In this week’s instalment of Meet the Team, we are excited to feature Phoebe, Finance Coordinator at Artis.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in the arts?

My background is in dance, I went on to study contemporary dance in England and have eventually ended up living in Ireland with a PhD in Arts Practice. My passion is to create choreography using complex mathematics and I feel strongly for the value of the arts in education.

What initially drew you to Artis, and how did you become a part of this organisation?

I am very passionate about the benefits for using art to teach at primary school age and how we can shift ideas for ways of learning. Artis puts this idea in practice. The team forever inspire me with the work they deliver in schools.

My personal research is in dance and maths so naturally I combined my two loves and became the part-time finance coordinator for Artis whilst continuing to dance elsewhere!

What does a normal work day look like for you?

For my one day at Artis a week, my day typically involves spending a lot of time on the software Xero, answering and chasing school payment queries, paying specialists, handling donations and legal contracts whilst also keeping on top of my admin.

What do you love most about your job at Artis?

The people. The team at Artis is so strong and I love working alongside every one of them.

If you had to choose an onomatopoeic name to represent your artistic style or personality, what would it be and why?

Well, my Artis name is Ping because my brain works fast and impulsively. Ping is for the little moments of joy and upbeat personality that (I hope) I have.

Looking towards the future, what are you looking forward to?

I am looking forward to seeing Artis grow more with the new online hub. Seeing the online delivery reignited my passion for Artis and the work they do. It is so important that this work is accessible to areas where we do not have specialists and I look forward to seeing the impact it can have. My role at Artis shifted over the years as donations and funding became more prevalent. I am excited for the challenge of how we manage the financial side of the charity as we continue to grow.