For our participant Belinda (Bel), a small community group has led her on a transformative journey. One where she went from sitting at home to being the opening act for an upcoming theatrical production. Her story with the Inverell Dramamatics group shows that the power of creativity and community can be the catalyst for improving lives.
Four years ago, Bel was spending her days at home with little to do. It was her support worker, Shandell, who encouraged her to come along to a Thursday session at the town hall. “When I moved into that house, I was just sitting around at home doing nothing, and it was Shandell who had me along one Thursday to the town hall; that’s how it all started for me,” Bel recalls. She started “stitching on the sideline,” but it wasn’t long before she was invited to take a more active role in the performances.
Today, Bel is a leading lady and will be the first act on stage for the group’s upcoming production, “Still Unstoppable,” scheduled for November at the Inverell Town Hall. She’s also participated in a fundraising karaoke night, where she got up on stage and sang a few of her favourite songs like “By the Rivers of Babylon” and “Islands in the Stream.”
“I’ve grown really a lot because I’ve had no confidence in doing any drama, singing, music, I have nothing. From where I started out, I’ve just grown in leaps and bounds,” Bel shares about her journey.
Her support worker Shandell has witnessed the transformation firsthand: “The first year, you kind of just joined in and done the basics, and then the second year you went in and done an expressive dance piece.”
The Dramamatics group has been a cornerstone of the Inverell community for many years. It was originally founded by Steph Marshall, who established the inclusive performing arts group for adults with disabilities and special needs. When Steph moved on, Michelle Jedlicki took over leadership, maintaining the group’s commitment to providing a creative outlet for people of all abilities.
In 2024, the group faced a “slump” when they lost their creative director, but they have now found renewed energy with the arrival of Margaret O’Brien. The group meets every Thursday at the Inverell Pool from 11 am to 12 pm, where participants rehearse for their productions and engage in creative activities. Recently, they had an arts and crafts week where participants created a collaborative art piece, individual painted diamonds assembled into one collage for fundraising.
If you would like to see the artwork and consider bidding on it during a silent auction, visit the Creative Bloom- Expressive Arts as Therapy Facebook page and the original post here.
The group’s production “Unstoppability”, now titled “Still Unstoppable” for their upcoming show, has been performed several times in recent years. This year’s show in November is highly anticipated, with the group having recently secured grants from the Sapphire Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund of $3,994 as well as a $10,000 grant from BEST Community Shed to support the inclusive performing arts opportunities.
The impact of participation in Dramamatics goes far beyond performance skills. For Bel, the benefits have been wide-ranging. Research consistently shows that engagement with the creative arts offers significant mental health benefits, including improved emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, and social connectedness.
Studies have found that both active and passive engagement with the arts activates neural circuits in the brain associated with emotion regulation, helping to explain the powerful connection between creative expression and mental wellbeing. Researcher Daisy Fancourt, a professor at University College London who has studied the links between art and health for 15 years, notes that creative activities can help us process emotions, build a sense of control and mastery, develop positive self-identities, and find meaning and purpose.
At a physiological level, engaging in creative activities activates reward centres in the brain, increasing dopamine levels associated with happiness, while decreasing stress hormones like cortisol.
For people with disabilities, these benefits are particularly significant. Research with neurodivergent people participating in group artmaking shows that such creative spaces form “enriched relationships with the artwork, the self, others, and community,” which “increase agency, belonging and wellbeing”. These connections help “mitigate the numerous effects of marginalisation” and can “interrupt the isolation and social exclusion experienced by neurodivergent people”.
The information above is referencing an article from “Psychology Today” called “Why Art Is a Pillar of Health” if you would like to read more about the subject, we recommend checking out the article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/well-read/202602/why-art-is-a-pillar-of-health
To fund their November production, Dramamatics has been running various fundraising events. Most recently, they held a karaoke night on 3rd July at the IC Youth Centre, with a gold coin donation entry. While the event raised around $100, the real value was in the community connection. Bel described being on the radio to promote the event as “scary”; it was her first time, but she felt good about it afterwards.
Shandell noted that despite the modest fundraising total, “everyone had a lot of fun” with lucky door prizes and the chance to sing. Bel and Shandell also appeared on the radio to discuss the event and the upcoming production, encouraging community members to come along and support the group.
If you would like to listen to that interview here is a link to a recording.
With the November production of “Still Unstoppable” now on the horizon, Dramamatics is continuing to rehearse and prepare. The group has been working on their skits, with Bel opening the show and taking on “several roles,” according to Shandell. The production will feature “a bit of everything: acting, singing, dancing and drumming.
For Bel, being part of Dramamatics has been an amazing opportunity. Asked what she most enjoys about the performances, she says: “All of them. I just love it.”
Her story reminds us that creative expression isn’t just a luxury but rather a vital component of health and wellbeing.
Also, if you would like to find out more about Unstop-Ability & Dramamatics and their upcoming visits their Facebook page.
We acknowledge the connections of First Nations People of Australia to the land, sea and community on which we live and work. As custodians of this sacred land we respect and acknowledge Elders, past, present and emerging.
