Tom Molyneux

I believe that storytelling and shared cultural moments bring us closer together, fostering the deep understanding that leads to greater harmony and compassionate communities. This philosophy drives everything I do - both in my personal life as a Gunditjmara man and across the creative industries as a performer, producer, and festival programmer.

My path began on Australian stages, touring nationally and sharing the stories of my ancestors. That pivotal experience as a performer shaped my trajectory. Today, I am privileged to step behind the scenes to facilitate the commissioning of new First Nations stories and build festival platforms that amplify Indigenous voices from across Australia and the world.

Currently, I serve as the Head of First Nations Programming and Engagement at Monash University Performing Arts Centres (MPAC). In this role, I focus on work that truly matters: creating sustainable, community-led platforms for artistic expression. However, ensuring long-term success requires looking forward. I am deeply interested in expanding our local best practices by blending our community-consulted models with international examples of sustainability, community leadership, and good governance from global Indigenous-led performing arts settings.

I take the ancestral mandate passed down to me very seriously, and believe it is vital to expand the space carved out by those who came before me in the interest of the next wave of Indigenous storytellers. We must take a multi-generational view of the legacy we inherit and leave behind.

Through this Fellowship, I hope to gain the global insights and networks necessary to embed practices that maximise connectedness and sustainability. Moving forward, my vision is to ensure our storytelling platforms are built on the strongest possible foundations, so that future generations of artists and audiences can thrive.