Dame Suzi Leather (the chair of the Charity Commission) has confirmed that four arts organisations are being assessed by the Charity Commission to see if they fulfil the new Public Benefit tests. They are:

• Royal Opera House
• Young Concert Artists Trust
• Castle Players, Durham
• Gwent Ballet Theatre (known as Independent Ballet Wales).

Each is described as a “fee-charging arts charity”. They will need to persuade the Charity Commission that the public benefits from the charity’s work. If some of the charity’s current work is not covered by the charity’s stated aims, then that work will be discounted (since that work is outside of the scope of the organisation’s governing documents). The charities will also need to be able to show that any member of the public who is eligible to benefit from the charity’s work, has the opportunity to benefit. This primarily relates to the price charged for the Charity’s services.

The Charity Commission’s findings are expected to be published in the summer.