StarJam: Unleash our Potential

By Kirsty Bromley, Northland Area Programmes Coordinator

StarJam is a nationwide not-for-profit organisation that uses music, dance and performance to empower our tamariki and rangatahi inactive or isolated by disability, with mental and physical wellbeing our foremost priority.

We provide a unique place, within our weekly workshops, for our Jammers (young people) aged 6 to 25 years to express themselves and unleash their potential through the magic of music and performance. They get to make new friends, gain confidence & have a whole lot of fun each week! Our aim is to get our Jammers physically and socially active in an environment where they feel safe to be themselves, connect with their peers and develop social and physical skills that support and enable them to feel accepted and to live full and thriving lives within their communities.

Our weekly workshops occur nationwide in dance, rhythm and singing, along with regular opportunities for Jammers to perform and showcase their talents, they love to perform and always give it their all, with gigantic smiles on their faces. The community events bring Jammers together to hang-out and socialise outside of the weekly workshops and interact with non-Jammers and people from the wider community.

Each workshop holds 30 sessions annually and comprises up to 12 Jammers, under the guidance of a paid tutor and 2-3 volunteers. They are donation-based in recognition of the financial hardship many families with disabled children face and are open to all who wish to participate, irrespective of their disability. We are all about what our young people can do.

During 2020 we celebrated our 20th Birthday. Currently over 780 tamariki and rangatahi have access to our programme. We currently have over 75 workshops happening in 13 different regions of Aotearoa as well as an online workshop for those living more rurally. We would love to grow each of our regions and expand to more regions throughout New Zealand. One in five young New Zealanders is living with a disability, which means approximately 150,000 young people are facing considerable barriers in their lives. StarJam gives young people the opportunity to experience “different doesn’t make you less”. We live in a world where people are still learning how to celebrate differences. StarJam creates a safe space where being who you are is celebrated. In the words of a parent, “StarJam has been the first place that my son has made any friends. Attending the workshops has had such a positive impact on him, especially helping him deal with his anxiety. And making him more comfortable in social situations. The tutor & the volunteers have helped him so much”.

The value that StarJam brings to young people’s lives is best summed up by the Jammers. As one Jammer said to his mum after a StarJam workshop "Mum I feel like crying". She asked him why and he said, 'because I had the best time and I'm so proud of how well I did'. She said, "So you want to keep going then,” and he said 'I want to go forever!'".

You can help the Jammers keep jamming forever! If you have a young person with a disability StarJam would love to hear from you. Or alternatively, if you would like to support the workshops by volunteering, being a tutor or donating, please email info@starjam.org or visit: https://www. starjam.org/donate