5,024 Capacity 90%
All photos Ellie Kurttz except We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Little Angel Theatre), The Pixie and The Pudding (Suzi Corker) and The Wolves in the Walls (Dan Tsantilis)
PRODUCTIONS ON TOUR THE FLYING BATH
UK tour: 1 May – 14 July 2019 Age group: 2–5 10 week tour 96 performances Attendance: 5,524
WOW! IT’S NIGHT-TIME
Edinburgh
UK Christmas transfer: 6–29 December 2019 Age group: 2–5 4 week tour 37 performances Attendance: 1,493
THE JOURNEY HOME
International tour (Beijing): 10–26 May 2019 Age group: 5 –11 2 week tour 24 performances Attendance: 1,840
THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING ELEPHANT UK tour: 5 December 2019 –16 March 2020 Age group: 3–8 8 week tour 42 (50) performances Attendance: 6,870
EMILY RISING
UK tour: 26 September –7 December 2019 Age group: 7–11 11 week tour 86 performances Attendance: 4,590
Waterfoot Rochdale Oldham Manchester / Sale / Salford Sheffield St Helens
WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT
UK tour: 11 September – 24 December 2019 Age group: 3–8 16 week tour 78 performances Attendance: 11,781
Mold
Gainsborough Lincoln
Nottingham Burton upon Trent Wolverhampton Birmingham Coventry
Chipping Norton
Aylesbury Oxford Didcot
Note: Figures in red indicate the planned length of the run prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peterborough
Luton Radlett Harrow London: multiple venues
Bath
Maidstone
Taunton
Southampton
Photo: Dan Tsantilis
CREATIVE LEARNING: SCHOOLS Islington has the tenth highest level of child poverty in England. One in three children in our borough lives in an income-deprived household, and over 8,500 children are eligible for free school meals. We believe passionately in the value of participatory arts, and our work with schools is vital to ensure we are reaching a wide range of children, some of whom may not otherwise access the theatre. The work we have done this year has focussed on unleashing children’s creativity, using puppetry to explore emotions and wellbeing, and unlocking future aspirations. In 2019–20 we ran 220 workshops in schools across London which explored a variety of puppetry styles.
2,190
child participants in schools workshops
574
hours spent delivering workshops in schools
6
partner schools
SCHOOL VISITS AND SUPPORT
10,264 children / 219 performances Schools visited the theatre and studios for a wide range of shows and workshops. We ran INSET and CPD sessions for teachers, including learning felting techniques to make finger puppets for story bags and making emotion puppets to help children explore their feelings.
SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME
6 schools / 2,023 pupil visits to date We continued to work in partnership with six of our closest primary schools throughout this year offering them a wide selection of performances and workshop experiences. The partnership is designed to allow the schools to engage with our theatre and the professionals and artists associated with us on a much deeper level. Through these partnerships, over 2,000 pupils have visited the theatre and studios to see performances. “One child in my class is usually not interested in art at all, but with this he was very focussed. He showed me the puppet he had made and I was surprised at the attention to detail.” Sacred Heart teacher
“My class did something that they would never get the opportunity to do with me. It taught them something about different aspects of art – fine art, filming, making – a good grounding.” St Mary’s School teacher
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 participate in bespoke projects, access shows, workshops and behind the scenes opportunities, including After School Puppet Clubs and taking touring shows and workshops into the schools.
PUPPET POWER
With funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation we designed and delivered a programme of puppetry projects across 4 of our partner schools during the summer and autumn terms. We worked collaboratively with school staff in relation to planning, learning, and delivering sessions which culminated in a sharing / performance. The programme aimed to enable schools to develop their understanding of how puppetry can deliver their strategic aims.
Photo: Suhail Merchant
William Tyndale / 120 pupils in year 1 and 3 The school chose two stories which they felt would support the delivery of the UNESCO ‘Global Goals’ linked with environment and sustainability. We worked with the pupils to make puppets and create a performance of the stories which were shared with their classmates and parents at the end of the project.
St Mary’s School / 90 pupils in years 3, 4 and 5 The school wanted to use the project to better communicate their school vision and values. We worked with them to make a beautiful puppet animation film of the creation story and hosted a premiere at our studios, sharing it with the whole school throughout the course of a day. Laycock School / 70 pupils in year 6 including the deaf provision class This project aimed to communicate the school’s vision statement about what a “Laycock Learner” looks like. We worked with them
“One of the children has autism – I’ve never seen him speak so fluidly. He was engaging in full conversations with the puppet he made.” Laycock school teacher
to make lip sync puppets, recording the children (as their puppets) talking about their experiences of school life. The puppetry and audio were combined into a film for the school to share with a wider audience to promote and celebrate their values.
PARTNER SCHOOLS
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary
St Mary’s CofE Primary
William Tyndale Primary
Laycock Primary
Canonbury Primary
New North Academy
Total no. of pupils on roll
412
199
417
381.5
414.5
308
No. of pupils eligible for pupil premium
209
101
87
195.5
154.5
146.5
No. of pupils eligible for free school meals
170
93
87
154
125
97
CREATIVE LEARNING: COMMUNITY Islington is one of the most unequal places in the UK. It is the 5th most deprived London borough and is the 24th most deprived area in England. Our community department exists to ensure Little Angel Theatre is accessible to everyone, from our most local residents to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit us due to social, economic or health barriers. All our community programmes are offered for free, which is made possible by generous funding and support from trusts, foundations and some wonderful individuals.
FAMILY CRAFTERNOONS
326 attendees / 116 families / weekly and monthly Sessions consist of puppet makes, crafts, games and gardening. In November 2019 we collaborated with the Institute of Classical Studies, Senate House on Being Human Festival, creating a Crafternoon about mythological monsters, which involved storytelling and making a large-scale Medusa puppet with families. From November, we also invited older participants from the local estates to join in with Crafternoons alongside families as an intergenerational project.
“My son loves attending the craft sessions, it has enthused him with a desire to be creative both at nursery and at home. We really appreciate all that you do.”
ADULT COMMUNITY GROUPS
30 attendees From October 2019, we launched a new programme of free activities, with the aim of tackling isolation and improving mental health and wellbeing for local adults of all ages. With our residents committee (made up of 12 members who live locally), we devised a programme of activities including weekly yoga and boxercise classes, a tea and cake group and craft workshops. The
committee also got involved in organising a fundraiser for a local resident’s sports team and a Christmas party.
COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS PARTY
100 attendees This is the second year we’ve held a Community Christmas Party, and this year it was open to neighbours of all ages. Local residents contributed to the event by volunteering with decorating and setting up the venue, running stalls, baking cakes, and organising a raffle and tombola to raise money for our community programme. We also had free crafts, bingo, face painting and a quiz, and enjoyed mince pies, “I’m excited to see what we can make happen now for the community.”
hot chocolate and mulled wine.
THE CRIB
10 families / termly A weekly group for young parents under the age of 25, in collaboration with Bright Start. Families take part in sessions involving messy play and crafts for babies and toddlers, and parents are able to talk to specialists about issues they’re concerned about, such as oral health/ speech and language. In the summer we went on group outings to the local farm, libraries, and parks to encourage young families to engage in local services and enjoy the outdoors with other parents and their children.
Photos: Benedict Johnson (right) and Suzi Corker (far right)
SPECTRUM SUMMER SCHOOL
A puppetry and film making course for young people aged 13-18 with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and/or other communication needs, delivered in partnership with Islington NHS Speech and Language therapists. Participants made a film about superheroes which premiered for their friends and families in Little Angel Theatre’s auditorium.
“When I achieved [my] goals it gave me more confidence. I felt proud of myself and really happy.”
2,366 free tickets given away to local disadvantaged children worth over
£16,000 through our Puppets for All scheme ME AND MY BIRD
22 performances / 210 audience members Our suitcase puppet show has travelled to community centres, hospitals and people’s homes, with the aim of connecting those in isolated situations and encouraging them to engage with their dreams and memories. In April/May 2019, it was taken to residential settings and day centres for people living with dementia.
IF NOT HERE... WHERE?
16 venues / 88 performances / 150 audience members This interactive show was created from the ideas of children and young people at Great Ormond Street Hospital, gathered during workshops with in-patients, out-patients and the Young People’s Forum. It toured free of charge to children’s hospitals and hospices around the UK in February 2020 and included both a live and digital element, made possible with funding from Children in Need, NESTA and other Trusts and Foundations.
ADDITIONAL GROUPS WE ARE SUPPORTING
350 participants We continued to accommodate Bright Start who ran weekly sessions for childminders. We also delivered free craft workshops at Mary’s Community Centre for Soul in the City’s Family Fun Day; the Cally Festival with Help on Your Doorstep; St Luke’s Community Centre’s Open Weekend; The Big Jewish Summer Fete; and the Museum of London for Take a Step’s event for looked after children.
SUMMER PARTY
Over 1000 attendees throughout the day This year’s summer party was a huge success and was the largest in LAT history. The day was packed full of workshops, yoga, games and face painting along with an exhibition of Sebbon Street community hero Audrey Kasali’s homemade puppets, woodwork and crafts.
CREATIVE LEARNING: PARTICIPATION Our Participation programme gives children a chance to get involved in puppetry at all stages of their development – from play sessions for toddlers, to puppet makes during the holidays and a full scale production devised by our Youth Theatres each March.
424 1,282
participants
puppets made
TINY TOTS (AGE 4M-3 YRS)
SATURDAY PUPPET CLUB / AFTER SCHOOL PUPPET CLUB (AGE 5-11)
62 children / 28 sessions 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. The term culminates in a performance for friends and family at the theatre.
We continue to deepen our engagement with our local community by bringing these workshops to our six Partner Schools free of charge.
YOUTH THEATRE (AGE 11-18)
18 participants / 26 sessions Our Youth Theatre company create their own unique performances over the winter and spring terms. This year’s theme was the land before time, an exciting time travelling production full of dangerous dinosaurs and carnivorous plants.
SPECTRUM YOUTH THEATRE (AGE 11-18)
30 participants / 26 sessions Working with professional puppetry directors and
makers, this youth theatre is specifically designed to meet the complex needs of young people with autism. Unfortunately, this year we were unable to perform our annual Youth Theatre showcase, but we do continue to work with them online.
HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AND FUN DAYS (AGE 5-11)
279 participants Little Angel Theatre runs regular one-off activities which include themed fun days, a week long Summer School: Play in a Week project and drop-in craft sessions. 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.
Photo: Suzi Corker
35 children / 25 sessions Tiny Tots is Little Angel Theatre’s regular playtime for our tiniest followers. The aim of the club is to create a regular and quality play time for carer and child in a safe, fun and creative environment, and includes singing, games, puppets and craft activities.
CREATIVE LEARNING: ADULT LEARNING This year we continued to deliver a variety of training opportunities for puppeteers, performers and makers. From suitcase shows to shadow theatre, this year has seen a huge variety of techniques explored by course participants.
294
participants
FOUNDATION COURSE
62 participants / 5 courses Our termly foundation courses continue to be in demand, and we carried on delivering two nights of this course each term across the year, led by the brilliant Oliver Hymans.
INTERMEDIATE COURSE
27 participants / 2 courses This year we launched our Intermediate Puppetry Course, designed for those who wish to continue to develop their puppetry skills after completing the foundation course. Led by Oliver Hymans, it focussed on techniques such as object theatre, marionettes and multiple puppeteer puppets.
“Oliver was a briliant tutor and it was great learning different types of puppetry. I also loved enjoying the creativity and talent of others on the course.”
ADULT MAKERS AND PERFORMERS CLASSES
128 participants / 14 courses A new strategy was created for short courses, LAT Makes, LAT Collaborates, LAT Performs and LAT Develops which was set to clearly define the strands of LATs work which adults can gain skills from. It strives to more closely tie our learning opportunities in with our creative work. This year participants have taken part in a variety of activities including making foam headed rod puppets, shadow puppetry and tour planning, working with artists and practitioners such as Matthew Robins, Rachel Warr and Mark Makin.
GUILDHALL COMMUNITY SUITCASE PROJECT
9 participants/ 7 weeks The MA Guildhall students returned for another successful year. This time we introduced the students to Steve Tiplady and Sally Todd who helped them to construct exciting suitcase performances for 5-8 year olds. The project concluded with a well-received mini tour of our local community groups and partner schools.
PUPPET LAB
68 participants / 2 sessions Puppet Lab is a new venture for this year. It is a collaborative effort between Little Angel Theatre and Andy Heath and Iestyn Evans of Talk to the Hand puppetry. This free event looked at the skills needed for puppeteers to work on screen. It allowed participants to gain experience working with monitors and being guided by industry professionals.
PUPPET HIRES
This year we hired out 15 of our puppets, which went on to a variety of exciting projects such as community performances, youth theatre showcases and even set dressing for a Netflix show. In addition to this, we were commissioned to build puppets for the online sports journalists Bleacher Report. Maker Alicia Britt constructed several puppets and this short has amassed over 370,000 views on Instagram.
SPACE HIRES
We hired out our spaces for 376 hours this year alongside a large amount of free space given out to a variety of artists for R&D space.
FINANCES Earned
£1M
Donated
Other
£0.5M £0.1M
6% 31%
INCOME
63%
Earned Grants & donations Other Core activity
Staff
£0.8M £0.5M Other £0.3M
19%
EXPENDITURE
50% 31%
Core activities Staffing Building & admin
We have continued to evolve our business model in response to a changing economic environment. This year we saw a twelfth consecutive year of growth in turnover and were on track to deliver a planned small surplus to build up our reserves in line with our organisational growth, before we made the heart-breaking decision to close our doors in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. This resulted in a significant loss of income, numerous cancellation costs and we have ended the year with a small deficit. Looking forward into the new financial year, we consider that it is very unlikely that we will be able to fully reopen our theatre venues before the end of the 2020/21 financial year, and possibly well into the next year. The organisation has made use of the government job retention scheme, and secured grants from several Covid emergency funding sources in order to sustain the organisational infrastructure and continue with a meaningful output. We are incredibly grateful to the individuals and funding bodies who have supported us through this challenging time, and continue to actively diversify our income streams and seek philanthropic support to weather this pandemic. In spite of the huge challenges of the current crisis, we continue to adapt our output and corresponding business model: • growing our fundraising income to subsidise digital / socially distanced performance models and our schools and community engagement programme; • honouring living wage salaries throughout our staff and creative teams; • reducing our environmental impact, whilst protecting and maintaining our cherished buildings.
PEOPLE Thank you to everyone who worked at Little Angel Theatre this year. We would also like to say a special thank you to the following people who gave their time and support. Honorary Patron Gregory Doran
18
core members of staff (full and part time) were employed as well as...
105
artists
35
workshop leaders
15
technicians
10
front of house & box office team members
Photo: Suzi Corker
3
interns engaged on education placements
54
volunteers
Patrons Dame Judi Dench DBE Clive Owen & Sarah-Jane Fenton Michael Pennington Baroness Pitkeathley OBE Sir Simon Rattle CBE Michael Rosen Trustees James Bierman Melinda Burton Bailey Lock Chris Lowry Emily O’Byrne Peter O’Rourke Kaite Owen (Chair) Fiona Phillips Linda Stanfield Lyndie Wright Sarah Wright Honorary Associate Ronnie Le Drew Lyndie Wright MBE Volunteers Lizzie Abbott Nilofar Akmut Maddy Breen Caro Bridie Gower Marina Casfikis Scott Cater Angelita Cervero Charlie Charlton Hui Chen Sofia Christofidou Alison Clare Barbara Cotado
Luisa Cotardo Jeta Daco Tom Dawson Anca Dimofte Alice Dritt Beth Dunne Palesa Esuk Julie Ford Michael Gillings Pattison Sian Gurney Mary Klaber Tessa Lim Phoebe Lok Stallabrass Charlotte Mafham Cath March Ellen McGahey Ryan McGivern Jane Melrose Noemi Mendez Lynne Morris Xenia Moseley Louisa Mulquiney Charly Nash Jane O’Donoghue Aleksandra Olympio Justine Pickering Stevie Pope Su Rong Xiaowen Rong Florence Scott Jessica Shead Roisin Sheridan John Snelling Katie Sommers Tim Stayner Marta Valls Brigid Vidler Matthew Vile Sara Wakili Patricia Witte Dirk Wylenga Goran Zelic
THANK YOU: PARTNERSHIPS We are proud to work closely with a number of businesses on mutually beneficial sponsorship arrangements. If you are interested in partnering with us please contact support@littleangel theatre.com.
CORPORATE SPONSORS
SIGNIFICANT IN-KIND SUPPORT
Frederick's
Thank you to all the local businesses who support us throughout the year. Aesop Islington After Noah Discover Children’s Story Centre Maggie and Rose Molly Meg Ottolenghi Petit Bateau Space NK Storksen Sweaty Betty Udderlicious Wild Swans
Community organisations that we have worked in partnership with in 2019–2020 Arachne Greek Cypriot Community Centre Break a Leg Bright Start Barbican Library Chance UK Finsbury Library Freightliners Farm GOSH Arts Help on Your Doorstep Hilldrop Community Centre Isledon House Islington Parent Champions Mary’s Community Centre Nova New Opportunities The Parent House St Luke’s Community Centre Take a Step TEMPO Time Credits Whittington Health Speech and Language Team
THANK YOU: DONORS Little Angel Theatre is pleased to be supported by a wide range of organisations and individuals.
PUBLIC FUNDERS
PRINCIPAL FUNDERS: TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS
SIGNIFICANT FUNDERS: COMPANY OF ANGELS Company of Angels TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS The are philanthropic friends BBC Children in Need Chapman Charitable Trust Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust Co-op Foundation Didymus Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation The Froebel Trust The Golsoncott Foundation Gisella Graham Foundation Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation John Horniman Children’s Trust The Leche Trust Macquarie Group Foundation Molecule Theatre Trust NESTA Old Possum’s Practical Trust Rathbone Brothers PLC Royal Victoria Hall Foundation The Sobell Foundation Unity Theatre Trust The Weinstock Fund
SIGNIFICANT FUNDERS: INDIVIDUALS GENEROUS FRIENDS Anonymous Anthony Conway Claire Kenwright Sue Owen Rob Owen Joe Vergalio
who donate regularly. We couldn’t do the work that we do without their generous support.
GUARDIAN ANGELS Sarah-Jane Fenton Jill Nicholls Clive Owen Katie Owen
GOLDEN ANGELS Catherine Armitage Peter Ball John Duffy Andreia Jurquete Alison Macdonald Roger Mears Jack Thorne Dr Felix von Reiswitz Sharon White
SILVER ANGELS
James Bierman Philip and Natasha Broke Ana Cascon and Bill Shadwick Peter Charlton E H Comstock-Smith Roanne Insley Ann Marshall Selina Macnair Thank you also to our wonderful 73 Bronze Angels and 56 members and members plus. We are also grateful and humbled by those who choose to put Little Angel Theatre in their will.
Cover photo Ellie Kurttz Registered Charity no: 232488 Company no: 668339 VAT Registration no: 233867152 Design: Hyperkit
“FUELLING THE IMAGINATION THROUGH PUPPETRY”