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ACCELERATE

ACCELERATE is an innovative leadership initiative for talented Indigenous Australians working in the creative industries.

Through an intensive, fully funded programme that includes tailored leadership development, mentoring and industry placements in Australia and the UK, it offers outstanding applicants a unique opportunity to develop as leaders.

About

ACCELERATE came about in response to the lack of representation of Indigenous Australians in positions of influence within the creative sector and mainstream media. It aims to empower its alumni with the recognition, skills and networks to drive their own careers, both internationally and at home. Drawing on the UK’s strong creative sector, it will work to refresh the cultural dialogue between the two nations.

In 2012 up to 15 shortlisted applicants will take part in a Leadership Intensive workshop in Australia, with five applicants then selected to travel to the UK on a tailored professional visit.

ACCELERATE is open to applicants across Australia with at least five years experience in the arts and creative industries. Applications can made via an expression of interest form completed on this website. Organisations and community groups are also encouraged to nominate an individual for consideration.

Accelerate has been offered by the British Council in 2009 (with the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne) and in 2011. You can read more about the 9 past winners at the bottom of this page.

Partners

ACCELERATE 2012 is presented by the British Council and the Australia Council for the Arts in association with the NSW Government through Arts NSW, the Queensland Government, the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria, the Western Australian Government and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

ACCELERATE design by Reko Rennie 2011.

THE PROGRAMME

STAGE ONE

Australian Leadership Intensive
(22-24 June 2012, Australian location)

Stage One of ACCELERATE is a three day weekend Leadership Intensive in Australia. Up to fifteen shortlisted applicants will be invited to come together with past ACCELERATE winners, meaning there will be up to 24 participants from across Australia.

This workshop will provide all attending a stronger understanding of what leadership in the creative sector means in UK and Australian contexts; build the capacity for participants to vision their own leadership paths; introduce UK partners to the Australian context, and help shape the nature of the UK programmes. It will be delivered by our UK cultural leadership partners Mark Wright from People Create and Ruth Cook from Action Learning Associates.

The Australian Leadership Intensive is a powerful experience in its own right, even if you are not ultimately selected to travel to the UK in 2012. The Intensive will help you plan for where you want to take your own practice. It will give you practical, useful tools. And you will build a strong network of other leading Indigenous artists and arts managers.

Comments from 2011 winners

What (Mark) was teaching and demonstrating I think is fantastic. I don’t know if there are people like that in Australia. There are things in I applied immediately after and an enormous amount of stress and strain disappeared immediately.

That action learning is a REALLY useful tool, not just professionally but in your personal life. It gives you a tool to resolve or clarify issues in your own line. Ruth was fantastic – at my session she changed the rules – as she knew I needed advice on what things would look like. She was flexible enough to know what I needed …

All travel, accommodation, meals and course fees are provided (see Advice for Applicants).

STAGE TWO

Individually tailored UK visit
(18 October – 12 November 2012 inclusive)

Five participants from Stage One will be selected to travel to the UK as a group, departing Sydney after a farewell event on 18 October 2012 for three weeks.

Each ACCELERATE leader’s itinerary will include further leadership development training, professional placements, meetings and mentoring. These itineraries will be devised with each individual prior to their departure to ensure appropriate matching of skills, expertise and experience within the UK.

The UK-based leadership development will be delivered by our UK cultural leadership partners, People Create and Action Learning Associates.

Upon return to Australia participants will join the ACCELERATE alumni and, it is hoped, be offered future opportunities. ACCELERATE alumni will be asked to actively contribute to the ongoing development of the programme and offer advice for future applicants.

Comments from 2011 winners:

Amazingly, we have connections now through various museums and galleries. It’s starting to bear fruit. I’ve already had emails from the UK wishing us the very best and offering support. It’s been fantastic

The greatest legacy of the programme is that it’s left me wanting more. I’m glad it has. I never had a massive inclination to pursue further understanding of the UK, now I’ve realised the power of having a pluralist art setting – I definitely want to go back there and have some ongoing connections. It’s shifted me 180 degrees.

Obviously I’d love to be able to bring my work to the UK; I think there’s an outlet there. I hope to keep talking to these people to broaden the horizons for Aboriginal theatre and myself. It’s introduced me to the rest of the world.

HOW TO APPLY

Submissions can be made via the online applications form here.

Individual, community groups and organisations are also encouraged to nominate individuals by downloading and submitting the form available for download below.

Expressions of interest close Sunday 29 April 2012

For further details please read our FAQs or contact us (enquiries@britishcouncil.org.au) with any questions.

If you would like to discuss your application with someone before you submit it, you can contact our cultural advisor Dennis Stokes, on 0417 816 195 or dennisstokes40@yahoo.com.au. Dennis is an Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander man, born and raised in Darwin. Dennis has worked in the arts for a number of years, and he’s keen to help artists prepare their applications and discuss the programme in detail.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

ACCELERATE is looking for applicants from across Australia, working within the arts and creative industries. Participants should be poised to take the next step in the careers, at 5-10 years experience in their chosen field. They may be people with a public profile or those less well known but highly respected by their local communities. What they should all should possess is a strong social purpose and the potential to drive change. It is likely that they will have had some early leadership experience either in an organisational setting; a community setting; or as a practitioner.

Applicants may come from any art form or be creative entrepreneurs with a strong social change agenda. They could be practising creatives or managers.

Eligibility

ACCELERATE is a programme designed and managed specifically for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander applicants. Australian Indigenaity is a genuine qualification for this award and is authorised by Section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act, 1977.

The British Council Australia definition of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives.

There is no formal age limit for applicants.

Selection Process

There are two (2) stages for selection:

STAGE ONE

- National call for Expressions of Interest closes Sunday 29 April 2012
- Expressions of Interest are shortlisted to up to 15 individuals to attend the Australian Leadership Intensive weekend, 22-24 June 2012 (venue tbc).

In STAGE ONE, panels comprising British Council, Australia Council, Arts NSW, Arts Queensland, Arts Victoria and Department of Culture and the Arts, Western Australia; and a UK leadership expert will shortlist up to 15 individuals. The Australia Council and each State government panel representatives will be Indigenous Australians.

Short listing will be based on the written response to the Expression of Interest and the applicant’s CV.

Of the 15 individuals shortlisted for STAGE ONE, at least two each will come from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia and the remaining participants from anywhere in Australia.

This is because of the funding arrangements secured for ACCELERATE.

STAGE TWO

- From the 15 individuals chosen to attend the Australian Leadership Intensive, 5 individuals will be chosen to travel to the UK (18 October – 12 November 2012) for Stage Two.

All STAGE ONE participants will be invited to complete a short written or video piece for selection into STAGE TWO. This selection will be based on a range of criteria including the applicants’ ability to clearly articulate their leadership plans; readiness for a UK experience and potential to make linkages in the UK. Assessment will be by the same panel as Stage One (see above)

Of the 5 individuals selected for STAGE TWO, one each will come from, NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia with the final person coming from anywhere in Australia.

This is because of the funding arrangements secured for ACCELERATE.