The Lloyd Martin Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Arts Leaders
An annual scholarship to fund an overseas residency or study, fostering the next generation of talent.
The Lloyd Martin Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Arts Leaders is an Opera House initiative to help the next generation of arts managers tackle the increasingly complex landscape facing cultural institutions in the 21st century.
The AUD $30,000 annual scholarship funds an overseas residency or study trip for a person eager to advance their career in the arts, and honours the memory of Lloyd Martin, the Opera House’s longest-serving general manager (1978-97), who joined the Opera House as deputy general manager just before its doors first opened in 1973. Fostering the next generation of talent is part of Lloyd Martin's legacy.
For further information please contact the Opera House’s Philanthropy Department on 02 9250 7678 or email us at scholarships@sydneyoperahouse.com.
The Opera House acknowledges the generous support of the Alexandra and Lloyd Martin Family Foundation, which established and has funded the scholarship since 2014.
2025 - 2026 Applications
Submissions for 2025 have closed. Thank you for your interest.
The next round of the scholarship will open in 2026.
Eligibility
Applications will be accepted from current staff members of the Opera House, or current staff members of any of its eight flagship resident companies: Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Bell Shakespeare, Opera Australia, Sydney Theatre Company, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Symphony Orchestra or Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.
Please note that the scholarship focuses on people working in areas that are increasingly critical to the viability and success of arts companies and cultural institutions, such as digital technology, finance, commercial enterprises, philanthropy, sponsorship, education, marketing and communications. Applications from other areas will not, however, be excluded.
Selection
The selection panel for the scholarship includes representatives of the Alexandra and Lloyd Martin Family Foundation, a representative of the Opera House and an independent external panel member. The selection panel’s decision at all stages of the process will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
2026 key dates
To be confirmed early 2026.
Previous winners
In 2025, the Scholarship was awarded to the Sydney Opera House’s Kylene Anderson, Head of First Nations Engagement and The Sydney Theatre Company’s Caroline Spence, Chief Operating Officer. Kylene will use the scholarship to travel to New Zealand and Canada to learn more about fostering and integrating understanding and respect for First Nations cultures, with a specific focus on cultural organisations like ours. Caroline will be studying at renowned non-profit global business school INSEAD and completing industry research to investigate how AI and digital technologies will transform the audience experience and the future of how we work in the Arts.
In 2024, the scholarship was awarded to the Sydney Opera House’s Maddie Burgess, Associate Producer Children, Families & Creative Learning, and Mathew Millay, Government Relations Manager. Maddie travelled to the UK to observe and learn from the youth engagement and development programs of leading arts institutions, with the aim to create and produce new educational and workforce opportunities for young people in the performing arts sector. The scholarship enabled Mat to explore different approaches to cultural policy, advocacy and implementation methods in the UK and Asia, studying how governments and cultural institutions can work together to better support the arts and culture sector in Australia.
To mark the Opera House’s 50th anniversary, two scholarships were awarded in 2023. Anna Yanatchkova, Sydney Opera House’s Senior Manager, Global Goals Planning & Engagement, travelled to Europe to investigate how cultural organisations, corporate business and government bodies were embedding social and environmental sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and driving deeper engagement with the pressing issues of our time. The second scholarship was awarded to Joanna Erskine, Bell Shakespeare’s Head of Education, who travelled to the US and UK, connecting with arts organisations to learn and witness first-hand the way that they engage with, train, support, mentor and ultimately empower teachers.
Joanna and Anna’s final presentation, Emerging Arts Leaders Panel: Can culture help build a better world?, can be watched at the link: https://vimeo.com/event/4537505/669cd7c279.
Read their full study trip reports:
Laura Matarese, Sydney Opera House’s Heritage Manager, travelled to Europe to investigate how cultural institutions and world heritage sites implemented heritage management plans to conserve their buildings and functions for future generations.
Zoe Hogan, Sydney Theatre Company’s Education & Community Programs Manager, travelled to Europe and the UK to explore how artists and arts companies use drama to support refugees and people seeking asylum.
Tim Graham, Sydney Opera House’s Renewal Stakeholder Coordinator, toured Europe and the US to investigate how performing arts and cultural institutions have managed the challenges of major building projects.
Claire Joachim, Sydney Opera House’s Social Media Specialist, toured the US and UK focusing on how social media is influencing arts and cultural institutions communications, programming and operations.
Anke Timm, Opera Australia’s Community Partnerships Manager, travelled to London, Berlin, Hamburg, Oslo, New York and Washington, focusing on the innovative work of international organisations in the areas of accessibility and community-based partnerships.
The 2014 inaugural winner, Carl Nilsson-Polias, Sydney Theatre Company’s Content Manager, travelled to the USA and Europe to study the innovative ways organisations, including London’s National Theatre, MoMA in New York and the US National Football League, translate shows and events into digital content.
