Young actors from the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective were amazed to hear they are part of the 12 days of Christmas grant from Auckland Airport this year. Photo / Greg Bowker
Young actors from the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective were amazed to hear they are part of the 12 days of Christmas grant from Auckland Airport this year. Photo / Greg Bowker
The Herald is profiling 12 charities awarded $10,000 each from Auckland Airport’s Twelve Days of Christmas community giving tradition. Each grant is thanks to generous travellers who placed unwanted currency into money boxes dotted around the terminals in 2024.
When a group of young actors presented famous horror comedy The Addams Family this year, they delighted Papakura audiences with their confident, creative expression.
The disabilities or neurodivergence that some of them live with didn’t matter on a stage where the focus was inclusion and making dreams come true.
That’s the vision of the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective – a charity dedicated to ensuring young people with disabilities have the same chances to enjoy the performing arts alongside their non-disabled peers.
“Too often when it comes to the school performance, the child with the disability is out the back,” says Glass Ceiling’s general manager Michael Eaglesome.
Ceiling Arts Collective hopes to use the grant to provide the young people in its South Auckland class the chance to be on stage in an exciting musical theatre show. Photo / Greg Bowker
“We offer opportunities to young people and put the support around them to play significant roles. We think about things like wheelchair access and neurodiversity, so everyone has an opportunity to shine.”
The Addams Family was performed by Glass Ceiling’s South Auckland class – one of 11 across the country that host weekly performing arts programmes for kids with health challenges and neurodivergence such as autism or ADHD and their non-disabled friends and siblings.
“A lot of these kids don’t have huge friendship groups, and the classes give them a sense of community where everyone is accepted for who they are, and they form great friendships.”
Each year, the weekly classes build toward a musical theatre show which is chosen by the young participants.
“It’s a great goal for the group and our tutors find a way to get everyone involved. Performing for your whānau, friends and other members of the community is a moment of huge pride and the experience boosts confidence and their sense of self-worth and belonging,” Eaglesome says.
“Equally important are the huge mental health and wellbeing benefits the show brings parents and caregivers. Too often they are told what their child can’t do, but our programme shows them what amazing things their children are capable of.”
Next year, Glass Ceiling’s South Auckland theatre group will have the chance to be back on stage to perform a show of their choice with help from a $10,000 grant from the Auckland Airport Twelve Days of Christmas giving programme for communities around the airport.
The grant is funded from the globe money boxes dotted around the airport, where travellers place spare foreign currency when they are passing through.
“We are grateful for this money, which will help fund the production of their 2025 show. Every year these productions demonstrate that no matter our circumstances [or] abilities, we should all be given the same opportunities.”
Auckland Airport chief corporate services officer Melanie Dooney says the airport is pleased to be able to help Glass Ceiling create amazing opportunities for all children to have a place on the stage.
“Their programme is inclusive and fundamental in bringing our communities together and the shows make it possible for all young people to achieve belonging and wellbeing through the arts.”
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