Open call for Creative Leadership Program – Australia

The Creative Leadership Program is a new 18 month professional development program supporting artists and creative workers with at least five years experience from any career stage. This program brings diverse forms of arts and cultural leadership together to create transformative change in the complex world.

Across the program, you will engage in-person and online in mentoring, training, workshops, peer-to-peer coaching and conversations. You will spend time on Country learning from First Nations Elders, connect with artists, be guided by experienced facilitators and hear from speakers working across and beyond arts and cultural work.

With a diverse group of participants from across different art forms and career stages you will be part of a program that prioritises wellbeing, access and cultural safety in creative environments. Together you will exchange expertise, explore new perspectives, spark ideas and create lasting networks.

Creative Australia is committed to increasing the diversity of leadership in the sector and will prioritise applications from First Nations people and people who are d/Deaf or disabled in the 2024–25 program.

Themes

You will focus your exploration of leadership practices through one of three leadership themes:

• Inspiring climate action: Explore and critique the systems creating the climate crisis. Engage with climate justice and strategies for sustainability. Collaborate to create actions that respond to the complexity of the climate crisis for the arts and culture sector.
• Transforming how they work: Imagine new ways of working together in arts and culture. Consider collective and distributed leadership as models of systems change. Explore business model innovation and how they are responding to digital transformation and disruption.
• Creating shared value: Investigate powerful ways to advocate for the value of arts and culture. Craft compelling pitches for the role arts and culture plays in sustainable economies and healthy equitable communities.

Benefits

The program includes:

• $7,000 grant for self-directed professional development
• 2 in-person multi-day workshops in a regional location
• 12 online peer-to-peer coaching sessions
• 3 online keynote conversations
• optional attendance at a networking event in your region

Who are they looking for?

• This program is for artists and creative workers practicing leadership who:
  • are open to diverse approaches to leadership
  • are ready to explore key opportunities and challenges facing the arts and cultural sector
  • are able to commit to self-directed and collaborative learning, reflection and problem solving with a diverse group of peers
  • can actively take shared responsibility to co-create an environment of anti-racism, inclusion and cultural safety
  • aspire to develop their skills, knowledge and capability to make change.
• You might be ready for this program if you meet the eligibility criteria and:
  • you are in the early stages of your leadership practices – you don’t need to be an expert, they’re interested in your strengths, aspirations and commitment
  • you have lots of leadership experience but are looking to extend your practice, address complex challenges and cultivate new networks
  • you are living and working across Australia in regional or remote locations – they value the expertise and experiences of artists and creative workers living outside metropolitan areas.

Eligibility Criteria

• This opportunity is only open to:
  • individuals
  • Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents
  • practising artists or creative workers with a minimum of 5 years experience in the arts and cultural sector
  • applicants primarily working in First Nations Arts and Culture, Community Arts and Cultural Development, Emerging and Experimental Arts, Multi-Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts and Literature and the intersections of these artforms.
• You cannot apply if:
  • you received a grant from Creative Australia in the past and that grant has not been satisfactorily acquitted
  • you owe money to Creative Australia
  • you are a group or an organisation
  • you work primarily in film, fashion, graphic design, screen, gaming or architecture sectors
  • you are under 18
  • you participated in the Future Leaders or Arts Leaders programs that took place in or after 2019.
  • You can only submit one application.

For more information, visit Creative Australia.