Touring dance-circus company, Motionhouse, is preparing to launch its next major production which will soon grace the international stage.
The Warwickshire-based company will be premiering ‘Hidden’ on Thursday, February 6.
The not-for-profit company, founded in Leamington Spa in 1988, is renowned for its track record of exporting creative work around the world and will be touring its latest production around the UK and Europe until 2028.
Hidden is co-commissioned by FABRIC, Birmingham Hippodrome and Warwick Arts Centre, and has been created with support from the John Ellerman Foundation and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.
After launching at Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry, it is set for dates in theatres around Germany and Denmark in March.
Motionhouse receives funding from organisations including Arts Council England, Warwick District Council and a range of trusts and foundations, accounting for around 40% of its turnover. The rest is made up from a range of means including earned income from touring and teaching.
The company reaches more than 100,000 people each year with its work and delivers significant outreach in the local community, including work in local care homes, professional training days, and classes and courses for young people from its base in Leamington.
Ahead of launching Hidden, Motionhouse has worked with Coventry and Warwickshire independent accountancy firm HB&O in the audit and preparation of its financial accounts and Corporation tax returns, providing constructive support as well as ensuring compliance with current charitable accounting guidelines.
Louise Richards, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Motionhouse, said: “Working with HB&O for our annual audit has really streamlined this process for us over the past few years, allowing us to work efficiently to undertake our audits as smoothly as possible with our Board of Trustees.
“The team at HB&O is professional, efficient, supportive and responsive, as well as being very knowledgeable on the charitable aspects of our accounting, offering excellent value for money, which for us is an important consideration.”
HB&O has offices in Coventry and Leamington and its audit team is charity and not-for-profit specialists. It works with organisations to improve efficiencies, governance and financial controls.
Mark Ashfield, Managing Director at HB&O, said: “We have been working closely with Motionhouse over the last two years and we have developed a great personal relationship with Louise and her team.
“Audits are crucial for credibility, compliance and risk management, but equally they provide peace of mind for companies and gives organisations like Motionhouse the confidence to pursue their ambitious plans.
“It has been fantastic working with Motionhouse to support their excellent work, not only in providing world-class entertainment for local, domestic and international audiences, but also to enable the company to continue its crucial work in the local arts community.”
Louise added: “In Hidden, audiences will be able to enjoy Motionhouse’s signature gravity-defying dance-circus, amazing digital projections and a shape-shifting set telling a story about how, in an increasingly divided world, light can come out of darkness in times of crisis.”
To find out more about Motionhouse and Hidden, visit www.motionhouse.co.uk
