Ep.50 Mary Genis | Building a Thriving Arts Business: Culture Mix Arts

In this episode, Mary Genis, Artistic Director and founder of Culture Mix 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 Culture Mix 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.   Timecodes 00:00 Greeting 00:48 Introduction to Mary 01:33 The development of Culture Mix 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 Culture Mix 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 Culture Mix 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 Culture Mix 25:01 Mary's philosophy of life 28:51 Mary's final thoughts