Inaugural recipient and NIDA Master of Fine Arts (Cultural Leadership) student Mel George has been on a journey for the past year to unleash and develop her unique craft as a glass-artist and curator.
NIDA is encouraging Indigenous arts practitioners to apply for the 2018 Luminis Foundation Indigenous Fellowship for Cultural Leadership. The application deadline has been extended to 29 October 2017 to ensure all potential applicants have the chance to apply.
Inaugural recipient and NIDA Master of Fine Arts (Cultural Leadership) student Mel George has been on a journey for the past year to unleash and develop her skills as a curator.
‘I have been in the role of Cultural Facilitator at Bula’bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation, located in Ramingining, Northern Territory. I work for, with and alongside Yolngu helping to foster and preserve their culture through artworks,’ commented George.
Mel’s focus has been on amplifying the ‘visibility of artistic excellence that exists in the most remote and inaccessible areas of our country.’
Support for her practice has come in the form of the Luminis Foundation Indigenous Fellowship, for NIDA’s Master of Fine Arts (Cultural Leadership) course. ‘Participating in this course has helped me to develop my knowledge and enabled me to better contribute to one of Australia’s most important challenges of having our culture valued. I feel privileged to have been chosen as the inaugural recipient,’ she said.
‘The fellowship has helped build my confidence and the coursework is giving me a broader perspective of Australian culture and how I can help to contribute to its longevity, sustainability and visibility,’ added George.
NIDA’s landmark MFA (Cultural Leadership) course is available to professionals from a broad range of arts and cultural sectors who wish to develop their entrepreneurial and advocacy skills to drive innovation, inclusion, growth and sustainability across the cultural sectors.
‘As a future-focused program, the Cultural Leadership course is ultimately about cultivating the next generation of leaders in arts and culture,’ commented NIDA’s Head of Cultural Leadership, Professor Cheryl Stock.
‘It is for people who value diversity, demonstrate great capability in embracing change and are fearless advocates for arts and culture. It values informed, courageous and resilient leaders who embody empathy and a collaborative approach,’ she added.
‘NIDA is a hotbed of ideas and progress and we are delivering some of the best training in the world and forming new partnerships to pollinate Australia’s cultural hubs, creative industries, business landscapes and education centres,’ commented NIDA Director/CEO Kate Cherry.
The Luminis Foundation Indigenous Fellowship provides for 50 per cent of MFA (Cultural Leadership) course fees. The course is part-time and designed for established artists, cultural managers and cultural facilitators from across the international and Australian performing arts and creative industries.
Please get in touch if you or any potential applicant would like to discuss this further going to https://www.nida.edu.au/luminis. Applications close 29 October 2017.
