We recently spoke to the new chair of CFG's Arts and Museums Special Interest Group (ARTSIG), Margaret Anderson, Chief Finance Officer at Inspire. Margaret shared her journey from music student to CFO, her passion for the arts sector, and her vision for building ARTSIG into a thriving community where finance professionals can share knowledge, tackle sector-specific challenges, and support one another.
Hi Margaret, please can you tell us a bit about yourself and your current role?
I work as the Chief Finance Officer for Culture, Learning and Libraries (Midlands), trading as Inspire. Inspire delivers a range of cultural and learning services across Nottinghamshire including the Public Library Service, Adult Learning, Young People’s College, Archives and Heritage, Records Management, Education Library Service to schools, Arts and Cultural programmes (Arts Council funded) and Instrumental Music Teaching in schools. We are the Music Hub Lead Organisation for the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Music Hub and have a thriving Youth Arts service.
The quality and breadth of what we do, and the impact this has on the lives of those living in and around Nottinghamshire, is truly staggering, and this is what really drew me to wanting to work for Inspire. I’ve been here for just over 9 years and have been CFO for the last 4 of those. It's my job to make sure the figures stack up – that we spend our funds in the best possible way and that we are financially sustainable. I oversee everything finance related, and also have responsibility for payroll, recruitment and IT.
I love working in finance partly because I enjoy working with and interpreting numbers, and partly because of the stories that those numbers tell - I get an amazing view across the organisation of all the wonderful and inspirational work Inspire does and the people we reach.
Being CFO at Inspire is never straightforward, there’s never a quiet day, and I often feel like I’m chasing my tail(!), but it is for me the most wonderful job. I can honestly say there is never a dull moment, I constantly feel stimulated, and I work with truly inspirational people. I love feeling at the heart of the organisation and I am hugely passionate about both my role and the work Inspire does, which in turn makes my work a real joy and feel like more of a vocation than a job.
What drew you to working in the arts and museums sector?
The arts have always been my thing! Growing up, music was my passion and I went on to study music at university, with cello as my first study. I love that no matter what language you speak, music is universal. And the same is true for so many other artforms. As a new graduate I landed a job with a couple of professional music ensembles, initially working in their Learning and Participation teams to help administer and deliver composition and singing workshops. Very early on in this career path, I became interested in how much things cost and in scoping projects on a shoestring! A Board member at the time saw this curiosity and asked me if I’d ever considered becoming an accountant. I hadn’t! But he sparked a newfound interest. I knew I wanted to stay within the arts and the charitable sector (for me, the mission, vision and values of the organisation I work for are paramount), but could I train to be an accountant at the same time? It turned out I could, and I’ve never looked back. I love the fact that I can combine my passion for the arts and communities with my passion for working at the heart of the organisation within finance.
How long have you been a CFG member, and what has membership meant for you and your organisation?
I’ve been a CFG member for about the last 3 years. For me personally, I think the peer networks are invaluable. Knowing that you’re not alone and being able to bounce ideas off others in similar roles is fantastic. I took the Inspiring Financial Leadership course back in 2023/24, which really helped shape my leadership journey. I also took part in the peer mentoring programme, and now have regular meetings with my peer mentor, which are another wonderful opportunity to bounce ideas around and feel supported.
As an organisation, we have really benefitted from the CFG helplines and the many online sessions run by CFG, particularly the yearly roundups and technical updates.
When did you first get involved with ARTSIG, and what motivated you to join the group and then take on the role as chair?
I joined the group about the same time as becoming a CFG member, but it has been a relatively quiet group until now. I was keen to learn from those in the sector experiencing similar challenges to me, and hopefully to be able to contribute to the group with my own experiences.
I’m keen to see the group thrive and if I can do my little bit to try to enable that to happen, then I’m up for the challenge! Providing an opportunity for people to share knowledge and experiences, feel comfortable to ask questions and feel supported will hopefully be a real benefit to all members of the group.
For those who might not be familiar with ARTSIG, could you explain what the group aims to achieve and how it supports finance professionals in arts and museums charities?
Establishing a group centred on the arts and museum sector will give dedicated space to discuss the challenges we all navigate as a sector, whether that be Arts Council requirements/compliance, ticketing, gift aid, membership, tax, funding, reporting...the list goes on!
We’re in the early stages of development of the group, so we're only just getting going, but I hope for the group to become a safe, supportive space to share ideas, seek support and to enhance our knowledge. At our last meeting (the first one I chaired), we discussed ideas for future sessions, including reviewing management and board reporting, AI, and VAT. We also discussed pay for staff who work at weekends, and the recruitment of people into the finance team. Funding always seems to be a key challenge in the arts and museum sector, so I suspect discussions may ensue around this in the future too.
What are your priorities as Chair, and what can members expect from ARTSIG over the coming year? Are there any particular topics, events, or initiatives you're planning that members should look out for?
As the group is still in it’s infancy, there aren’t any specific sessions booked in as yet, but watch this space! I’d love to create a group where we can all openly share ideas and serve as a safe sounding board for each other - a safe space to float ideas, whilst also enhancing knowledge through a programme of guest speaker sessions throughout the year.
What would you say to CFG members who are considering getting involved with ARTSIG and how can interested members find out more or get in touch about joining?
Please do get in touch with either me or CFG’s Membership Engagement Officer Holly Lown and we can share dates for future meetings. I’m more than happy to have a call with anyone who’s interested and do get in touch if you have ideas about future meetings too.
Whether you're navigating Arts Council compliance, tackling VAT challenges, or simply looking for a supportive peer network, ARTSIG offers a valuable space to connect with fellow finance professionals in the arts and museums sector. To get involved with ARTSIG or to find out more about upcoming meetings and initiatives, CFG members can contact Margaret directly at margaret.anderson@inspireculture.org.uk or reach out to CFG's Membership Engagement Officer, Holly Lown at holly.lown@cfg.org.uk