The Sydney Leadership Program was Australia’s most highly regarded, internationally recognised leadership development program. An annual program bringing together leaders and up-and-coming leaders from business, not-for-profit and government, it fostered new leadership skills, new networks and a new determination to create lasting, positive social change. Together with the Baly Douglass Foundation, in 2012 the Nelson Meers Foundation supported a scholarship for an established or emerging arts practitioner or administrator (including visual, performance, film and new media) whose work, either directly or indirectly, is driving positive social change.

We believe in supporting all layers of the arts sector. Arts practitioners often do not have the opportunity to participate in learning experiences which will feed their creative talent of giving them new perspectives. We also believe it is important for arts practitioners to participate in society’s leadership dialogue.

Footnote: In 2019, The Benevolent Society, Australia’s first charity, made the decision to close Social Leadership Australia (SLA) after almost 20 years. SLA was launched in 1999 by The Benevolent Society as an innovative program to educate government, not-for-profit and corporate principals about leading their organisations and departments through a lens of social impact and justice.

https://www.benevolent.org.au/