OPERA CIRCUS LIMITED

Registered charity 1051954 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as OPERA CIRCUS

Opera and music theatre, commissions, productions and performanceEducation and community work in Dorset and the South West and other parts of the UK also in the EU region and Central and Eastern EuropeMixed art form projectsPartnership collaboration and development

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Economic/community Development/employment · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£217k

Latest spending

£106k

Registered

1996

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds no reserves and has no investments, resulting in a net unrestricted deficit of £13,065. Per the trustees' report, the charity remains dependent on the continued support of grant-aiding bodies and has a long-term personal guarantee from the Artistic Director to meet commitments.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy

“The charity currently holds no reserves and has no investments.” — page 8

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“The charity is dependent on the continued support of grant aiding bodies. The trustees believe that the charity will continue to receive this support and accordingly consider that it is appropriate to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis.” — page 18

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Tina Golden provided support in kind valued at £14,000 (2024 - £8,000) during the year related to core administration, marketing, production and fundraising costs.

“Tina Golden provided support in kind valued at £14,000 (2024 - £8,000) during the year related to core administration, marketing, production and fundraising costs. Tina Golden was paid artistic and project management fees of £2,900 (2024 - £1,000), and expenses totalling £195.02 reimbursed by the charity during the year. Tina Golden donated £1,763.96 to the charity during the year. Robert Golden was paid artistic fees of £0 (2024 - £500) by the charity during the year. Robert Golden provided support in kind valued at £10,000 (2024 - £7,500) during the year related to photographic design and film services. Robert Golden donated £1,915.70 to the charity during the year. Robert Golden Pictures Ltd was paid £6,200 in fees relating to photographic and film services, by the charity during the year. Rosemary Russell provided support in kind valued at £5,000 during the year related to consultancy in youth work and organisational management. Darren Abrahams was paid artistic fees of £2,350, and reimbursed expenses totalling £885.07 by the charity during the year.” — page 26

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

The Ernest Hecht Charitable Trust — “We would especially like to thank the Ernest Hecht Charitable Trust, which closes this year, for the over 10 years of support of the Edible …” (source page)

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Trustees · trustee networks

Margaret Rosemary Russellchair · trustee of 1 other charity
Darren Abrahams · trustee of 1 other charity
JANE FIONA STOCKER
ROBERT GOLDEN · trustee of 1 other charity
Rory Newbery
Susan Bisatt
TINA ELLEN Golden

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Belgium · Bosnia And Herzegovina · Brighton And Hove · Cornwall · Croydon · Dorset · East Sussex · Georgia · India · Italy · Kosovo · Lancashire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£217k	£106k
31/03/2024	£76k	£92k
31/03/2023	£102k	£138k
31/03/2022	£78k	£67k
31/03/2021	£105k	£70k

Common questions

Is OPERA CIRCUS LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds no reserves and has no investments, resulting in a net unrestricted deficit of £13,065. Per the trustees' report, the charity remains dependent on the continued support of grant-aiding bodies and has a long-term personal guarantee from the Artistic Director to meet commitments. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Who funds OPERA CIRCUS LIMITED?

Funders whose own accounts filings name OPERA CIRCUS LIMITED as a grant recipient include DORSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, THE FUNDING NETWORK, MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
DORSET COMMUNITY FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k	Grant to institution
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k
THE FUNDING NETWORK	FY2023	£9k
THE FUNDING NETWORK	FY2022	£9k	Flagship
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£5k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£5k
THE ALICE ELLEN COOPER-DEAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£5k
MISS E F RATHBONE CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£3k	National

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	14/07/2023	£10k	Belonging/Becoming - Encouraging the Youth Voice
Crowdfunder	26/07/2022	£2k	Local Action Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund	05/11/2021	£9k	Portland Youth Community Music and Well Being
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	10/10/2018	£8k	"Light to the Darkness"
The National Lottery Community Fund	21/09/2018	£10k	A Question of Community Cohesion
The National Lottery Community Fund	23/03/2016	£10k	Youth Leader Training for a Diverse Community - Bridport and Doncaster
The National Lottery Community Fund	19/11/2014	£9k	Grow into the Community
The National Lottery Community Fund	26/01/2012	£9k	SIMPLY HUMAN - Youth Leadership Development
The National Lottery Community Fund	20/11/2009	£8k	FACE to FACE
The National Lottery Community Fund	30/03/2006	£5k	The Incomer & The Land
The National Lottery Heritage Fund	30/03/2006	£5k	"This Performing Arts Organisation Will Conduct Research Within Local Communities With An Aim To Arranging A Musical Theatre Production Based"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION	3	£2k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATION	2	£250k
THE ARNOLD BURTON 1998 CHARITABLE TRUST	2	£80k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION	1	£1.1m
OPERA NORTH FUTURE FUND	1	£816k
BACKSTAGE TRUST	1	£635k
THE LIZ AND TERRY BRAMALL FOUNDATION	1	£600k
The Keith Howard Foundation	1	£307k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with OPERAGLASS WORKS LTD.

OPERAGLASS WORKS LTD income £53k
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY income £178k
OPERA NORTH LIMITED income £18.8m
GARSINGTON OPERA LIMITED income £9.9m
OPERA NORTH FUTURE FUND income £121k
TETE A TETE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED income £184k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
OPERA CIRCUS LIMITED	£217k	—	0	below	—	noted
OPERAGLASS WORKS LTD FY2025	£53k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE MERRY OPERA COMPANY FY2025	£178k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
OPERA NORTH LIMITED FY2025	£18.8m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
GARSINGTON OPERA LIMITED FY2025	£9.9m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
OPERA NORTH FUTURE FUND FY2025	£121k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.