Grant funds exciting art exhibition by people with disability

Northcott has recently been awarded a $20,000 CommBank Staff Foundation Community Grant, with the funding set to enable a major customer-led art exhibition in October at Mercure Parramatta.

The grant will support Northcott’s Creative Showcase community event, a celebration of the visual art, music, performance and film creations of Life Skills and Work and Study customers from across North-West Sydney. Customers from North Rocks and Blacktown are already developing pieces for the display, which will bring together a wide range of creative formats and personal stories.

Northcott Service Coordinator and project lead Sofia Sudar says, “The customers have been working hard to craft passion projects. It has been great to see the deeply personal stories they have been able to express through paint, clay and many more mediums.”

“The exhibition has been a wonderful opportunity to showcase the diverse talents and interests of our customers across the North-West team, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with everyone. The exhibition is shaping up to be a spectacular showcase. We cannot wait to show everyone the fantastic pieces the customers have made.”

The funding will help cover costs of the event, including venue hire, professional workshops in music and film, art and production supplies, catering, merchandise, photography, coordination and support costs. It will also assist with accessible travel, helping ensure customers can attend workshops and the exhibition itself.

Preparation for art exhibition shows incredible level of talent

Northcott Coordinator and fellow project lead Priya Sundaram says, “The exhibition has created a lot of excitement, not only among customers but also their families.”

“The artworks showcase an incredible level of creativity, with customers going all out to share their talents using a vibrant and wide range of mediums. The project has also provided valuable opportunities for different sites to come together, socialise and take part in group workshops, which have received very positive feedback so far.

“Recently, customers participated in music workshops led by a professional musician, and it was wonderful to see how much the group enjoyed and engaged in the process of creating music together. We are grateful for the opportunity provided by CommBank and are really looking forward to sharing these amazing works of art created by our groups.” 

Across May and June, customers from several Northcott locations will travel to the Northcott Parramatta centre to take part in a series of hands-on workshops designed to build skills and confidence while strengthening final pieces for exhibition. Participating sites include Parramatta, North Rocks, Hornsby, Penrith and Blacktown.

These include woodworking and resin art sessions run by Northcott staff, alongside a dedicated First Nations art workshop. Customers will also have opportunities to explore music and film through professional sessions, with plans for a behind-the-scenes film as part of the wider showcase.

Works in development span multiple mediums, including self-portraits, ceramics and Lego mosaics, reflecting the diverse interests and talents of the artists involved.

Northcott warmly acknowledges the CommBank staff who contribute through Workplace Giving, noting that their ongoing support helped make the community grant possible.

Find out more about the CommBank Staff Foundation Community Grant , opens in a new window