Ep.50 Building a Thriving Arts Business: CultureMix Arts
With Mary Genis
Episode Description:
In this episode, Mary Genis, Artistic Director and founder of CultureMix Arts, discusses her journey into music and how her career has evolved. Mary highlights the importance of music accessibility and the benefits of steel pans as an orchestral instrument. She also explains how her experience working for Reading Borough Council and Arts Council England provided essential skills in project management, budget management, and understanding funding structures.
Amongst other things, we explore Mary’s approach to running a not-for-profit organisation, which emphasises using funding to launch projects rather than for sustained income, and the importance of being organised and having strong financial systems. We touch upon how developing skills through various roles led to unexpected professional opportunities and enabled the growth of CultureMix Arts. Mary also shares her experiences of creating employment opportunities and developing staff from within the organisation, reinforcing the idea that fostering talent can lead to significant company success.
Finally, Mary reveals her philosophy of life, which prioritises fulfilment over material success and encourages self-belief, sharing ambitions, and continuous personal growth.
CultureMix Arts website: culturemixarts.co.uk/
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Listen to the episode
Episode Time Codes
00:00 Greeting
00:48 Introduction to Mary
01:33 The development of CultureMix Arts
02:41 How Mary developed the skills that she needed to run her business | Mary’s role at Reading Borough Council
05:10 Mary’s role at Arts Council England Arts
06:49 CultureMix Arts is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (ACE NPO). We discuss what this means.
08:37 The challenges of applying for funding
09:56 Tips for businesses looking to obtain funding
13:00 Why Mary decided to set up CultureMix Arts as a company
14:21 A focus on two of Mary’s team who came to her as teenagers
17:45 How Mary makes Steel pans accessible to a wider audience
21:12 One of the main battles in engaging people
21:57 The challenges that Mary has faced in implementing her vision for CultureMix
25:01 Mary’s philosophy of life
28:51 Mary’s final thoughts
Videos
How to Make Something Accessible
How to Develop Business Skills
Tips on Applying for Funding
Life Lessons from Mary
Key takeaways
Strategic Skill Development Through Diverse Roles: Mary intentionally used various job roles, such as Arts Development Officer at Reading Borough Council and Arts Council England, to acquire crucial business skills like project management, budget management, and understanding funding structures before fully launching her company.
Funding as a Launchpad, Not a Crutch: Mary emphasises that external funding should be viewed as a means to start a project and enable growth towards independence, rather than a continuous income stream.
Invest in Talent and Foster Internal Growth: CultureMix Arts’ success is significantly attributed to Mary’s investment in and development of her employees. This illustrates that nurturing internal talent and providing growth opportunities can lead to dedicated, highly skilled team members who are integral to the long-term success and shared vision of the business.
Episode references
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