MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Registered charity 1113902 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as MIF
Organising and staging a biennial arts festival of performances, exhibitions and special events, commissioning new work for the public benefit. Organising and staging performances between Festivals. Touring selected commissions to venues and arts festivals in the UK and the rest of the world. In 2023 we transitioned to our permanent venue in Manchester -Aviva Studios,home of Factory International.
Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the group made a loss of £414k for the year ended March 2025, resulting in a 3% decrease in total reserves to £13.2m. The charity relies on funding from Arts Council England and Manchester City Council, with the current unrestricted Arts Council England funding agreement contractually covering the period to March 2026. The Trustees have confirmed the accounts are prepared on a going concern basis following a review of cashflow forecasts through December 2026.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves policy: minimum level of £1m (held: £13.2m)
“Having targeted a minimum level of £1m, at the end of March 2025 the value of the general reserve is £2,740k (2024: £1,790k), ahead of the minimum target.” — page 25
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Intercompany transactions with MIF Productions Limited
“At the balance sheet date, there was £665,385 (2024: £1,774,476) due to MIF from MIF Productions. This is resulting from the intercompany transactions related to the delivery of production,”
“At the balance sheet date, there was £117,158 (2024: £455,999) due to MIF from Factory Academy Limited. This is relating to intercompany transactions related to general expenditure.” — page 59
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Intercompany transactions with Factory Academy Limited
“At the balance sheet date, there was £665,385 (2024: £1,774,476) due to MIF from MIF Productions. This is resulting from the intercompany transactions related to the delivery of production,”
“At the balance sheet date, there was £117,158 (2024: £455,999) due to MIF from Factory Academy Limited. This is relating to intercompany transactions related to general expenditure.” — page 59
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Intercompany transactions with Factory International Trading Services Limited
“At the balance sheet date, there was £665,385 (2024: £1,774,476) due to MIF from MIF Productions. This is resulting from the intercompany transactions related to the delivery of production,”
“At the balance sheet date, there was £117,158 (2024: £455,999) due to MIF from Factory Academy Limited. This is relating to intercompany transactions related to general expenditure.” — page 59
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Factory Academy Limited, MIF Productions Limited, Factory International Trading Services Limited
“These financial statements consolidate the results of the charity Manchester International Festival (MIF) and its wholly owned subsidiaries, MIF Productions Limited, Factory Academy Limited and Factory International Trading Services Limited, on a line by line basis.” — page 42
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Saffery LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
In the news
Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- John McGrath — Artistic Director & Chief Executive (source)
- Low Kee Hong — Creative Director (source)
- Scott McVittie — Chief Commercial Officer (source)
- Paula Stringer — Chief Operating Officer (source)
Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.
Funders the charity credits
Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£5.8m
Reserves (reported)
£13.1m
Reported reserves equal ~6.1 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (58% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 23.8% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 3.8%) (benchmarks).
- Moira Sinclairchair · trustee of 2 other charities
- Candice Marie Hull
- Charles Richard Bell
- Dabboussy Lamia
- Fazeel Barber
- Garry Bridges
- Joanne Louise Whitfield CBE
- John Bernard Dunleavy
- Joshua Jack Wilkinson
- Laura Jordan Bambach
- Leila Louisa Anne Alexander
- Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL · trustee of 1 other charity
- Molly Jackson
- Ngozi Ugochukwu
- Nihal Senaka Arthanayake
- PATRICIA BARTOLI
- Shaminder Nahal
- Sharon Watson
- THOM HETHERINGTON · trustee of 1 other charity
- Zoe Watters · trustee of 1 other charity
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Bolton · Bury · Manchester City · Oldham · Rochdale · Salford City · Stockport · Tameside · Trafford · Wigan
Income and spending
Common questions
Is MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group made a loss of £414k for the year ended March 2025, resulting in a 3% decrease in total reserves to £13.2m. The charity relies on funding from Arts Council England and Manchester City Council, with the current unrestricted Arts Council England funding agreement contractually covering the period to March 2026. The Trustees have confirmed the accounts are prepared on a going concern basis following a review of cashflow forecasts through December 2026. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Saffery LLP.
Who funds MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL?
Funders whose own accounts filings name MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL as a grant recipient include SAVANNAH WISDOM.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
Funders of similar charities
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Side by side with its peers
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