Triple threat Amelia, 12, has been performing for as long as Mum, Emily, can remember.
“She’s wanted to be on stage forever. I can’t tell you the number of home singing and dancing competitions I’ve been asked to judge,” she laughed.
From Disney movies and musical theatre to Olivia Rodrigo and Adele, Amelia has grown up wanting nothing more than to emulate her heroes of the stage and screen.
And now Amelia’s dreams are coming true as she captivates judges across an array of singing, dancing and acting competitions and eisteddfods.
“Amelia participated in her very first singing eisteddfod in April 2022 and has never looked back. She has a thirst for more and desperately wants to experience and learn as much as she can in all areas of performing arts,” said Emily.
“As a young girl who has always struggled academically given her diagnosis of dyslexia and ADHD, it is wonderful to see how much dancing and singing has helped to build her confidence. Not only has she found her place but her schoolwork has also improved because she is just so much happier in herself.”
That happiness has been pivotal to both Amelia, her sister Indiana and Emily in recent years as the family faced the devastating effects of the rental crisis and flooding on the NSW north coast.
“Amelia’s dance and singing classes were her strength and stability during some of our toughest times. At the end of 2021, we were evicted from our home and forced to move into a van. We lived through torrential rain, floods and some horrible conditions where we lost a lot of our belongings due to mould,” said Emily.
“Amelia’s classes played such a vital role in giving us something to look forward to on our darker days. She had a place to escape the wet, forget about our problems and do what she loved to do.”
But dance competitions and singing classes come with prohibitive costs that often deny Amelia the chance to pursue her dreams.
“Financially, we struggle tremendously as I have spinal injuries which significantly reduce my capacity to work. I help out at my local PCYC to alleviate financial burdens and to help keep Amelia in the activities she loves but it is very hard as a single mum,” said Emily.
Emily says the family was thrilled when Amelia was awarded a Variety Heart Scholarship for 2023.
“The Variety Heart Scholarship means the world to us! It will mean Amelia can travel to attend drama workshops in Newcastle or maybe even audition for theatre productions in Port Macquarie – things we just could not afford otherwise.”
“It couldn’t have come at a better time as a drama school has just opened here in Taree and she will now have the chance to do private singing, dancing and acting lessons. She’s just done her first monologue and she was fantastic. She’s so driven and to see her filled with such confidence is so rewarding.”
“As a mum, I want to give my girls the world but there are some things that are just way out of my reach. I am so grateful to Variety for giving Amelia a chance not only to achieve her goals, but to do what makes her happy – what an incredible gift to give a child.”
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