FAQ

Balancing Act is a collective led by Pat Pierce (Pierce Brothers) and Prue Walker (social worker) who came together with an idea - to connect musicians and other artists who can’t perform, with children and young people with disability who can’t access their normal supports. We see an opportunity to use online platforms to bring these two groups together to connect and create.

To register your interest, email us at balancingactaus@gmail.com

You can email us and indicate the artist you are interested in working with. We will call you to discuss your child’s needs, and then arrange a introduction, either by phone, email or a Zoom meeting with the artist.

Families indicate the artist they would like to work with. Balancing Act recommends artists to families to get the best match of interests, skills and expertise. Parents/carers interview the artist and choose the person to work with their family - much like choosing a music teacher.

Online sessions are booked through zoom and can be conducted on any computer or device. Parents/carers need to be present at the start and end of each session, and are responsible for supervision. Sessions can involve playing music; dance or movement; drawing or cartooning; story telling or imaginative play; or just talking about topics of interest. Zoom allows for screen sharing so the artist might share a video of a performance or read a picture book and then talk about it with the young person.

Each artist has an individual rate for their sessions which will be emailed to interested families.

Artist Sessions can be funded under NDIS funding depending on each child's needs - it might be social support, community engagement, recreation or skills development. Families should speak with their NDIS local area coordinator or plan manager if they have questions about eligibility for funding.

Our artists come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some of our team have experience working with children with disabilities, or running groups in schools, while others are primarily performance artists who are now bringing their work to an online audience. We discuss your child’s needs to get the best match, but it is up to the family to decide whether the artist has the skills to support their individual child or young person.

Email us at balancingactaus@gmail with your questions. We will get back to you as soon as possible.