Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Annual Report 2014/15

Annual Report2014/15

391

659

75

36.5%

shows

performances

films and live transmissions

of the programme for young people and families

Chair’s introduction

Reflecting on 2014/15, I am proud of the range of events and the number of people we’ve welcomed from Croydon and across the South East. This year we dared to do more. A great example was Terriers, a life-changing drama for young people that was shown in schools across Croydon and illustrated powerfully the damaging consequences of getting involved with gangs.

Fairfield is rooted in our community. Croydon’s cultural scene has new energy and dynamism. As the space for large scale and professional performance, Fairfield is at the heart of this scene. For community and school groups, the opportunity to perform on the impressive concert hall stage is inspiring and thrilling. Last year over 11,000 young people took part in arts activities, creating an exciting buzz at Fairfield. Our wide participation programme uses culture as a positive force for health and overcoming disadvantage. The board is ambitious for a Fairfield that inspires, delights and serves even more people.

Our highly skilled team, led by Simon Thomsett, work exceptionally hard. Our dedicated volunteer stewards make each visitor feel at home. Our growing family of individual, corporate and grant supporters are helping us to enrich the programme and increase participation.

A big thank you for your part in creating more Fairfield memories!

Kate Vennell Chair of the Board of Trustees

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2 Fairfield Annual Report

Message from the Chief Executive

“An iconic building for Croydon!”

“Fairfield Halls is a wonderful venue and a credit to Croydon”

Welcome to this review of 2014/15, which I hope conveys some of the great variety of work we are proud to present at Fairfield. We have been particularly encouraged by the impressive increase in participation by our younger audiences as they take up the new opportunities we have been able to create and facilitate, both as audience members and as active contributors to our programme. Much of this energy centred on our expanding music programme where our Stand! series has grown into a grass roots music movement, thanks in part to our new Studio.

We have continued to add new elements to our artistic output beyond the year end and we hope to grow further in the weeks and months ahead, led by our excellent creative associates, enthusiastic audiences and our amazing and committed range of supporters, from our individual and corporate donors through to each and every single person who comes here for whatever reason, week in and week out. Together they make Fairfield what it is, the heart of Croydon’s cultural life.

Simon Thomsett Chief Executive

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Fairfield Annual Report 3

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“The Fairfield Halls is a great venue with brilliant entertainment.”

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Fairfield Halls is a centre for arts, culture, entertainment and community participation. Our mission is to excite, engage and entertain the people of Croydon and beyond by providing a diverse programme of artistic performances and related activities.

Core ValuesIn support of the mission we are committed to:

• BeingtheculturalheartofCroydon and the local community

• Servingthewidestpossiblerangeofpeople

• Providingequalityofaccessandopportunity in our interactions with our users

• Ensuringhighstandardsofservicetoallcustomers and visiting companies and artists

• Encouragingparticipationinarts,cultural and community activities

• Encouragingtheuseofitsfacilitiesbythosetraditionally not associated with the use of cultural buildings

• Providingvalueformoney

• Encouragingnewandemergingartists and audiences

• Establishingandmaintainingmutuallybeneficial working partnerships

• Maintainingprideandcareinwhatwedo and the service we provide

• Maintainingrespectandappreciationamongstall members of the organisation, enabling involvement, engagement and opportunities to contribute

What does Fairfield bring to Croydon?Fairfield has been at the centre of Croydon’s cultural life for more than 50 years and its importance remains undiminished:

• Qualityoflife: the arts offer that ‘feel-good’ factor, enriching individual lives with colour, passion, enjoyment and inspiration

• Individualwellbeing:the arts increase our capacity for life, helping us to understand, interpret, adapt and connect to the world around us

• Communitywellbeing: social bonds are created among individuals when they share arts experiences, contributing to a strong, cohesive community

• Lifelonglearning: whether it is the discovery of a new play or singing in a choir, the arts provide rich possibilities for learning

• Activelives: arts participation offers people enjoyable ways to engage in physical activity

• Environment:Fairfield is a local icon and important amenity, which helps make Croydon a great place to live, to work and to visit

• Localeconomy: Fairfield’s economic impact in Croydon is at least £2 million per year, which equates to £1.3 million of Gross Value Added and 108 jobs supported indirectly (independent study completed in 2013 by Bop Consulting)

• Profile:Fairfield promotes a positive image of Croydon to a national and international audience

• Regeneration:as Fairfield’s transformation continues, Fairfield is a key part of the wider re-positioning of Croydon

£6.5m

185,330

77%

£6

turnover

tickets

of income earned

generated for every £1 of public revenue funding

“The Fairfield Halls is a great venue with brilliant entertainment.”


Year in Pictures

Sum

mer

Spri

ngOur Country’s Good | Photo Robert Workman Heritage Blues Orchestra | Photo Frazer Ashford

The Gruffalo

Orleta | Photo Frazer AshfordAliens Love Underpants

Avenue Q | Photo Frazer Ashford

Dreamtime Tales, London Mozart Players | Photo Jenny Brady

Paul Hollywood | Photo Frazer Ashford

Under Milk Wood


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The Accrington Pals | Photo Frazer Ashford

Frozen Celebrity Gala | Photo Frazer Ashford

Mad Professor | Photo Frazer Ashford

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Photo Frazer Ashford

Croydon Schools Music Showcase | Photo Frazer Ashford

The Gruffalo Omid Djalili | Photo Frazer Ashford

The Osmonds | Photo Frazer Ashford

Brendan Cole | Photo Frazer Ashford

Baskery | Photo Frazer Ashford


Year in Numbers

£455kwas paid in tax & NI

= £935K

We purchased

£4.4mworth of goods and services

Economic impact£6 generated for every £1 of public revenue funding

Cultural impactBroadening cultural engagement

58,700people attended performances and films specifically for familes

and young people

11,376young people participated in

arts events

Our average ticket price of

£16.91meant that our tickets were affordable and accessible*

176,472people experienced a live performance*

584live performances*

£480kwas paid in net VAT payments

£908kCroydon Council revenue funding

leveraged

£6.5mturnover

£2mwas spent on sustaining a total of 239 full time and

part time jobs

We attracted

£99kin philanthropic support

* does not include film screenings


Fairfield(Croydon)Limitedconsolidatedincome and expenditure accounts 2014/15 (extracted from audited accounts)

54%

32%3%

29%

23%

18%

2%

21%

18%

Income from events programme

Costs for events programme

Depreciation

Wages

Croydon Council

Administration and support costs

Fundraising

Trading sales

Trading costs

Income £ %

Income from events programme £3,508,788 54

Croydon Council £1,538,364 23

Fundraising £98,719 2

Trading sales £1,344,270 21

Total £6,490,141

Expenditure £ %

Costs for events programme £2,059,670 32

Wages £1,846,915 29

Administration and support costs £1,139,487 18

Trading costs £1,167,993 18

Depreciation £190,706 3

Total £6,404,771


Artistic Review

April Touring theatre company Out of Joint returned to Fairfield for the first time in many years with their acclaimed production of Our Country’s Good directed by Max Stafford-Clark. More than 1000 people enjoyed this powerful true story of a motley cast of convicts who put on a play under the guidance of an earnest young marine officer. Over Easter, our family audiences enjoyed a new musical version of Alice in Wonderland, starring Paul Daniels, Debbie McGee and Steve Hewlett. Cathy Tyson took the lead in new drama Snakes and Ladders, a bold and challenging story of black identity and sisterhood. Bob Golding’s performance in Morecambe brought the comedy legend back to life and Ballet Theatre UK presented an enchanting retelling of Hans Christian Andersen favourite The Little Mermaid. Swansea City Opera returned to the Ashcroft Theatre with their sparkling version of The Marriage of Figaro and regular visitors Opera and Ballet International presented a spectacular La Bohème in the Concert Hall, demonstrating its famous acoustic qualities. The London Mozart Players performed the music of Poulenc and Haydn with conductor and pianist Howard Shelley, and more than 1000 people came to see Alan Davies in his stand-up show Little Victories. Electro-dub

regulars Dreadzone returned for their third gig in as many years as part of the Stand! series and we also welcomed Croydon Basslift to the Arnhem Gallery. The night featured a succession of DJ’s and bands playing bass heavy music, much of it with strong dubstep influences (particularly apt given that dubstep was born in Croydon), to an enthusiastic young audience.

MayThe stage adaptation of bestselling children’s book Aliens Love Underpants landed in the Ashcroft Theatre and our family audiences thoroughly enjoyed this zany and hilarious production. Britain’s favourite Grumpy Old Women – Susie Blake, Kate Robbins and Jenny Eclair – entertained a packed theatre crowd in Fifty Shades of Beige and we hosted the 28th International Playwriting Festival, produced by Warehouse Phoenix. Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra delighted a capacity Concert Hall crowd with special guests including Melanie C, Marc Almond and Ruby Turner, and another musical highlight came in the form of Country legend Don Williams. Paul Hollywood’s Get Your Bake On! tour brought competitive baking to the Concert Hall platform, almost certainly a first. The London Mozart Players

performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 with Angela Hewitt in a programme that also included Tippett’s Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Nicholas Collon presented an evening of American classics with music by Bernstein, Copland and Gershwin. Described by one audience member as “one of the best concerts I have ever attended”, Croydon-born pianist Freddy Kempf treated us to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and the concert concluded with a powerful performance of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

“Who knew Fairfield Halls held this type of music event? Booming bass, lively lighting and under 30s. But they do – it’s calledCroydonBassLift”Croydon Citizen Review


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18,839 comedy audience

JuneAgatha Christie and Dylan Thomas provided the theatrical highlights this month. Bill Kenwright’s touring production of Black Coffee “brimmed with energy and intrigue” and starred Jason Durr as the little Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Clywd Theatr Cymru’s impressive production of Under Milk Wood marked the centenary of Dylan Thomas’s birth as well as the 60th anniversary of the play’s premiere. This play for voices was given a “pitch-perfect” revival by director Terry Hands’ ensemble of actors, which included Game of Thrones actor Owen Teale. Together with the inspired circular set design by Martyn Bainbridge, the cast conjured up the sleepily subversive Welsh town of Llareggub. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra presented a Proms themed night of popular classics conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes and featuring soprano Elena Xanthoudakis, pianist Danny Driver and plenty of flag waving to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1. Also this month, more than 600 people attended Orleta’s celebration of Polish culture, an evening of traditional songs, dances and richly coloured costumes.

JulyThe massed voices of Popchoir returned for their third visit and 2013 Grammy nominees the Heritage Blues Orchestra headlined a day-long celebration of 50 years of blues music at Fairfield. A new Murder Mystery season of plays in the Ashcroft Theatre kept audiences guessing through Brian Clemens’ The Devil at Midnight, Simon Williams’ Double Death and The Widow, a new thriller by Merlin Ward. Eddie Izzard made a welcome appearance, topping the bill at a fundraiser for Crystal Palace Football Club’s Youth Foundation, which also featured memorable sets from Mark Steel and Holly Walsh. Jimmy Carr added to the laughs in July with his Funny Business stand-up show and the month ended with a run of the popular and mildly reprehensible musical Avenue Q.

AugustThe month was mostly taken up with building works (see pages 22-23) although family entertainment was on offer in the form of The Sooty Show, Angelina Ballerina The Mousical and Milkshake.

SeptemberThe all-singing, all-plucking Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain provided a highlight in a musical month that also included performances by Blake, Showaddywaddy, the Osmonds and ‘rockney’ stars Chas & Dave in their aptly titled On the Road Tour. Local favourite Darrell Davison conducted the Croydon Symphony Orchestra in the now traditional Last Night of the Croydon Proms extravaganza, which featured the Croydon Philharmonic Choir, Festival Singers, John Fisher Choir and East Surrey Choral Society in a celebration of local music-making talent. In the Ashcroft Theatre, Paul Nicholas and Suzanne Shaw starred in new musical Blockbuster, which featured the chart-topping hits of songwriting duo Chinn and Chapman. The new cinema in the Concert Hall opened to the public with a screening of Spandau Ballet Live, a documentary about the 80’s superstars followed by a streamed interview with the band from the Royal Albert Hall and an energetic live set, which showed the facility off to its very best.

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October Tall Stories returned with their hit musical stage adaptation of The Gruffalo and there was more top quality family entertainment with Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure. Marie Jones’ comic two hander Stones in His Pockets provided a reminder of why it played for so long in the West End and on tour. Freddy Kempf gave a memorable recital as part of the First World War centenary commemorations, featuring a range of music with historical links to the Great War. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with soloist Leon McCawley along with Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony, under the leadership of award-winning conductor Kirill Karabits. The Arthur Davison Family Concert with Darrell Davison and the Croydon Symphony Orchestra took our younger audiences on a musical trip around the world, from the Rio Carnival to the Ruins of Athens. There was comedy

from Omid Djalili and music from Joan Armatrading, Steeleye Span and, in the new Studio, Swedish trio Baskery performed their compelling mixture of Swedish folk-flavoured bluegrass and country music.

NovemberIt was a record breaking month in the theatre as Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap became Fairfield’s top selling drama. Jamaican legend Oliver Samuels starred in new farce Dolly House and there was even time for a home-grown production of Peter Whelan’s First World War drama The Accrington Pals. Based on a true story of a group of young volunteers from the same town, this moving and witty play was directed by our own Ninon Jerome. UB40 played to a capacity Concert Hall crowd and Westlife’s Shane Filan, Paul Potts and The Manfreds were also amongst the musical offerings this month. More than 1000 people enjoyed the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Film Music Gala and Moscow City Ballet enchanted audiences with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. We were delighted to welcome back the London Mozart Players for a powerful concert with a new commission by Jonathan Dove, For an Unknown Soldier, at its heart. The

performance was the culmination of an extensive community project and featured local choirs and young instrumentalists. Comedy remained a strong strand of the programme with American superstar Eddie Griffin and the stage version of MTV’s Wild ‘n’ Out both selling out the Concert Hall. A particular highlight this month was a special Saturday morning celebrity gala sing-along screening of Disney’s Frozen, which played to a packed house of enthusiastic families energetically abetted by the vocal talents of Popchoir. Fairfield’s new cinema was well and truly launched.

December Described by the British Theatre Guide as a pantomime “bursting with silliness and sentiment, love and laughter”, more than 28,000 people attended Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, starring Gareth Gates as Prince Charming and rising West End star Whitney White as Princess Snow. The inimitable Quinn Patrick returned as the pantomime dame and his anarchic Nurse Nellie made a brilliant comedy double act with Jack Glanville’s endearing Muddles. As the British Theatre Guide concluded, “Snow White has set the bar extremely high for next year’s Cinderella.” Launching Fairfield’s new Studio space, Santa Claus and the

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27,284 music audience

18,540 classical audience

“@FairfieldHalls #swanlake #moscowballet Fantastic experience. Orchestra was outstanding too.”

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Magical Christmas Journey entertained more than 4000 of our youngest visitors with songs, nursery rhymes and magic. Frank Skinner provided seasonal laughs with his Man in a Suit tour in a month otherwise dominated by music in the Concert Hall. With John Rutter at the helm, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed a spectacular Christmas Celebration to a packed and highly appreciative audience.

Opera and Ballet International presented Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, starring the Korean Soprano Elena Dee. Superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti, cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and pianist Alexei Grynyuk performed two stellar works of the chamber music canon – Beethoven’s Archduke Trio and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor – to much acclaim, and the Croydon Philharmonic Choir marked their Centenary with a spectacular performance of Handel’s Messiah with the London Mozart Players. After Christmas, the Johann Strauss Gala celebrated its 40th anniversary and delighted the audience with its waltzes and polkas and swirling gowns.

JanuaryShakespeare 4 Kidz continued their fine tradition of actor-musician productions with a new version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and there was music from Elkie Brooks and Paul Carrack, the latter showcasing songs from his new album. The Studio hosted a new drama, Shackelton’s Carpenter, which told the remarkable story of survival that followed the sinking of Shackelton’s ship Endurance in Antarctica in 1915.

February The touring production of Birdsong, adapted from the bestselling novel by Sebastian Faulks, brought a tremendous ensemble cast to the Ashcroft stage and a very positive response from the audience, which included the author himself. Further drama was provided by regular visiting company Talking Scarlet, who revived Arnold Ridley’s classic comedy thriller The Ghost Train and followed this up with a new production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Table Manners. The extraordinary skills of the Moscow State Circus provided death-defying thrills of an altogether different kind, and Brendan Cole returned to the Concert Hall with his new dance extravaganza A Night To Remember. Darrell Davison conducted the Croydon Symphony Orchestra in a night of Valentine Classics and the romantic theme continued as the Royal Philharmonic

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“Panto with @Gareth_Gates last night was awesome! Laughedsomuch!!!#Amazing”

“Iamacryingmess! The most thought provokingtheatreIhaveseen. @FairfieldHalls @birdsongthetour”

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Orchestra and soloist Alessio Bass performed Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Conducted by Alexander Shelley, the concert also included Glinka’s Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

MarchPart puppet show, part palaeontology lesson, Dinosaur Zoo brought our family audiences face to face with these prehistoric creatures and the younger ones also enjoyed the new stage show from CBeebies’ favourites Chris and Pui. Talking Scarlet presented James Cawood’s tense thriller Stone Cold Murder and touring company Sell A Door performed a modern adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Jekyll and Hyde. The Fab Four returned to the Concert Hall thanks to the Bootleg Beatles and Anton and Erin dazzled with their new show That’s Entertainment, which combined the sophistication of ballroom with showbiz razzmatazz. Opera and Ballet International presented a lustrous

version of Verdi’s La Traviata and virtuoso pianist Janina Fialkowska performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra alongside Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8. Narrator David Leonard joined Darrell Davison and the Croydon Symphony Orchestra for an enchanting Arthur Davison Family Concert with a magical theme. As part of our Stand! series, the legendary Fred Wesley headlined a night full of old style groove with his New JB’s band. Another Stand! gig saw reggae master General Levy and local pioneering producer and performer Mad Professor in the first of a planned series of Croydon Dub Club. Fairfield’s reputation for fantastic comedy was reinforced across all four of the main performance spaces with shows from Ahir Shah and Phil Wang in the Studio, Alun Cochrane in the theatre, Jenny Eclair in the Arnhem Gallery and the ever-punning king of one-liners Milton Jones in the Concert Hall.

“A tremendously brilliant night with the talented legendary Fred Wesley @FairfieldHalls”

28,271

58,700

theatre audience

family audience

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State of the art digital cinema equipment was installed in the Concert Hall in August enabling us to programme feature films and offer a wide range of live streamed events for the first time. Just shy of 9000 people have attended the new cinema since its launch in September. Highlights included Der Fliegende Holländer starring Bryn Terfel from The Royal Opera House, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from The Royal Ballet, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Love’s Labour’s Won from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Treasure Island from the National Theatre, The Duchess of Malfi from Shakespeare’s Globe, and Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds concert from the

O2 Arena. Two sing-along screenings of Disney’s Frozen delighted audiences of more than 1000. During the February half term, we offered four family films – The Book of Life, Penguins of Madagascar, Annie and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – with tickets for just £2. More than 2000 people took advantage of this affordable family entertainment. Thanks to an online survey, we know that 20% of the audience hadn’t been to Fairfield for two years and 7% had never visited us before. This fantastic new facility is therefore enabling us to reach wider audiences and bring new families to Fairfield for the first time.

CinemaFairfield Annual Report 15

This year we undertook more participation work than ever before, reaching out to new individuals and groups in Croydon to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to engage more fully with the arts. There was a dramatic increase in the number and variety of activities on offer including schools outreach, rehearsals, workshops, showcases and community projects.

Club Soda A new relationship was forged with Club Soda, an arts organisation led by the ideas and creativity of people with learning disabilities, who started meeting at Fairfield in September for weekly drama sessions. Their weird and wonderful production The Ghosts of the Jeremy Kyle Show was a riot of impersonations, comedy sketches and music, culminating in a club-style dance scene with full audience participation!

Kinetika Bloco CroydonIn January we partnered with the raucous carnival drumming group Kinetika Bloco to offer fun and engaging activity to help young people develop their musical, social and personal skills through weekly sessions and performances. The group

performed at Fairfield’s annual Summer Party for supporters in June, spread dramatically along the top of the Foyer staircase and playing to a captive audience below.

Movement Factory & Fairfield Youth TheatreSaturdays at Fairfield were positively buzzing, with dozens of young people attending weekly sessions with the Movement Factory dance academy and Fairfield Youth Theatre. The former offered dance classes in everything from Hip Hop to ballet and the latter provided fun, energetic sessions for young actors, dancers and singers to learn, improvise and build confidence.

Participation

“Fairfield Halls have been a brilliant partner to help

get Kinetika Bloco Croydon up and

running… they’ve been helpful,

hospitable and professional.” Jess Hodge, Youth Arts

Manager, Croydon Council

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Aldo is bright, witty and a gifted sportsman. He is also a member of his local gang, The Terriers. The Terriers are involved in a tit for tat rivalry with another gang, The DH Crew. Things are getting heavy and a DH Crew kid is shot. Now there’s open war. Aldo’s problem is that there’s rumour and counter rumour and somehow The DH Crew believe he is the killer and they’re looking for him. He only has one option, to get armed. Or does he?

Originally commissioned by Merseyside Police to help reduce crime, the Terriers project features an

hour long play with an accompanying workshop and educational resource pack. It addresses challenging subjects such as gang violence, peer pressure, bullying, drug use and child sexual exploitation and seeks to equip young people with strategies to deal with these issues. Ultimately, it shows young people that they have a choice and provides information on where they can turn if they need help or advice.

With our partners from the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, Terriers was taken into thirteen schools in and around Croydon, engaging over 1500 young people during a week in both November and March. It was met with positive acclaim from both students and teachers, with one pupil referral unit staff member commenting “Amazing. I’ve never seen our students sit still for that long!” The launch performance in the Ashcroft Theatre was attended by almost 300 members of the community, including teachers, parents, councillors and representatives of the Metropolitan and Merseyside Police Services.

Support for the project was overwhelming, from our main sponsors Croydon Partnership to the volunteers from Lives Not Knives who worked as ushers at the launch performance. Terriers continues to be a huge triumph, with schools rebooking at every opportunity so that more students are able to engage with this effective piece of educational theatre. We are using the success of the first year to reach out to more challenging schools and other funders.

Terriers “Our students found it very inspirational in so many ways… a superb piece of work”Teacher, Croydon College

“Terriers is amazing… Iwouldlove to preach whatI have learnt from it”Year 11 PRU student

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The Big DrawIn October Fairfield took part in #TheBigDraw, a national festival to encourage anyone and everyone to pick up a pen, pencil or paintbrush and get creating. We hosted a two-day event in our foyer during which Croydon College students took over the space to create large-scale drawings and projections of robots under the theme ‘Robots Takeover Croydon’. The drawings were exhibited in the following week.

PerformingThousands of young people perform at Fairfield every year. Here are some of the highlights…

The Croydon Performing Arts festival took place in April and May, a chance for musicians, dancers, spoken word artists and actors to show off their talents in friendly competition. Fairfield hosted the choirs and dance competitions, which saw magnificent entries in both areas. Also in May, the BRIT School returned with Through Flight, a diverse evening of dance performance described as a “riot of movement and energy”.

Dreamtime Tales proved to be one of June’s participation highlights. This musical celebration of Aboriginal folklore, devised and delivered by the London Mozart Players and Classical Roadshow, involved more than 1200 young people aged 7-11 singing from their seats in the Concert Hall.

The annual Ashcroft Theatre Summer School was another triumph with 120 young people singing, dancing and getting generally creative! The showcases that culminated each week of hard work were met with applause and praise, leaving all involved looking forward to next year.

For An Unknown Soldier was a major community project run by the London Mozart Players to commemorate the centenary of WW1, which culminated in a powerful performance in November of a new cantata by Jonathan Dove. Four primary school choirs performed with the orchestra, under the guidance and training of Dominic Peckham, as well as the massed voices of Croydon Minster, Whitgift School and Portsmouth Grammar School. The event also included a side-by-side performance with students from Croydon Music and Arts.

As always, March was a particularly busy month for emerging young talent with concerts and showcases from Croydon Music and Arts, Croydon Schools Music Association, Croydon Schools Dance Association, Bromley Youth Music Trust and Sutton and District Music Association.

VolunteeringThe Corps of Stewards provides many hours of help each year carrying out essential front of house duties, such as welcoming audiences, checking tickets, directing people to seats and answering questions. They are also very busy behind the scenes, organising rotas, recruitment, training and social events. There are currently 95 stewards and they range from 18 to more than 90 years of age. Some members of this inter-generational team have been volunteering with Fairfield for a matter of months, others for several decades!

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11,376

9

95

58

young people took part in arts activity

apprentices employed

volunteer stewards

participation/performance events involving young people

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“Everyone enjoys going to the Fairfield Halls – it is such a great atmosphere… all the staff make us feel right at home.” Club Soda participant

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Fairfield is a centre for the community and our spaces are used for all sorts of different events and activities, including exhibitions, jobs fairs, award ceremonies, graduation events, Arangetrams, meetings, conferences, training courses, parties, school proms and weddings. Here are some of the highlights from the last year.

The Momentum 2014 Youth Conference was held at Fairfield in April. Aimed at 11-19 year olds, this popular free event included a packed programme of interactive workshops, live performances and information stalls from more than 50 organisations spanning a variety of services from dance groups to apprenticeship providers.

Fairfield hosted the Crystal Palace Football Club Annual Awards Night in May. The season review included interviews with players, ex-players, owners and management as well as entertainment from the Crystal Girls. Also this month, more than 200 people attended the Croydon Business Awards.

The second Croydon Heritage Festival was held in June, organised by The Whitgift Foundation. Fairfield was home to a number of events including the Croydon Heritage Exhibition, a talk on Croydon’s connections to the slave trade, and a screening of silent films with live piano accompaniment.

BBC Question Time was broadcast from Fairfield in July. Joining David Dimbleby on the panel were Liberal Democrat Business Minister Jo Swinson MP, Labour’s former Home Secretary Alan Johnson MP and Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens.

Illustrating the sheer variety of the events held here, in October the Surrey Ikenobo Group presented an exhibition of Japanese Floral Art in the Arnhem Gallery as well as a demonstration by

“A level of customer

care that is impressive”

Community Events

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“A level of customer

care that is impressive”

Headmaster Designate Yuki Ikenobo from Kyoto, Japan in the Ashcroft Theatre.

More than 120 exhibitors showcased their services and products to more than 1000 attendees at We Mean Business, an event in October organised by Make Business Happen, a not-for-profit company established to support business and enterprise across London and the South East.

With more than 100 exhibitors and 2000 jobseekers, the South London Jobs Fair is the biggest employment event in the South London area. At this free event held at Fairfield in October, people were able to meet prospective employers, apply for jobs, receive advice, explore training opportunities and access a range of workshops.

The fifth Develop Croydon Conference was held in November. With more than 300 attendees and a lively programme of panel debates, the event included a keynote speech from Richard Blakeway, Deputy Mayor of London.

Part of the Festival of Youth Arts, the Croydon Schools Art Exhibition was held in March. With all types of work from painting to pottery, the exhibition showcased Croydon’s young artistic talent. Also this month, Fairfield hosted an event for Junior Road Safety Officers from local primary schools to celebrate their hard work in promoting road safety issues within their schools and local community.

Devised by our own apprentices, this free event in October provided information for young people aged 14 to 23 years about this route into employment. The event included interactive workshops and plenty of opportunities to talk to current apprentices. There were information stands from a variety of training providers as well as companies and organisations offering apprenticeship opportunities, such as local firms Mott MacDonald and Chequers. Guest speakers included Katie Henry, Director at the National Theatre and Natalie D Campbell, entrepreneur and business owner. The event ended with a social hour for attendees to network with current apprentices and employers in a relaxed environment.

“We planned this event because we wanted more young people to know about apprenticeships and realise that they are a really positive option for their future. Being an apprentice at Fairfield hasreallychangedmylife(it’swhyI’myettoleave!)andsoIhopewe’vebeenable to inspire others to take a chance and change theirs too.”

Amie Salmon, Technical Theatre Apprentice and now Swing Technician at Fairfield

Apprenticeship Careers Fair Community

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Refurbishment

Fairfield was a hive of activity over the summer months – not with shows for a change but with refurbishment works. Our landlord and principal funder, Croydon Council, released capital funding to make some important improvements to Fairfield’s infrastructure.

Arnhem Gallery50 years of wear and tear had definitely taken its toll on this hard working space. Over the summer, this versatile room was totally refreshed by our in-house teams. The lighting and sound equipment was upgraded, the walls and ceiling were painted, the old carpeting was taken up and the wooden floor exposed and restored. Two sets of curtains were installed to cover the whole perimeter of the room, allowing for a range of moods to suit the many different events that are held here, from wedding breakfasts to sales meetings, trade shows to exhibitions. The Arnhem Gallery is also the home of our standing rock and pop programme under the Stand! banner.

StudioPreviously the Green Room restaurant and then an office for the London Mozart Players (who are still at Fairfield but in a new office), this under-used room was converted by our in-house teams into a 100 capacity, flexible format, Studio Theatre. Since the refurbishment, the Studio has been home to a range of shows including cabaret style concerts and comedy nights as well as exciting new drama, such as Terriers. The smaller scale of the space makes it perfect for use by new and up-and-coming companies.

Box Office and WebsiteOur new website was launched in August along with a cutting edge box office system. Together, they have revolutionised our marketing and ticketing processes, offering a much improved service to our customers.

CinemaState of the art 4K digital cinema equipment with 7.1 surround sound was installed in the Concert Hall. Fairfield now has the biggest screen in Croydon and offers films and a wide range of live streamed events at distinctly affordable prices. The opening gala, a sing-along showing of Disney’s Frozen, was one of the November highlights and this red carpet event drew a satisfyingly packed house.

We are extremely grateful for this crucial investment and for Croydon Council’s continuing support and look forward to further progress with the refurbishment programme in the coming years. Strong evidence from around the UK demonstrates conclusively that towns and cities can reinvent themselves through the success of their cultural institutions. Fairfield’s transformation will therefore play a key part in the successful regeneration of the borough, projecting Croydon’s profile nationally whilst serving Croydon’s needs locally.

“Having a vibrant cultural quarter

can spearhead the wider regeneration

and economic development of the

town centre.” Councillor Timothy Godfrey,

Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport


“Iamreallyenjoying the new cinema and the films that you are showing, especially the live transmissions… Iwouldmuchratherviewa film at the Fairfield than at a multiplex and the new sound system is excellent.”


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Fairfield is a registered charity (number 1026483) dedicated to providing the people of Croydon and beyond with a vibrant centre for arts, culture, entertainment and community participation. Ticket income alone cannot support the huge range of performances and opportunities we provide and we are therefore extremely grateful to the many organisations, businesses and individuals who support us. This year our supporters helped us to invest in young people, expand the participation programme, enrich the artistic programme and reach even wider audiences.

Croydon Partnership were the lead sponsor for our flagship community outreach project, Terriers. This powerful play and accompanying workshop tackled the challenging issues surrounding gang culture and was taken into thirteen Croydon schools, engaging 1576 young people. Terriers met with an extremely positive response: “so cool and entertaining and educational and supportive” (year 8 student); “our students found it very inspirational in so many ways” (teacher, Croydon College). Other Terriers sponsors included Southern Railway, Lansdowne Hotel and the housing associations L&Q, Hyde and Wandle. Grant funding was also received from the Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust and the N Smith Charitable Settlement.

Lottery funding from Arts Council England via the Creative Employment Programme enabled us to employ a total of nine apprentices over the period across our Technical, Programming, Marketing and Catering departments. The City Bridge Trust also supported our apprenticeships programme. Simon Thomsett confirmed why we are so committed to providing young people with training and entry-level opportunities: “There’s nothing that beats getting hands-on experience, working alongside established practitioners to acquire new skills. In turn, we benefit from the new energy the apprentices bring, their enthusiasm and their fresh outlook on things. It is extremely rewarding to see these young people in place, working so enthusiastically in their roles.”

More than 650 people made donations to Fairfield during the year and we benefitted from the continued involvement of our Corporate Partners and Supporters. This funding adds value to the investment from our Principal Funder, the London Borough of Croydon. Together, this financial support enables us to deliver a diverse programme, reach the widest audiences, and play our part as an active cultural hub at the heart of the Croydon community.

Principal Funder Media Partner

Terriers Lead Sponsor

Partner

Partner

Partner

N Smith Charitable Settlement


Management

1962

1993

239

22,998

year Fairfield opened

creation of the charity

people employed

volunteer hours

Fairfield(Croydon)LimitedTrustees

Dudley Mead MBE (April – November) Kate Vennell (November – March) Chair

Fiona Satiro Deputy Chair

Mohammad Aslam MBE George Ayres (resigned in May) Emily Benn (appointed in July) Tony Blin-Stoyle Viv Davies David Fitze (resigned in May) Timothy Godfrey Lynne Hale Oliver Lewis (appointed in July) Richard Plant

Senior Management Team

Simon Thomsett Chief Executive

John Bartliff Head of Operations

Kevin Dunn Chief Finance Officer

Ninon Jerome Head of Artistic Programme

John Spring Head of Marketing

Sandra Tyler Human Resources Officer

Elinor Wood Development Manager


“everyone was really nice and welcoming to both artists and visitors”

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Fairfield (Croydon) Limited is a registered charity, number 1026483

Fairfield HallsPark LaneCroydonCR9 1DG

T: 020 8681 0821E: [email protected] www.fairfield.co.uk

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Documents

Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Annual Report 2014/15