How we think about the work
Careful work, done with genuine respect for what you do.
The beliefs behind how Encoras approaches accounting for performing arts — why specificity matters, and why we choose to work the way we do.
Back to homeOur foundation
A simple conviction: the books should reflect the reality of the work.
Performing arts income doesn't arrive in tidy monthly instalments. It comes in clusters — a run of shows here, a royalty statement there, a co-production payment that's been expected for three months. The financial life of a touring artist is irregular by nature, and accounting that doesn't account for that irregularity isn't really accounting for you at all.
That's the foundation of how Encoras works. We believe records should be built around the specific shape of your work, not forced into a template designed for a different kind of business.
Philosophy
Financial clarity is a form of creative freedom.
When artists don't know where they stand financially, they make decisions from a position of anxiety rather than choice. They accept work they might otherwise decline, or turn down opportunities because the numbers feel uncertain. Clear, well-kept accounts remove that particular weight.
We think of good bookkeeping not as a compliance exercise but as something that genuinely supports the work — a steady foundation that lets you plan with some confidence and negotiate from a position of understanding.
Vision
Performing arts finance that doesn't require a separate translator.
Too often, creative professionals are handed accounts that are technically correct but practically incomprehensible. The figures are there, but the story they tell isn't legible without specialist knowledge.
We want Encoras's work to be the opposite of that: records and reports that you can read, understand, and use — without needing to interpret them through a professional intermediary every time.
What we hold to be true
Core beliefs that shape every piece of work we do.
Specificity is more valuable than speed
Rushing through accounts to close a period quickly costs more than it saves. Records that are vague or miscategorised create problems downstream — at year-end, during planning, or when a venue disputes a settlement figure. We take the time to do it properly.
Plain language is not a compromise
Accounting can be explained clearly without being dumbed down. We think professionals in any field deserve to understand the documents that describe their financial life. Using plain language in our reports isn't a concession — it's the point.
Context is part of the record
A number without context is only half of a record. We believe that knowing which show, which venue, which tour leg — and what the costs and splits were — is as important as the figure itself. That context is what makes records genuinely useful.
Clients should never feel like a burden
Questions about your own accounts are legitimate. You shouldn't need to apologise for asking them, or feel like you're taking up time that isn't yours. We work with a small enough group of clients that every conversation gets proper attention.
From belief to action
What these principles look like when the work is actually happening.
Settlement sheets processed as they arrive
Rather than batching records at the end of a tour, we work with documents as you send them. This keeps the books current and means discrepancies are spotted while the tour is still fresh.
Royalty statements reconciled by source
Each royalty stream is tracked separately — by platform, publisher, or rights organisation — so you can see what each source contributes, not just a single aggregate figure.
Year-end review given dedicated time
We don't send accounts and move on. There's a proper conversation about what the year looked like, what changed, and what's worth noting going forward. It takes as long as it takes.
The human side
Every set of accounts belongs to an actual person with an actual career.
It's easy for accounting to become purely mechanical — a processing of documents and production of reports, disconnected from the person those reports describe. We don't think that's good enough.
A touring performer managing their own income across a dozen venues in a single year is doing something genuinely difficult. The financial complexity is real, and it deserves to be treated as such — with patience, attention to detail, and a recognition that the person on the other end has other things to think about.
We try to remember that the figures we work with represent someone's livelihood, and carry that through in the care we bring to the work.
How we evolve
We improve by paying attention, not by adopting trends.
The performing arts industry changes — streaming platforms restructure royalty arrangements, touring contracts introduce new cost-sharing models, productions become more international in scope. We keep up with these shifts not by chasing every new tool or methodology, but by staying attentive to what clients actually encounter.
When a new pattern appears in settlement structures or income reporting, we adjust our approach to reflect it. Gradual, considered improvement rather than periodic reinvention.
In practice, this means
- We review how each tour's bookkeeping went and note what could have been clearer
- We update our settlement templates when industry formats shift
- We carry knowledge from one client's situation forward where it's relevant to others
- We don't add complexity for its own sake — if something simple works, we keep it simple
How we operate
Honesty is not a policy. It's just how the work gets done.
Clear scope before we begin
We discuss what the work will involve and what it will cost before anything starts. No ambiguity about scope, no surprises in the invoice.
We flag things we notice
If something in your records looks inconsistent or raises a question, we mention it. We'd rather ask an awkward question early than let a discrepancy become a problem later.
We say when something is outside our scope
If a question requires advice beyond bookkeeping, we'll say so and point you toward the right kind of professional rather than answer beyond our remit.
Working together
Good accounts are built on what you know, as well as what we do.
You understand your work better than we ever will. You know which shows overperformed, which venue deals were unusual, which royalty agreements have specific conditions attached. That knowledge is part of what makes your records accurate.
We try to make the working relationship one where that knowledge flows naturally — where you don't feel like you're providing raw material for someone else to process, but rather collaborating on a shared picture of your financial year.
That might mean a quick note in an email alongside a settlement sheet, or a brief call before a tour to talk through the deal structure. Small things that make the records more accurate and the relationship more useful.
The longer view
Records that build into something useful over time.
A single year of well-kept accounts is valuable. Two or three years of consistent, comparable records start to tell a story — about how your touring income has shifted, which income streams are growing, how costs have changed relative to fees.
We think about the work we do for a client not just as this year's books, but as a contribution to a running record that will be genuinely useful as their career develops. That perspective changes how we approach even routine tasks.
Year one
Foundation: clear, accurate records for the first full year. Patterns begin to emerge.
Year two
Comparison: how did this year's income compare to last? What changed, and why?
Year three and beyond
A body of history that supports planning, negotiation, and financial decision-making with confidence.
What it means in practice
Our philosophy, translated into what you can expect.
None of this is abstract. These beliefs show up in specific, concrete ways in how the work gets done.
Expect
Records you can actually read
Settlement summaries and income statements written in plain terms, without accounting shorthand.
Expect
Questions answered properly
When you ask about a figure in your accounts, you'll get a real answer — not a referral to a document you've already read.
Expect
Consistent, unhurried attention
We take on a manageable number of clients so that the work each person receives isn't squeezed around a dozen others.
Expect
Honesty about what we do and don't do
We're clear about the scope of our work and direct when a question falls outside it.
Expect
Work that fits your schedule
We know you travel. Deadlines and communication are arranged around the touring calendar, not against it.
Expect
Records that carry forward usefully
What we record this year is structured to be comparable with next year — building a history that becomes more useful as it grows.
If this resonates
We'd be glad to have a conversation about your situation.
There's no obligation in reaching out. If our approach sounds like the right fit for your work, let's talk through it at a pace that suits you.
Get in touch