Movement for change

At face value, the life of former professional dancer Jesse Inglis appears privileged and far removed from the troubles of humanity. He has travelled the globe performing and now lives in Madrid, where he works for luxury brand Louis Vuitton.

But the reality is very different for the 2024 UNE Alumni Community Award winner, a global citizen passionate about doing what he can to support the most vulnerable, wherever they reside.

“I was very righteous growing up; I had a clear sense of right and wrong,” Jesse says. “I have since learned that there are a lot of grey areas, but I’ve always sought to do something, to give something back.”

Enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts degree at UNE in 2005, majoring in political and international studies and sociology, fed Jesse’s innate curiosity and began to open a whole new world of understanding.

“I’m not interested in gathering a wealth of materials, but a wealth of life experience,” he says. “There is so much to know and explore, and the degree gave me the chance to look at different cultures but also universal themes. It fed my commitment to lifelong learning.”

Studying online and part-time while working full-time as a classical ballet dancer suited Jesse’s peripatetic life and informed his humanitarian efforts. In Mexico, he advocated for the rights of dancers. In Spain, he ran dance workshops for people with intellectual disabilities and supported people experiencing homelessness. And volunteering with the NGO Gihon Women’s Empowerment in an impoverished community outside Nairobi gave Jesse insight into the disadvantage that existed, especially for women, on the African continent.

However, it was the plight of the millions of Syrian refugees pouring into Greece in 2016, fleeing unrest and poverty, that perhaps touched him most deeply.

“I was living in Spain and this trauma was happening on my doorstep,” says Jesse, who teamed up with a fellow dancer in his company to raise €4000. “We travelled to Greece at our own expense to do whatever was needed, giving money and supplies directly to people and donating to charities and NGOs that were having an impact.”

Seeing the desperation of “families running for their lives and prepared to risk everything” was arresting.

“At the port of Piraeus near Athens, we connected with people from a range of different ethnic backgrounds – physiotherapists and doctors who just wanted a better life for their families – and it made me confront some of my own prejudices. It was non-stop all day, distributing essentials, cooking, entertaining the kids with exercise classes, and providing personal hygiene kits and things like that. What we did was a drop in the ocean, but it was a powerful experience for me, that demonstrated how vulnerable these people were and the politics behind their situation.”

Studying international relations is one thing, but being swept up in “the whole gamut of the human experience” is quite another.

“As a white, middle-class person, I’ve always sought to see things first-hand, to expand my horizons and worldview,” Jesse says. “It’s given me a deeper understanding and connection to people whose paths I wouldn’t normally cross. Then I’ve taken that back into my circle of friends, to challenge prejudices and casual racism. I can rebut people based on what I know.”

In 2023, that commitment saw Jesse take up a Louis Vuitton-UNICEF ambassador role, which involved educating staff and encouraging their support for UNICEF’s efforts to help improve global nutrition, education and sanitation. It included a visit to India to witness what was happening in schools, childcare centres and hospitals.

“Louis Vuitton sells products in-store to raise money for UNICEF and employees also support the corporate partnership,” Jesse says. “The idea is that the ambassadors report back across the company’s network to raise awareness and more funds. One of my long-term projects is to get Louis Vuitton employees to round off their salary to boost our contributions to UNICEF, so we can have more of an impact.”

Of course, there are many life lessons that Jesse has tried to apply in his own life.

“It sounds trite, but we’re all human. We all have obvious needs – shelter, water and food – but we also want friendship and connection and meaning in our lives,” says Jesse, who is continuing his studies, in psychology.

“Many people have not had the same opportunities and privileges that I’ve had. My travels and study have given me a deeper appreciation of where I’ve come from; that life is a lottery, and some people draw a harder life than others. There is not enough time for me to do everything; I simply try to live life to the fullest and help others as best I can.”