Final minutes of the Autscape Board meeting 26th April 2025
Chair: Kacey
Present: Elaine, Heta, James, Kacey, Martijn, Richard, Sam (late), Trish
Observers: None
Meeting Opened 16:15
1. Approvals
1.1. Approval of the minutes of the March 2025 meeting as posted to the list on 18th April 2025
Motion passed, 7 votes for
2. Ratifications
2.1. Ratification of the decision taken on list on 2nd April 2025. The treasurer proposed that we accept the reduced quote of £500 from Jim Dodds for the Independent Examination of our 23-24 statutory accounts. (8 For)
Motion passed, 7 votes for
Sam joined the meeting
3. Proposals
3.1. The Event manager proposed that the board approve the following proposals to present at Autscape 2025:
Lost in Space by Laurentius Rex
Evolution of Autscape by Leneh Buckle
Multi-Modal communication spaces by Kim Mears
Inner Autistic Space - Making Room for Feeling by Zuzanna Makowska
A Little Piece Of Autistic Space: an Art Workshop & (Optional) Postcard Swap by Laura Buckland Mason
Beyond the badges - preventing marginalization in autistic space by Heta Pukki
How Language and Culture Influence Autistic Spaces in Europe by Silke Rudolph
Building Autistic Space in and through Trade Unions by Janine Booth
Building Autistic-First Spaces Through Podcasting by Angela Kingdon from The Autistic Culture Podcast
A World of Senses by Marek Stankiewicz
Creating space with Qigong by Ruth Yates
The relationship between double empathy and mentalising by Caroline Hearst
Reserves:
(three reserve proposals redacted)
Motion passed, 8 votes for
4. Follow ups
None
5. Role reports
5.1. Chair
Nothing to report
5.2. Company Secretary
The Company Secretary reported that they are am now starting on the annual report and I would appreciate some help to do the backtracking research. It would mean noting all the proposals in the time period so it means going back through a year of minutes.
The Chair also pointed out that the Charity commission website showed our report filing as being late. If this was due to their issue, this needs correcting. The Company secretary said they would contact the Charity commission. We had not been able to file due to the Charity commission having technical problems with the filing system and we had been assured that our reporting date would be taken from when we reported not being able to file.
5.3. Treasurer
The Treasurer reported that he is preparing the accounts as it needs to be ready by 31st May as part of the agreement with the Independent Examiner for paying a reduced fee. He is on track with this.
5.4. Tech coordinator
Nothing to report
5.5. Fundraising coordinator
The Fundraising coordinator reported that they have had a meeting and have another one planned. She sent an email to the board list with further information. She would like to send out something to attendees so we can get feedback on why autscape is important.
Martijn reported that he and Heta made a grant application to the Guerilla Foundation, but it was unsuccessful.
Kacey reported that the Three Guineas Trust sound provisionally interested and wanted to meet, but haven't yet agreed a time
Trish also suggested that somebody could take over as Fundraising Coordinator but she was asked to continue until an alternative can be found.
5.6. Event manager 2025
Elaine reported that we are making progress with organising and hopefully after this meeting the presentations can go out which will help with sorting out the programme and assigning volunteers.
Numbers booked are currently low but we have only recently advertised and some people wait for the programme before deciding whether to book or not. She has been monitoring bookings and a lot of our regulars are yet to book and our presenters and bursary people will add to the numbers. She was still confident we will get the required numbers. However, the deadline is earlier than normal so we might have to push that so people who leave things late do not miss out. We have a bit of leeway but we will wait before we have to use it. We can also extend the deadline for bursaries which I will sort out with James after this meeting.
She also explained that the management committee have decided not to have an online element this year. This is for a few reasons. First of all it has proved troublesome to run at the same time as the live event for the past few years we have tried it. Secondly it needs better tech and more manpower to do this well and we can’t afford one and don’t have the other. Also, due to the Feb event being popular and an extension of the last Autscape we felt it better to record our presentations and feature them at a dedicated online event again which we can put more manpower in and maybe get some surplus revenue. So we will have an online version but one people can look forward to. The presentations will still be recorded and (eventually) published, the ones that agree to recording. They will be featured at the online only event as well, however that's subject to equipment being in working order.
6. AOB
6.1. Martijn stated that we ask people to apply for a bursary before registering so the bursary application deadline should be extended. If we keep it at 6th May people will have no significant time to consider the programme before deciding to apply.
Elaine said that we will extend the deadline, she will look at the calendar and decide what it should be. Martijn requested the info ASAP for updating the form and the website.
6.2 Martijn stated that in his opinion the registration deadline itself must urgently be extended. 31st May is not enough time to get enough people.
Elaine said the deadline can be changed if need be nearer the time. Kacey said that we have to pay for 247 places regardless.
Elaine left the meeting
6.3 Heta reported that the EUCAP project AIRA has presented at Autscape on two years in a row, in the participant-led programme she thinks. It's the one project we have where funding can be used on activities happening in the UK. She can push for them to have a conference stand if we can rent a table for that purpose. The price should be higher than the usual table rent. She asked who would negotiate with the project manager about details?
There is also a Dutch businessman, Bas Vertoom, who has contacted the AIRA project and wants to connect. He was very interested when Heta mentioned autistic-led conferences.
James said the management team can discuss that and Heta pointed out that collaboration with projects and businesses brings in new elements that can be kind of part of fundraising, part of event organising.
James left the meeting
6.4 Kacey said she had a friend who wants to recruit participants for a Masters project. She will post this to the community list
Meeting closed: 18:09