The Weekend Sun
Friday 25 September 2015
9
Taylor, Katy – and now, Brianna Newlove She’s a star in her own bedroom. Twelve-year-old Brianna Newlove’s poised cheekily in front of her mirror in trademark full make-up, polka-dot dress, cardy and patterned tights. Oh yeah, she’s a right little fashionista. “I love clothes. I really love shoes. Majorly!” The music goes up. Mark Ronson is ‘Uptown Funk’ing loudly in Tauranga and Brianna is down dancing. She is doing her what she calls her “stuff ”. “I can let all that stuff inside me come out”, meaning she can express herself.” You may have sensed Brianna is as different as she is normal. A quirk of nature and of fate delivered her an extra chromosome and made her life that much different and difficult. She is down syndrome or trisomy 21 – a genetic disorder which brings with it developmental and intellectual delays. Brianna has her own insightful spin on all this: She used to have DS, but not anymore. End of matter. The show must go on and does go on. Back at the dance mirror there is a devoted audience of just one, proud dad Grant. He’s videoing the show on her iPad. Brianna is doing her “stuff ”, but her head is on a much bigger stage. “One day I want to have a big concert with lots of people around me.” But after the bedroom and before Baycourt there is another platform, another stage for the performers, who like Brianna, are facing life challenges.
That stage is something called Star Jam. A meeting of 40 parents of kids with disabilities met to figure how they can get the programme to Tauranga. “Star Jam offers young people like Brianna music and performance workshops where jammers can learn new skills, gain confidence and have fun by making music – drumming,
guitar, dancing or singing,” says Star Jam’s Alex Barrett out of Hamilton . Currently Star Jam is running 35 free 90-minute workshops every week throughout New Zealand, which are led by a paid tutor and two volunteers. Would you like to be part of Star Jam in Tauranga? Contact Alex on Hunter Wells hamilton@starjam.org
Brianna Newlove, 12, dancing. Photo: Tracy Hardy.
Revitalising with vision and common sense applaud this group, It is time to who are prepared to give recognise the vision back to a city that they displayed by the are passionate about. self-appointed Civic Amenities Group Read this column in full at www.sunlive.co.nz Paul Adams chairs this group, and while he (CAG), who recently has been exceptionally well rewarded briefed Tauranga City Council from his hard work and vision as on their vision for our great city. a city developer, he is also a major The outcome appears to have been philanthropic funder of much of the an agreement in principal to work towards the betterment of the city. The community-based initiatives that are so essential for a thriving and vibrant city. naysayers will condemn this CAG as The Civic Amenities Group’s affluent individuals wanting to exert aspirations include reinvigorating our influence for their own financial gain. city to bring about aspirational change I can assure you that this isn’t the without any form of personal gain. case, and we (ratepayers) should
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