Wiradyuri digital artist and filmmaker Elijah Ingram has been appointed to the board of Museums of History NSW, making him one of six young leaders joining the governing bodies of the state’s oldest cultural institutions.
The Leeton-based creative and co-founder of Miil Miil Productions, a First Nations-led film and arts collective, was selected from almost 400 applicants in a new state initiative aimed at putting young people at the decision-making table of major cultural institutions.
For Ingram, the appointment represents more than personal achievement, it’s about ensuring regional and First Nations voices are part of the conversations that shape how stories are told in New South Wales.
“These are the six oldest and largest cultural institutions in the state,” he told NITV.
"Having representation, not only of young First Nations people, but also young regional people, is essential.
"A lot of our mob live regionally - being able to say our voice is heard and represented at the highest level has always been the goal.”
Ingram said his perspective from the Riverina will help bridge the gap between metropolitan institutions and the communities they serve.
“All of these big institutions are based in Sydney. I’ve grown up and lived in Leeton most of my life, so being able to bring that regional perspective - and represent such a massive part of the state - means a lot,” he said.
“I get to help set the strategic direction for an organisation that has struggled to get its resources out into regional NSW.”
Museums of History NSW oversees key sites and the State Archives - institutions central to how history is preserved and shared.
Ingram, who works in language revitalisation, says that connection is deeply meaningful.
“To work with an organisation whose whole purpose is to preserve who we were - I can’t ask for a better place to be,” he said.
He hopes his appointment signals a step forward for truth-telling in the state’s cultural spaces.
“Quite often it’s old white people that sit on these boards and make decisions,” Ingram said.
“So to have someone who’s not only First Nations, but is young and lives regionally, goes a long way towards starting that process of truth-telling and engaging meaningfully with communities.”
The Cultural Institution Young Board Member initiative is part of the NSW Government’s Creative Communities policy.
Each new board member - aged between 18 and 28 - will serve a three-year term and receive governance training through the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Minister for the Arts John Graham said the appointments will strengthen the future of the state’s creative industries.
“Young, next-generation practitioners and audiences are essential to strengthening NSW’s arts, culture and creative industries for the long term,” he said.
For Ingram, the opportunity is both humbling and motivating.
“I didn’t believe it when the email came through,” he laughed.
“I’m just incredibly fortunate to have even made it to the interview stage. But we need more of our people in these spaces.
"You’ve got to be in it to win it - and to have our mob represented at the highest level is all we can ask for."
