Artists in the Roof

Welcome to the 'Artists in the Roof' webpage! 'Artists in the Roof' art classes are designed and delivered to cater for the needs of severely physically disabled children and young adults and their siblings. Key to all the classes is an emphasis on the child making all artistic decisions and creating art works that are their own authentic, unique works. The child/young adult is the driver of their creation rather than the passenger. Siblings are most welcome and will get to work alongside their brother or sister on their own art work. Classes are run at a pace that allows time for genuine choice making and creating. The participants in the classes are typically non verbal so classes are ACC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) friendly. Consideration is given to how best support each student in choice making. Equipment is adapted for ease of use and success and is evolving with the needs of the artists and support parent/person. Due to the complex needs of the class participants a parent or caregiver is expected to be there to work with their child during the duration of the class. There will be opportunities at times for volunteers to work with and support your child if you wish and space is set up so you can have a coffee and relax but still be close by if need be. Class times... Currently classes are run on Fridays 11.00am - 12.30pm A new class is possibly starting on Tuesdays 4.30pm - 5.45pm depending on interest. Class sizes... There will be a maximum of 6 disabled artists and 2 siblings per class. Bookings and cost... $22 per child per class Accessibility for as many children/young adults as possible is at the core of 'Artists in the Roof' and as I get established I am hoping to offer scholarships for those who may struggle with the fees. Please come and have a chat with me if you are in this position. Please book into a class by sending a private message to the 'Artists in the Roof' Facebook page and I will message you back to confirm your booking. Importantly if you, your child or their participating sibling is unwell they will not be able to attend the class. If I am unwell I will need to cancel the class and I will give you as much notice as possible, the health of your child is of the utmost importance to me. The complex health issues of many of the participants makes them more vulnerable to catching viruses and infections and can affect them far more severely than an able bodied person. Having a severely disabled child myself I know this first hand. I also will understand that ocasionally you may need to make a cancellation close to the time of the class, I just ask that you please send me a message to let me know as soon as you can. There are no cancellation fees but recurring cancellations within a short space of time may result in limited access to classes. Housekeeping... The space has overhead fans but currently no air conditioning, so on exceptionally hot days (37 degrees and over) classes are cancelled. There are toilets located in the centre, the female one has a change table. The female toilets can accommodate a small wheelchair and are available to males if need be. Located on the edge of the city there are numerous parks available on the Hutt St outside the venue and directly across the road. If you have a disabled parking permit parking is free as long as your permit is displayed. Free one hour parks are available if you do not have a disabled parking permit. Located in the City Soul centre is a pop up cafe that sells coffee, light snacks and lunch from 10am - 3pm. Please message me if you have any other questions about the classes. Travel well Suzanne