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 our complex world.

Across the program, participants will engage in-person and online in mentoring, training, workshops, peer-to-peer coaching and conversations. They 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.

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 across the country.

Participants will focus their exploration of leadership practices through one of three leadership themes:

• Inspiring climate action
• Transforming how we work
• Creating shared value

The program prioritises wellbeing, access and cultural safety in creative environments. Together participants will exchange expertise, explore new perspectives, spark ideas and create lasting networks.

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

There is no program fee and a range of support available.

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.

Creative Australia is committed to increasing the diversity of leadership in our sector.

There are 35 places available in the 2024-25 program. At least 6 places are identified for First Nations artists and creative workers in the program, and at least 6 places are identified for d/Deaf and disabled artists and creative workers. This priority builds on the strong representation of culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTIQ+ and regional and remote based participants in our previous Leadership programs.

There are lots of different ways of talking about identity, and many different words that people used to describe their identity. If you would like to discuss whether you would be considered for one of the identified places, please contact us.

We also continue to strongly encourage applications from younger people, older people, as well as people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTIQ+, and people based in regional and remote Australia. We also acknowledge that identity is intersectional and encourage people at intersections of these identities to apply.

You can read more about how we assess applications under Assessment below.

We will work closely with you to understand your access needs and create an access plan for the program if required. This can include things like:

• Auslan interpretation
• captioning
• having a support person and/or carer attend the program with you, and
• travel and accommodation support for you and/or your support person or carer.

We can also provide support for childcare, cultural practices, internet access, financial and/or learning access needs.

If you are a parent or carer, we can discuss support to enable you to attend the program such as attending in-person events with your family or making arrangements for childcare.

We take a person-centred approach that strives to achieve an accessible, inclusive, culturally safe and trauma-informed environment for everyone.  

Please contact us if you would like to discuss the support available. Email Adelaide and Emerald from the Leadership Programs team via leadershipprogram@creative.gov.au or you can find a time to chat via our online booking portal.

If you need help to speak or listen use the National Relay Service.

$7,000 grant: to support your professional development and exploration of your chosen leadership theme. See Leadership Themes for more information.

Online program induction: runs for 3 hours, online, with screen breaks. Meet your fellow program participants and the Program Facilitator. Learn more about how to prepare for the program, what to expect and how to get the most from this opportunity.  

In person workshops  

• Leadership and Wellbeing Workshop: runs for 3 days, in-person in a regional location. Connect with your fellow participants, the facilitator and special guests. Spend time connecting to Country, share meals, learn about diverse leadership practices and creating shared wellbeing. Start to set your goals for the program.  
• Future Focused Workshop: runs for 4 days, in person in a regional location. Ahead of this workshop you will re-connect online with fellow participants to explore your chosen leadership theme. Then, meet in-person in three groups aligned with your leadership themes to develop shared solutions and approaches. Take your learnings back into your practice, professional context and networks. Reflect on your leadership journey. 

Online keynote conversations: 3 events, each 3 hours, online with frequent breaks. Learn from engaging and provocative speakers about key issues in leadership practice. Share your reflections and perspectives with your fellow participants.  

Online peer-to-peer coaching: 12 sessions, each 1.5 hours, across 2 blocks. Connect in small groups of 5 to 6, using the Creating Out Loud framework. Share and discuss personal and professional opportunities and challenges in leadership. Sessions will be facilitated by alumni of Creative Australia’s Leadership Programs.  

In-person leadership networking event: an optional in-person event held in a host city in your broad geographic region. A chance to broaden your networks with Leadership Program Alumni and hear from guest speakers.  

Please note that the exact times and dates for the weekly peer-to-peer coaching sessions and the Future Focused Workshop preparation sessions will be agreed between you and the other participants in your small group.

In this program we want to explore leadership as a practice dedicated to creating positive change.

We understand that leadership can be practiced in many different ways and can mean different things to different people. We are open to diverse ideas about what leadership is. We are particularly interested in leadership that can be collective, collaborative, facilitative and that distributes power.

When you practice leadership, you behave in line with your values. You draw on your resources, experience, knowledge and skills to act ethically and create change. Sometimes you do this on your own and sometimes with others. It might happen in different parts of your arts practice, with organisations you work in or with, or audiences and communities you are connected to. Your leadership practice might be quiet, not always visible from the outside, or you might be very vocal and public in your advocacy.

You may find the word ‘leadership’ challenging or uncomfortable. We acknowledge that for some people, this word has negative associations with control and feels lonely. We will explore this in the program and make space for other ways to describe and enact leadership practices.

The program will include opportunities for you to explore a broad range of issues and questions about leadership practices, as well as your specific areas of interest. We will also invite you to extend and focus your leadership practice by choosing and exploring one of three leadership themes.  

The three leadership themes to choose from are: 

• 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 we 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 we 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.

We will ask you to spend some of your $7,000 grant on learning connected to your chosen leadership theme. We can assist you with suggestions on training, conferences and mentoring opportunities connected with your chosen leadership theme.

In the 2 months before the Future Focused Workshop you will attend fortnightly, online exchange sessions with your peers and guest speakers on your chosen leadership theme. At the Future Focused Workshop (in September 2025) you will explore your chosen leadership theme with a smaller group of your peers (10-12 people) and develop ways to influence and co-create frameworks for action.

You should have a strong interest in and commitment to exploring the leadership theme you choose. You do not have to have experience creating or working on projects in this area. Select a leadership theme that you feel inspired by, where you want to influence change and future directions.

The leadership themes are broad and can include a very diverse range of ideas, challenges and opportunities for making change. In your application you will have an opportunity to tell us what aspect of the leadership theme is interesting to you.

Your choice of leadership theme will not affect how competitive your application is. However, we will aim to ensure that there are equal groups for each theme (approx. 10-12 people each).

There is no program fee.

We will ask you to arrange and pay for your own travel to and from the in-person workshops. This cost will vary depending on where you are travelling from. See Financial Support to find out about the support available for travel.

All other program expenses will be covered by Creative Australia. This includes accommodation, food, ground-transport to and from in-person workshop locations.

Support payment

We can offer support payments to assist artists and creative workers who are un-waged or under employed. This payment is designed to enable more equitable participation for those without a regular, reliable income including independent artists and creative workers.

The payment is $2,000 ex GST and will be paid in two equal instalments at the start of the program (June 2024) and in the middle of the program (March 2025). If you need this payment in different instalments so it does not affect other payments or benefits you receive, we can discuss this with you. 

We ask you to request this support payment in your application. Requesting this support payment will not affect how competitive your application is.

Support with travel costs

If you face barriers to covering the full cost associated with travel to attend the in-person program activities we can provide support. This can include if you are un-waged, under employed or low income.

We will ask you to tell us if you think you will need support for travel costs in your application. Requesting support for travel costs will not affect how competitive your application is.

If you are accepted into the program, we will work with you to determine the support you need.

Applications will be reviewed by Creative Australia staff and industry advisors. The assessment will include review by First Nations and d/Deaf or disabled industry advisors. Your application will be assessed based on how well it addresses the selection criteria below, and in line with Creative Australia’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The selection criteria are:

1. Timeliness and relevance of the program to the applicant’s leadership development.
2. Motivated and respectful approach to personal and collaborative learning.
3. Commitment to creating positive change in the Australian arts and culture sector.

In the application form we ask you some questions to help you respond to these criteria. You should also make sure what you write in your application responds to these criteria.

At least 6 places are identified for First Nations artists and creative workers in the program, and at least 6 places are identified for d/Deaf and disabled artists and creative workers. We will also prioritise applications from individuals who have not yet participated in a Creative Australia (or Australia Council) leadership program.

We also continue to strongly encourage applications from younger people, older people, as well as people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse people, LGBTQIA+, and people based in regional and remote Australia. We also acknowledge that identity is intersectional and encourage people at intersections of these identifies to apply. 

In our selection process we will also ensure that there is equitable representation of: 

• people based in metro, regional and remote areas
• people at different career stages
• people working in different artforms. 

The total intake for the 2024-25 program will be 35 individuals.