Culturally Safe Leadership Program 2026

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The Culturally Safe Leadership Program

As our workforces become more diverse, especially in leadership, the challenge remains:

how do we create environments that are genuinely safe, welcoming, and equitable? 

The Culturally Safe Leadership Program is open for registrations for 2026.

Too often, organisations expect diverse leaders to adapt to existing workplace cultures, systems, and structures.

This creates two critical problems: 

  • It ignores the inherent inequalities embedded in those systems, which act as barriers to participation and inclusion. 

  • It prevents organisations from fully benefiting from the rich lived experiences and perspectives that diverse leaders bring. 

Cultural safety goes beyond competence.

It is about: 

  • Creating spaces where intercultural engagement is safe, respectful, and nurturing. 

  • Critically examining the systems and structures that reproduce inequity. 

  • Embedding anti-racist and equity-focused practices into leadership at every level.

Transform your Practice

Traditionally, organisations have turned to diversity and inclusion initiatives, focusing on building cultural competence. While valuable, these approaches often stop short of addressing the deeper issue. The missing piece is cultural safety. 

The Culturally Safe Leadership Program equips leaders with the tools, frameworks, and reflective practices to: 

  • Lead diverse teams safely, effectively, and with integrity. 

  • Challenge inequitable structures and foster systemic change. 

  • Commit to an anti-racist approach that strengthens both organisational culture and community impact. 

This program is designed for leaders who are asking the hard, contemporary questions about equity, justice, and their own practice—and who are ready to transform not just their leadership, but the systems they influence. 

Sessions

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The CSLP will be offered both online and face to face in 2026.

Face-To-Face sessions are open for registrations now!

Face to face sessions for 2026 will take place at Arts House, North Melbourne, 1-5pm

8th May

3rd June

3rd July

31st July

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Online sessions will take place from 12pm to 4pm on the following dates:

6th May

1st June

1st July

29th July

A word from Veronica

I am delighted to be offering the Culturally Safe Leadership Program again in 2026, starting in March. I’ve been delivering this program since 2021, with over 150 participants from across the cultural and community sectors taking part.

By focusing on psychological and cultural safety in our creative workplaces, we can contribute to a culture of reflexive practice that enables us to tackle contemporary challenges. Learn more about how purposeful work in equity and justice can transform your organisation into a place of accountability, inclusivity and care.

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Who is the Culturally Safe Leadership Program for?

  • People working in the arts and cultural sectors

  • People leading organisations and teams in creative and cultural organisations

  • Cultural leaders wanting to challenge their understanding and practice of psychological and cultural safety

  • Leaders wanting to successfully support and manage diverse teams

Register your Interest

Fill in this registration form to express your interest in the CSLP and you will receive further information and instructions from our team.

What people have said about the

Culturally Safe Leadership Program

  • Nicole Beyer

    The Culturally Safe Leadership Program was a mind opening and impactful experience for me as a participant, and I know it deeply affected the other participants in my cohort too.

    Veronica’s strong but careful teaching approach kept us engaged and positive, while absorbing some quite profound content. I recommend this course as an essential development offering by all organisations for their leadership teams.

  • Tania Farha, CEO Safe and Equal

    We undertook this program with all our team managers and the exec group. I was really impressed with how Veronica, through the program, encouraged the team to have conversations that go beyond their usual comfort levels and into a space of growth and learning.

    The program and conversations we had supported us to understand how conflict and differing opinions can be generative and strengthen the organisation. It focused on the role of leaders and how to navigate and diffuse power in their work. Importantly, it met the organisation where it’s at and tailored the conversation and goals to the needs of the organisation with practical and tangible suggestions to consider now and into the future.

  • Quotes from participants who undertook the CSLP as part of Theatre Network Australia's Leadershift Program

    "LeaderShift was an exceptional and essential opportunity for both emerging leaders and CEOs to take part in important cultural safety training/literacy. The opportunity gave the leaders the chance to have more meaningful conversations with each other and the emerging leaders within our organisations and to be supported to implement change in our organisations and the way we individual lead."

    "This program came as I took on a new leadership role in the theatre industry. It gave me dedicated time and professional guidance on how to deeply question and work towards embedding equity in our organisation and programs. This needs to happen again to accelerate the rate of change that needs to happen in our industry. I would seize any further opportunity for myself or members of our organisation to participate in further iterations of this program. This work must be thorough and ongoing."

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About Veronica

Veronica has been a leading figure in the Australian cultural sector for more than two decades, championing equity and justice through her leadership practice and investment in sector development.

Most recently, she has been working in the space of cultural and psychological safety, critically examining the systems of cultural production to ask how we can transform our artmaking spaces to better account for our diverse realities.

Delving into the conflicts that increasingly define our times, Veronica challenges us to account for ourselves, our process and our desire for change.

Enquire about the Program

Find out how these programs can transform your leadership practice.