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Create NSW have announced an annual Young People Talent Register to build a pipeline for the next generation of cultural leaders. Joining the register means that you'll be considered for opportunities to contribute to boards and committees across the arts and cultural sector – including at Sydney Writers' Festival.
For many young people taking a seat at the boardroom table feels like a far away (and not least of all daunting) prospect, so we sat down with Sydney Writers' Festival CEO Brooke Webb to challenge the idea that governance is just for executives and share practical and actionable advice for getting started.
Keep reading to find out more about what organisations are looking for in board appointments, the importance of youth representation in cultural leadership and the resources available to get you feeling comfortable and confident taking the next step in your career.
What qualities are you eager to see in applicants to the Young People Talent Register?
We value curiosity, independent thinking and a genuine commitment to our purpose. We’re interested in people who bring different perspectives, listen thoughtfully and are willing to ask questions that challenge our assumptions. You don’t need an extensive CV to make a valuable contribution. Your connection to your community, your cultural interests and your lived experience can help us better understand who we serve and how we can improve. What matters is a willingness to prepare, contribute and take shared responsibility for the organisation’s future.
What advice would you give to those taking their first step into cultural governance?
Choose an organisation whose purpose matters to you. Read its annual report, experience its work and ask questions about its ambitions and challenges. Take time to understand the board’s role in guiding the organisation’s future and how that differs from the day-to-day work of its staff.
Be honest about what you know and where you need support and look for a board that takes induction and mentoring seriously. Ask how your perspective will contribute to its decisions. We have a responsibility as organisations to create an environment where new members feel welcome and their contributions are valued.
You don’t need to arrive knowing everything, but you do need to commit time and attention. And don’t assume that everyone with more experience has already considered the question you’re hesitating to ask. Often, that’s precisely the question the conversation needs.
Why is youth representation on arts and cultural boards important?
Young people are already making, experiencing and shaping culture. They should have a meaningful role in the decisions that affect it. At Sydney Writers’ Festival, we want to make the world of stories and literature as inclusive and expansive as possible. Young people bring perspectives that can broaden our thinking about whose stories we share, who we reach and how people connect with our work. Having different generations around the board table creates opportunities to learn from one another and helps us shape a Festival that speaks to both established audiences and people who are yet to discover us.
Those questions matter just as much around a board table. Different experiences can challenge assumptions about audiences, access and what an organisation should prioritise. But representation needs to come with influence: young board members must be supported to contribute across the full agenda, without being expected to speak for an entire generation.
How can joining a board influence your career?
Board service can broaden your understanding of how an organisation works: how its purpose informs strategy, how resources are allocated and how difficult decisions are made. You learn to weigh different perspectives, ask better questions and take shared responsibility for outcomes. Those skills can strengthen your leadership wherever your career takes you. You also build relationships with people whose experience differs from your own. For someone who cares about the arts, it’s an opportunity to grow while contributing to the organisations that make our cultural life possible.
What resources do you recommend for exploring how boards operate?
I’d start with Creative Australia’s Governance Hub for resources specific to arts and cultural organisations, alongside the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Not-for-Profit Governance Principles and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s Governance for Good guide.
Then make it practical: read an organisation’s annual report and strategic plan, attend an AGM where possible and speak with a board member about what the role involves. Ask about preparation, time commitments and the support available to new members. Combining those conversations with introductory governance training can help you approach your first appointment with greater confidence.
Sydney Writers' Festival encourages emerging arts workers and creatives aged 18–28 to register an EOI with Create NSW before applications close Monday 16 November, 5pm.