Canberra/Queanbeyan glass artist and curator, Mel George, was the inaugural recipient of the Luminis Fellowship, and NIDA says, she has now become manager of Ernabella Arts in Central Australia, the longest-standing continuous indigenous art centre in the country.

George says the Luminis Foundation’s indigenous fellowship for cultural leadership program is helping her understand where she fits in the larger Australian cultural landscape and that what she does is important for the cultural sector.

Two other first nations’ arts leaders are in the same cohort of students as George, BlakDance producer Merindah Donnelly (recently awarded the Sidney Myer Fellowship) and artist Bernadette Killin.

The fellowship support studies for an interdisciplinary master’s degree at NIDA designed for those leading or aspiring to lead change across the international and Australian performing arts and creative industries. Applicants range from artistic directors, theatre makers, producers, curators, arts managers, directors and cultural practitioners.

The Luminis Foundation funds 50 per cent of the fees for the course, which is delivered via online modules and four five-day campus intensives each year in the state-of-the-art facilities at NIDA’s Sydney campus.

Applications for the 2019 intake of the MFA (Cultural Leadership) are open to nida.edu.au/cultural-leadership until September 30.