In our next instalment of Meet the Team, we are excited to feature Nicola (Wizzle), Performance and Learning Manager at Artis.

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

Hi there! I am a freelance contemporary dance artist and creative facilitator based in London. I fell in love with dance at an early age, it was the one thing that made me feel free and utterly myself. I moved to London to train at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and have been working in the field of performance and teaching ever since.

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

I joined Artis as a creative specialist, delivering in schools three days a week. It was initially the ethos of the organisation that I was inspired by, the commitment to infusing children’s education with creativity and magic. But as soon as I joined Artis world class training and learned about the mentoring scheme, I knew I was in for a treat! As a freelancer, teaching can be very isolating, working with Artis was the complete opposite, I was immediately immersed in support and surrounded by the most caring and inspiring team. I soon had the opportunity to become part of the mentoring team myself and worked up to Mentor Leader, allowing more input into the training and supporting of specialists.

I still deliver in a partner school for Artis, a role that I very much enjoy, but now my other hat is as Performance and Learning Manager, together with my wonderful friend and colleague Caroline (Toot). This role has embedded me further in the organisation which I’m absolutely thrilled about, I love being part of the Artis Management Team (AMT)!

What does a normal workday look like for you?

As Toot and I share the role and each work part time, our duties are very much entwined. The role primarily covers specialist and school care, training and recruitment. With such a variety of duties, there really isn’t a typical day in the life of Wizzle, I might start the day with some updates from mentors about specialists, complete a reference for a specialist, plan the next mentor meeting then get on with structuring the next Continued Professioanl Development (CPD) training.

What do you love most about your job at Artis?

One of my favourite things to do is visit specialists in schools. It’s so wonderful to witness first hand the captivating engagement of the children and see them come to life with creativity. I also hugely appreciate the opportunity to support specialists with training and mentoring, I know from my own experience how valuable this support is.

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

I’m incredibly excited about the future of the charity, the rebrand has been wonderful in fortifying our vision and I am very much looking forward to watching Artis online unfold and seeing how it will support our desire to reach every child, everywhere.