Theatre helps overcome anxiety

Destiny Shelford-Green’s love of singing and songwriting given a boost.

By Melanie Louden

Destiny Shelford-Green, right pictured with Support Performer Gianni-Mia Attrill-Dowling. Photo: LK Creative Photography.

Destiny Shelford-Green has a lot to thank the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective for.

Not only has the performing arts charity encouraged Destiny to pursue her dream of becoming a singer and songwriter, it has helped her work through anxiety, become more social, and boosted her confidence.

The Collective runs inclusive youth theatre programmes in Whangarei, Warkworth, Auckland, Tauranga, and Christchurch that welcome people with and without disabilities.

Destiny has been a member of the South Auckland group since February 2022 and was encouraged to “go and have a look to see how you like it”.

The now 14-year-old clearly liked what she saw.

“I’ve been going ever since,” she says.

Destiny was born at 29 weeks weighing “a pound of butter – I was very tiny”.

During “a good couple of months” in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, which mainly affects her walking and balance.

Fundraising helped ensure Destiny, pictured at age five, could get to
America for surgery.

Surgery, carried out in America when she was six years old, enabled her to walk.

“But prior to surgery, I was just crawling around a lot and getting holes in my pants, and falling, and standing on my tippy toes.”

These days, Destiny attends weekly theatre classes through the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective,  and a one-on-one voice coaching class run by partner organisation Stage Antics.

Destiny’s participation in both classes culminated in her taking part in two of the Collective’s major performances at the end of 2022 (Through the Roof Film Festival and Limitless: A Variety Show), and in a show for Stage Antics (Christmas with the Whānau). 

Making the movie for the film festival was a great experience, she says.

“It was fun to see – from when we first started making it, to the very end. Fun, but also educational in how they make a film.”

A red carpet event was held to showcase the films created by each of the Collective’s theatre groups.

Participants and teaching/support staff from the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective’s
South Auckland class.

Later in the year, Destiny led a group of three performers to sing Abba’s Mamma Mia at the variety show.

“At rehearsals I was nervous, I’m not going to lie, I was very nervous even though there was nobody there [in the audience].

“But as it came to the actual night, I was nervous counting down and once I got on stage I was like ‘it’s actually not that bad’. I think I was just nervous and excited at the same time.”

Best of all, says Destiny and her mum Marlene Green, the anxiety didn’t take over.

Destiny says in recent years her anxiety levels had led to her becoming anti-social.

“The [theatre] group actually pushed me out there to become more social and make more friends.” 

The beauty of the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective, Destiny says, is that it doesn’t matter what type of disability you have, or even if you have a disability.

“They will find a way to make sure everybody is involved. They will find a way, any way, to get every kid involved.

“At the Variety show, I was singing, but I can’t stand for long periods of time, so they put out a chair for me, but not just me because they didn’t want to make me feel like the odd one out. So, they put chairs out for me and my friends,” Destiny says.

“I think what Glass Ceiling has done is actually good. People with no disabilities can see people with disabilities – they can learn from us who do have disabilities.”

Destiny and Emma Bishop from Stage Antics.

Marlene appreciates that her daughter can “do something where she feels she fits in”.

“Her confidence has grown. She’s taking chances and putting herself out there.”

Marlene says the fact that her son AJ, 9, can also take part in the classes is an added bonus.

“It allows them to see what each other is achieving and the progress each other is making.”

Marlene says parents thinking about their child attending theatre classes, and wondering whether they would, or could take part, should go along, watch and just give it a go.

“A huge thanks to Glass Ceiling Arts Collective and Stage Antics for making this opportunity.

“There is so much that we talk about that we would love for our kids, or would love our kids to be able to do, and they’ve actually created that space.”

Click here for more information about  the Glass Ceiling Arts Collective and the courses it offers.

This article was originally published in the January to April 2023 edition of The Review magazine.

For more information:
Melanie Louden
Communications Manager
melanie@cpsociety.org.nz
Mobile: 022 087 8191