AGM information and Closure of The Barnsley Youth Music and Drama Festival.

BARNSLEY YOUTH MUSIC & DRAMA FESTIVAL
MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
HELD
THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2023
PRESENT : Mrs. A. Bagley, Mr & Mrs Venables, Mrs A Dawson, Mr. T Jones Mrs J Clark Mrs W Hughes Mrs S Haughton Mrs. C Moseley Mrs J Hopkinson Mrs D Miller
APOLOGIES: A Toon, H Ingham
Minutes of 2022 Annual General Meeting were agreed
Proposed: Mrs A Dawson
Seconded: Mrs J Hopkinson
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: – written report (Alison) attached
Welcome all, thank you for attending our 2023 Annual General Meeting, my report for the past year is very short due to the lack of festival activity this year.
Following the lack of entries for the 2022 Festival, it was agreed that we would take some time out and consider a number of options to re-launch the festival 2024 rather than trying to continue with the same format as clearly the current educational/financial climate post Covid has had a huge impact on entrants to the festival.
The ‘Open’ meetings in early 2023 , where we hoped to glean additional support and ideas to revamp/relaunch the festival, with the exception of a couple of new members, were not the success we had hoped. However with true passion and determination during the Spring the committee rallied and set about pulling together a simplified but more modern syllabus for a 2 day festival in April 2024.
It was also agreed that to advertise the ‘New look’ festival we would hold a Community Concert where not only could we advertise the festival but make new contacts with interested parties in the local area, with a view to swelling the interest in entering the festival and re-growing the festival family.
A venue was found, Headline entertainment arranged but again a lack of support from sufficient Youth groups despite many emails and phone calls to Music & Drama groups in the area. This meant that the concert was not viable.
With the lack of support/interest in a community concert and the poor entry numbers for the festival in 2022, it is difficult to see a way to resurrect the Festival from the Ashes of Covid and the Financial & Educational constraints of our Era. It is with regret, I fear that we now have to bow out of the festival scene and consider other ways in which the Barnsley Youth Music & Drama Festival legacy can support the talented youth in our locality.
Alison Bagley (Hartley)Chairperson
TREASURER’S REPORT
The last 12 months has been another difficult time, as we have tried our utmost to keep the festival going. Although we have had no income for the past year we have had to continue paying vital subscriptions and website fees to keep our organisation valid, at a total cost of £635.50.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS – FUTURE OF THE ORGANISATION
With the information outlined in the chairman’s report giving details of all the efforts that had been made to keep the festival viable, the committee voted unanimously to make the sad decision to start procedures to wind up the Charity. Margaret Venables, said this was a very sad decision that after over 75 years this very well respected charity has to come to an end, but this was another example of the effects of Covid reflecting the state of the arts
The Annual General Meeting was closed, and the Chairman called an Extra Ordinary Meeting to discuss the procedures to close the Charity.
EXTRA-ORDINARY MEETING – PROCEDURES TO CLOSE THE CHARITY
Dot Miller read out part of the constitution relating to assets and funds that we have and these were then discussed:-
All trophies should be offered back to the original owners wherever possible. The Co-operative Rochdale Pioneer Museum have agreed to accept initially 4 trophies, The Caledonian Plate, Member Relations Trophy, Music Rosebowl and Alfreda Wilde Trophy. All of these will be put on display together with any documentation we have in the museum. They have also offered to accept other trophies relating to the co-operative movement and they will put them into their archives. Over the coming weeks we will be contacting other individuals where possible to arrange for their trophies to be returned. All remaining medals to be offered to Scunthorpe Festival.
The outstanding trophies not returned from the last Festival –
There are still a number of trophies not returned from the 2019 festival, and it was agreed that we have an article published in a local newspaper together with a call through social media for anyone in possession of these trophies to get in touch. All participants receiving trophies signed an agreement to return after 1 year. This however was difficult as Covid lockdown came into force during the time that all trophies should be handed back.
Trophies not yet returned by the holders as of the last Festival (please get in touch with us if you have a trophy from the last festival and would like to return it)
Karen Trophy – RMC Quartet
Margaret Trophy – Josephine Lee
Mary Beth Trophy – Beau Brook
Sheridan trophy – Victoria Nowak
Woolley Trophy – Robbie Cooper
Remaining Assets and Funds
In line with our Constitution – The treasurer proposed that any remaining funding after outstanding commitments at the close of the Festival be donated to the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Regional Championships Committee which is part of BIFF – British and International Federation of Festivals , together with 3 new and unused awards purchased as part of our plans for the future. The committee voted unanimously to agree to this proposal. Margaret Venables is the founder of these Championships and agreed to report back to the Championship Committee, and said this would secure the future of the Championships and continue to showcase and support the best performers from around the area in this Bi-annual event.
It was agreed to keep The festival website open until the charity is officially closed down
The Chairman has agreed to inform the British International Festival Federation of our intention via Mrs Margaret Venables.
There was no further business and the meeting was closed.