The Contemporary Art Society
Overview
The Contemporary Art Society's network
20 people6 organisationsi20 listed on the board. 6 organisations share a board member with this charity.The large node is The Contemporary Art Society. The map shows two steps out from the public record. Hover a node to focus its connections; click one to open it.The board
20 listediCurrent trustees as listed by the Charity Commission, which does not publish previous trustees.| Name | Role | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Suss | Chair | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Cathy Wills | Trustee | 2012 | 14 yrs |
| Charlene Prempeh-Bonsu | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Emma Goltz | Trustee | 2016 | 10 yrs |
| Francis Outred | Trustee | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Isabelle Henkell von Ribbentrop | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| James Robertson | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| John Shield | Trustee | 2018 | 8 yrs |
Board
The board
20 listediCurrent trustees as listed by the Charity Commission, which does not publish previous trustees.| Name | Role | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Suss | Chair | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Cathy Wills | Trustee | 2012 | 14 yrs |
| Charlene Prempeh-Bonsu | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Emma Goltz | Trustee | 2016 | 10 yrs |
| Francis Outred | Trustee | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Isabelle Henkell von Ribbentrop | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| James Robertson | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| John Shield | Trustee | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Keith Morris | Trustee | 2012 | 14 yrs |
| Liesl Fichardt | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Nicola Blake | Trustee | 2017 | 9 yrs |
| Oluwafikayo Motunrayo Adebajo | Trustee | 2026 | new |
| Ruth Warder | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Sophie Nichola Ann Kingsley | Trustee | 2026 | new |
| Suling Mead | Trustee | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| The Lady Beatrice Lupton | Trustee | 2015 | 11 yrs |
| Timothy Franks | Trustee | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Timothy Marlow OBE | Trustee | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Tommaso Corvi-Mora | Trustee | ||
| Valeria Napoleone | Trustee | 2015 | 11 yrs |
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or more
Former company secretaries of the charitable company: Lance Roy Blackstone (1997-2009), George Lewis Yates-Mercer (1993-1998), Petronilla Spencer-Silver (1993). Full officer list
Board DNA
iCounted from the dated Charity Commission trustee register: the current board only, past trustees excluded.How this board is put together, from Charity Commission trustee records and Companies House - deterministic, no AI.Average tenure
5.7y
median 3y
Longest tenure
14y
since 2012
Years in governance
11.9y
per person, across all their boards
Also company directors
17
also sit on company boards
Joined in the last 3 years
10
of 19 on the board
20 trustees on the board
- Robert Suss Chair since 2024
- Cathy Wills since 2012
- Charlene Prempeh-Bonsu since 2024
- Emma Goltz since 2016
- Francis Outred since 2020
- Isabelle Henkell von Ribbentrop since 2024
- James Robertson since 2024
- John Shield since 2018
- Keith Morris since 2012
- Liesl Fichardt since 2024
- Nicola Blake since 2017
- Oluwafikayo Motunrayo Adebajo since 2026
- Ruth Warder since 2024
- Sophie Nichola Ann Kingsley since 2026
- Suling Mead since 2023
- The Lady Beatrice Lupton since 2015
- Tommaso Corvi-Mora
- Timothy Franks since 2018
- Timothy Marlow OBE since 2024
- Valeria Napoleone since 2015
Trustees past 6 years
- Cathy Wills since 2012
- Emma Goltz since 2016
- Francis Outred since 2020
- John Shield since 2018
- Keith Morris since 2012
- Nicola Blake since 2017
- The Lady Beatrice Lupton since 2015
- Timothy Franks since 2018
- Valeria Napoleone since 2015
First-time vs portfolio trustees
First-time (14)
- Robert Suss Chair since 2024
- Charlene Prempeh-Bonsu since 2024
- Francis Outred since 2020
- Isabelle Henkell von Ribbentrop since 2024
- James Robertson since 2024
- Liesl Fichardt since 2024
- Oluwafikayo Motunrayo Adebajo since 2026
- Ruth Warder since 2024
- Suling Mead since 2023
- The Lady Beatrice Lupton since 2015
- Tommaso Corvi-Mora
- Timothy Franks since 2018
- Timothy Marlow OBE since 2024
- Valeria Napoleone since 2015
Portfolio (6)
- Cathy Wills since 2012
- Emma Goltz since 2016
- John Shield since 2018
- Keith Morris since 2012
- Nicola Blake since 2017
- Sophie Nichola Ann Kingsley since 2026
Sector coverageiThe charitable fields this board's trustees govern in elsewhere, by Charity Commission classification. Excludes this charity.
Education/training 20Arts/culture/heritage/science 19General Charitable Purposes 3The Advancement of Health or Saving of Lives 2Recreation 1
Commercial experienceiThe industries this board's members are company directors in, by Companies House SIC code. Excludes this organisation's own company.
Arts and leisure 24Property 10Finance 7
Succession forecast
🔒 Succession forecast is a Pro feature - the board seats likely to open in the next year and the ideal next trustee. Explore Pro →
Network
Network
iThe large node is The Contemporary Art Society. Red nodes are organisations, white nodes are people. Dashed links are historical or inferred. Dashed blue-grey links are company secretaries. Click any node to explore.Most connected
Working out who is most connected...
Finances
5 financial years held, 2021 to 2025, years ending 31 March.
Income and expenditure
5 years · years end 31 MarchiHover over the chart, or focus it and use the left and right arrow keys, to read each year. Every figure is also in the table.Plain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Scroll sideways for earlier years
| Financial year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | |||||
| Total income | £1.56m | £1.54m | £1.76m | £1.49m | £2.11m |
| Total expenditure | £1.48m | £1.39m | £1.69m | £1.54m | £1.90m |
| Government income | |||||
| Government contracts | £6.15k | £16.36k | £55.45k | Not reported | £109.51k |
| Government grants | £171.42k | Not reported | £171.42k | Not reported | Not reported |
| Income by source | |||||
| Donations and legacies | £965.16k | £808.90k | £1.15m | £870.61k | £1.33m |
| Legaciespart of donations and legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Charitable activities | £504.18k | £540.97k | £510.44k | £422.58k | £494.86k |
| Other trading activities | £90.44k | £188.24k | £0 | £188.50k | £262.68k |
| Investments | £1.41k | £981 | £3.77k | £8.65k | £20.97k |
| Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Other income | £0 | £0 | £96.63k | £0 | £0 |
| Expenditure by type | |||||
| Charitable activities | £1.31m | £1.22m | £1.57m | £1.35m | £1.70m |
| Raising funds | £174.97k | £164.33k | £127.38k | £184.49k | £202.74k |
| Grants to institutionspart of charitable activities | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Governance | £28.86k | £36.32k | £27.80k | £59.38k | £41.36k |
| Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Other expenditure | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Definitions
- Total income
- Everything the charity received in the year, from all sources, as shown on its annual return.
- Total expenditure
- Everything the charity spent in the year.
- Government contracts
- Income from contracts with central or local government or other public bodies, as the charity declared it. Not reported means the register shows no amount (N/A), which can mean none or that the question was not answered.
- Government grants
- Grants received from central or local government or other public bodies, as declared.
- Donations and legacies
- Gifts and donations, including Gift Aid, and money left to the charity in wills.
- Legacies
- Money left to the charity in wills. Legacies are part of donations and legacies, not extra to them.
- Charitable activities (income)
- Income earned by doing the charity's work, such as fees and contracts for services.
- Other trading activities
- Fundraising trading, such as charity shops, events and sponsorship.
- Investments
- Dividends, interest and rent from the charity's investments.
- Endowments
- New endowment funds received in the year.
- Charitable activities (expenditure)
- Spending on the charity's purposes, including any grants it makes.
- Raising funds
- The cost of fundraising and trading.
- Grants to institutions
- Grants paid to other organisations. Part of spending on charitable activities.
- Governance
- The cost of running the charity as an organisation, such as the audit and trustee meetings.
- Investment management
- The cost of managing the charity's investments.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (extract of 25 October 2026), annual returns, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Assets and liabilities
5 years with detailiHover over the chart, or focus it and use the left and right arrow keys, to read each year. Every figure is also in the table.Plain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Scroll sideways for earlier years
| Financial year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Own use assets | £1.18m | £895.94k | £865.76k | £839.80k | £814.22k |
| Long-term investments | £0 | £306.10k | £391.46k | £437.60k | £452.48k |
| Other assets | £929.60k | £1.05m | £946.24k | £1.05m | £1.27m |
| Defined benefit pension schemea minus figure is a deficit | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total liabilities | £297.44k | £274.44k | £173.06k | £298.87k | £282.85k |
| Net assetsassets minus liabilities | £1.81m | £1.97m | £2.03m | £2.03m | £2.25m |
Definitions
- Own use assets
- Land, buildings, equipment and other fixed assets the charity uses for its work.
- Long-term investments
- Investments held for the long term, such as shares, bonds or property let to others.
- Other assets
- Current assets: cash, money owed to the charity and short-term investments.
- Defined benefit pension scheme
- The surplus (above zero) or deficit (below zero) on a final-salary type pension scheme.
- Total liabilities
- What the charity owes: creditors due within a year and after a year, and provisions. Drawn below zero in the chart and shown as a positive figure in the table, as the register does.
- Net assets
- Assets minus liabilities, including any pension surplus or deficit. Equal to total funds.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (extract of 25 October 2026), annual returns, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Funds and reserves
5 years with detailiHover over the chart, or focus it and use the left and right arrow keys, to read each year. Every figure is also in the table.Plain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Scroll sideways for earlier years
| Financial year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | £1.68m | £1.81m | £1.94m | £1.95m | £2.07m |
| Restricted funds | £128.50k | £164.50k | £85.56k | £81.68k | £181.01k |
| Endowment funds | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total funds | £1.81m | £1.97m | £2.03m | £2.03m | £2.25m |
| Reservesas declared by the charity | £468.67k | £571.99k | £1.94m | £637.07k | £770.94k |
| Assets besides buildingsinvestments, cash and money owed to it, before debts | £929.60k | £1.35m | £1.34m | £1.49m | £1.72m |
The declared reserves for 2023 are larger than everything the charity owns apart from its buildings, so they include its buildings and are not spare money. Assets besides buildings, and what the charity owes, give a truer picture.
Definitions
- Unrestricted funds
- Money the trustees can spend on any of the charity's purposes, including funds they have set aside (designated) themselves.
- Restricted funds
- Money that must be spent on particular purposes set by the donor or the terms of an appeal.
- Endowment funds
- Capital the charity must keep, either permanently or until the terms allow it to be spent.
- Total funds
- All funds together. Equal to net assets.
- Reserves
- The charity's own figure for unrestricted funds that are freely available, after setting aside fixed assets and designated funds. Charities explain their reserves policy in their annual report.
- Assets besides buildings
- Long-term investments plus other assets (cash, money owed to the charity and short-term investments), before its debts are paid. If declared reserves are larger than this, they must include buildings.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (extract of 25 October 2026), annual returns, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Accounts and annual returns
Register page (opens in a new tab)iPlain-English summaries of the Charity Commission's own definitions for the annual return. Figures are as the charity filed them.Reporting up to date
Every annual return and set of accounts arrived on time for 5 years.
| Year ending | Due by | Annual return | Accounts | Status | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | 31 January 2026 | 24 December 2025 | 24 December 2025 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | 23 December 2024 | 23 December 2024 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | 21 December 2023 | 21 December 2023 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2022 | 31 January 2023 | 21 December 2022 | 21 December 2022 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
| 31 March 2021 | 31 January 2022 | 14 December 2021 | 14 December 2021 | On time | On the register (opens in a new tab)Charity CommissionAccounts (opens in a new tab)Companies House, PDF |
Accounts filed at Companies House
Company 00255486 has made 40 accounts filings since 1986. Each links to the copy at Companies House where it has been published online.
| Made up to | Filed on | Type | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | 11 November 2025 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)34 pages |
| 31 March 2024 | 13 December 2024 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)34 pages |
| 31 March 2023 | 1 December 2023 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)34 pages |
| 31 March 2022 | 4 January 2023 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)33 pages |
| 31 March 2021 | 13 December 2021 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)34 pages |
| 31 March 2020 | 23 December 2020 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)33 pages |
| 31 March 2019 | 15 October 2019 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)34 pages |
| 31 March 2018 | 4 December 2018 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)30 pages |
| 31 March 2017 | 23 November 2017 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)35 pages |
| 31 March 2016 | 2 December 2016 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)30 pages |
| 31 March 2015 | 12 January 2016 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)49 pages |
| 31 March 2014 | 24 November 2014 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)49 pages |
| 31 March 2013 | 9 December 2013 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)51 pages |
| 31 March 2012 | 16 November 2012 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)57 pages |
| 31 March 2011 | 7 November 2011 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)51 pages |
| 31 March 2010 | 14 December 2010 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)35 pages |
| 31 March 2009 | 19 October 2009 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)32 pages |
| 31 March 2008 | 7 January 2009 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)27 pages |
| 31 March 2007 | 28 November 2007 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)24 pages |
| 31 March 2006 | 14 August 2006 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)18 pages |
| 31 March 2005 | 26 August 2005 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)14 pages |
| 31 March 2004 | 22 September 2004 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)14 pages |
| 31 March 2003 | 2 September 2003 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)14 pages |
| 31 March 2002 | 10 December 2002 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)14 pages |
| 31 March 2001 | 25 March 2002 | Group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)14 pages |
| 31 March 2000 | 30 August 2000 | Full group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)16 pages |
| 31 March 1999 | 20 September 1999 | Full group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)16 pages |
| 31 December 1997 | 28 September 1998 | Full group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)15 pages |
| 31 December 1996 | 25 July 1997 | Full group accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)15 pages |
| 31 December 1995 | 4 July 1996 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)26 pages |
| 31 December 1994 | 27 June 1995 | Full accounts | View PDF (opens in a new tab)26 pages |
| 31 December 1993 | 27 October 1994 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1992 | 15 September 1993 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1991 | 30 September 1992 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1990 | 4 September 1991 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1989 | 8 August 1990 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1988 | 13 September 1989 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1987 | 18 February 1989 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1986 | 10 August 1987 | Full accounts | Not online |
| 31 December 1985 | 2 September 1986 | Full accounts | Not online |
Definitions
- Annual return
- The yearly return a charity sends to the Charity Commission. It is due 10 months after the end of the financial year. Charities with income over £10,000, and every CIO, must send one.
- Accounts
- The accounts and trustees' annual report. Required from charities with income over £25,000 and from every CIO; otherwise shown as Not required.
- On time
- Received on or before the due date.
- Late
- Received after the due date. The number of days is counted from the due date.
- Overdue
- Not received, and the due date has passed. Counted to today, or to the date a removed charity left the register.
- Qualified accounts
- The auditor or examiner raised a reservation about the accounts.
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (annual return history), Open Government Licence v3.0. The register keeps the latest five years; earlier years come from older copies we hold. Accounts documents link to the Charity Commission register and to Companies House (filing history, Open Government Licence v3.0). Days late and overdue are worked out from the dates, as of 30 October 2026.
Grants
Funding received
9 grantsiFrom grants published by funders to 360Giving. Not every funder publishes, so this is not a complete record of a charity's income.Grants awarded 27 March 2014 to 13 October 2022.Total from published grants
£1.2m
£1,245,834
Grants
9
published to 360Giving
Funders
3
distinct funders
Latest grant
Oct 2022
13 October 2022
By year
iBy year the grant was awarded, in pounds.£10k2014
£171k2017
£210k2018
£168k2019
£171k2020
£171k2021
£343k2022
Funders
3 funders| Funder | Grants | Total | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport | 6 | £892,992 | 2017 to 2021 |
| Department for Culture, Media & Sport | 2 | £342,842 | 2022 |
| Paul Hamlyn Foundation | 1 | £10,000 | 2014 |
Grants
newest first| Date | Funder | Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 October 2022 | Department for Culture, Media & Sport | National Portfolio Organisations | £171,421 |
| 13 October 2022 | Department for Culture, Media & Sport | National Portfolio Organisations | £171,421 |
| 13 December 2021 | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport | National Portfolio Organisations | £171,421 |
| 1 April 2020 | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport | National Portfolio Organisation 2018-22 | £171,421 |
| 1 April 2019 | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport | National Portfolio Organisation 2018-22 | £168,324 |
| 1 April 2018 | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | National Portfolio Organisation 2018-22 | £168,324 |
| 1 April 2018 | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | National Portfolio Organisation 2018-22 | £42,081 |
| 9 June 2017 | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport | National Portfolio Organisations | £171,421 |
| 27 March 2014 | Paul Hamlyn Foundation | Contemporary Art Society National Programme of Artists' Talks | £10,000 |
Who published this data
Grant records are published by the funders named below to 360Giving, each under the open licence shown. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 where that licence is shown. Governance Register has reformatted the data, removed duplicate rows and matched recipients and funders to register records; it has not changed the amounts or dates published.
About
Purposes and governing document
Register page (opens in a new tab)Charitable objectsiAs filed with the Charity Commission. Clause breaks added for reading; the wording and capitals are unchanged.
OBJECTS
What it does
Who it helps
How it helps
- Where it operates
- Countries: Scotland, Northern Ireland
- Area of benefit
- NATIONAL
AND OVERSEAS as filed - Governing document
- MEMORANDUM
AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION ADOPTED 7 APRIL 1931 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS DATED 14 JUNE 1962,1 JULY 1981, 7 SEPTEMBER 1994 AND 24 NOVEMBER 2008 as filed - Register history
- 22 September 1962Registered
Policies the charity says it has
Governing documents at Companies House
- 4 December 2008Resolution
- 5 November 1998Resolution
- 21 September 1994Resolution
- 5 July 1962Resolution
- 7 April 1931Incorporation documents
Read them in the filing history at Companies House (opens in a new tab)
Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities (governing document, classification, area of operation, register history and policies), and Companies House filing history, Open Government Licence v3.0.
About
- Website
- www.contemporaryartsociety.org (opens in a new tab)
- Linked company
- The Contemporary Art Society
- Registered
- 1962