An interview with Chief Executive, Rebecca Boyle (Buzz) by Kay Pringle
Artis exudes a spirit and a passion that makes the company stand out from other performing arts education providers. How would you describe the Artis philosophy?
Our way of working always combines music, movement and drama. We feel children learn best in a way that’s all-embracing, when themes and subjects link to physical, artistic experiences. Ideally we like to develop a long-term partnership with a school because this allows us to work with children over time, developing their skills through regular contact. We begin our core service in primary schools because we believe imaginations are more open to development at a younger age, and we can nurture creative thinking that will last a lifetime.
But let me explain that in a more inspirational way! We take that big ball of a curriculum and leap from behind the desks and away from classrooms, juggling, bouncing, and spinning it into a whole new learning space. Yet we do it with coordination, pace and timing, listening and singing to one another as we go. We take the passion, imagination and discipline that every performing artist needs to be successful, and we communicate those skills to pupils. Our job is also to transform creativity into knowledge, and to teach knowledge creatively. We want children to learn by experience, discovering their own potential. We don’t have wrong answers, only new ideas; we don’t do competition, instead we unlock the talent and gift of individuality that turns remarkable children into remarkable adults.
People comment on the quality of Artis Specialists. What’s the secret?
Our expectations are high, but so is the support we offer. We invest up to £2,000 a year in training and developing each Artis Specialist, and our mentoring scheme ensures we have a network of more experienced practitioners to observe, guide and counsel their colleagues. At the moment we have 17 Mentors and 4 Mentor Leaders. So while all our Artis Specialists are freelancers, there is a career path they can follow if it’s right for them. We now also offer a Postgraduate Diploma qualification. Royal Northern College of Music accredits the course and it forms an extension of our standard training. Artis Specialists opting to take this qualification either make a financial contribution, or we have a scheme where they can offset days worked for us against course costs.
Has Artis ever turned down a school?
Never. Of course there are schools with challenges, and some are more demanding than others. Yet it’s not a simple case of saying ‘this school is in an urban location, therefore it’s hard work’. There are beautiful, inspiring schools everywhere, and children that are hard to reach in prosperous areas as well as economically disadvantaged ones. I think the headteacher and his or her staff sets the school’s culture. We aim to fit in to every school and be part of the team. It’s always easier when there is an ethos that embraces and places importance on creative learning.
Artis has an inclusive policy. We teach all children. This includes pupils with special needs in mainstream schools as well as schools dedicated to special needs. We work with faith schools and those serving the needs of cultural groups, for example, traveller children.
Tell us about the first school where Artis worked
That was Moulsham Infant School in Chelmsford – and I’m pleased to say they’re still with us. This is when our story began in 2004. It was an extraordinary feeling to get that first engagement. We had a clear idea of what we wanted to do, and had talked about our approach, and then here was an opportunity to make it happen! Soon we had a group of 10 schools buying our services, and by the end of 2004, we’d signed up 36. Of course it took a huge amount of hard work – writing letters, making visits and doing presentations, but word started to get around.
Today we work with 125 schools, reaching over 25,000 children weekly.
And who was the first Artis Specialist?
That honour goes to Claire Smith (Pow) – and she’s still with us too!
In fact we now have more than 100 Artis Specialists, and each one has their own unique style as a professional performer. Whatever discipline they come from in the performing arts, we expect every Specialist to combine music, drama and movement in their work. We also demand a thorough understanding of the working life of a school and how to plan lessons that combine curriculum themes. In this way Artis becomes an integral part of school life.
Are you surprised by Artis’ progress so far?
Setting up a business is like taking a ride in a theme park. It’s exhilarating, fun, fast-paced and a little bit scary. And of course there are always some unexpected moments!
I’m pleased we’re working towards the vision of a social business we had when we set out – to give every child we meet a creative learning experience that links to their curriculum. I feel privileged to be doing this, and perhaps a little astonished. I never thought of myself as a person that might set up a business. I’d say that I’m more of an accidental entrepreneur. There’s an intrinsic satisfaction that makes me feel I couldn’t do any other job. My work is enjoyable, creative, and it has a purpose. I’m hugely pleased with where we are now. We’ve progressed quickly yet always keeping our integrity and sense of purpose.
What is the future for Artis? Where would you like the company to be in ten years?
I’d like our company to be in 1,000 schools across the UK, and maybe even further afield. Every country has children, and every country has professional performers. Providing there is a genuine commitment and belief among education policymakers about the power of creativity and its links to learning, I feel we have an approach and a product that can cross languages and cultures.
While building the business is important to our future success, so too is preserving the quality of our services, which is a central part of Artis’ reputation. So any growth will happen carefully.
Who gives you your inspiration?
Artis is fortunate to have strong support from our patrons David Puttnam and Michael Bichard, advisers Evelyn Glennie and Nitin Sawhney and directors. They all give wise counsel and professional judgement that helps shape our business development.
We’re also lucky to have such a great team of Artis Specialists dedicated to giving their best to every young person they work with. They live the Every Child Matters philosophy. Backing them up we have a great management team who are truly enthusiastic about Artis and keep us all on our toes.
My greatest inspiration comes from the children we work with every week. They constantly reinforce how great the power of creativity can be to our development. I often think about Picasso saying that every child is an artist. The challenge is how to remain an artist once we grow up, and staying connected to the creative part of human nature that is in each of us. So often it becomes buried under the weight of what we consider to be the more pressing or important parts of adult life. Everyone connected with Artis has a real commitment to nurturing the instinctive creativity of children, a gift that can endure to adulthood.