Georgie Tomlin came up with the idea for the all-abilities talent show and will performing at the event on Friday, December 5.
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“Having a disability is your sparkle, your shine. I don’t want people with a disability to lose their sparkle.”
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Georgie Tomlin is speaking as one of the 5.5 million people living with disability in Australia.
On International Day of People with Disability, people like Georgie are shining brightly.
And she plans to shine even more brightly on Friday, December 5, when she takes to the stage at the Cobram Civic Centre for the Moira Shire all-abilities talent show.
Georgie came up with the idea for the show and is also on the working group helping to plan and organise each event. This year is the third show.
“I’m very proud of myself and proud of everyone for getting up there and having a go,” she said.
“I hope this year there will be lots of smiles, lots of dances and lots of music.”
Georgie said IDPwD was a chance for people with a disability to be who they wanted to be, to be seen for who they were.
“It’s about you, everyone pays attention to you, you’re not in the background, you get to shine, it lets you show what you’re really worth,” she said.
“It’s very important to me as someone with a disability myself, but also with friends with a disability and siblings with a disability.
“We’re smart and we’re talented. We’re here and we need you to notice us.”
Casey Petrie and Matthew Langford are also performing at the talent show, and they agreed IDPwD was an important day to acknowledge people living with disability.
Casey Petrie works weekly with a mentor to develop her singing and songwriting and has been part of all three talent shows.
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Casey has been part of all three talent shows, has been on stage with a local theatre group and works weekly with a mentor to develop her singing and songwriting.
“I don’t get the chance to sing in front of other people much. I wish we had more things like this happening, it’s disappointing there’s not more,” Casey said.
She thanked Moira Shire Council for organising the talent show, and said she was glad it was linked to IDPwD.
It’s good to have a day to say “here we are”, she said.
“Every other day feels like we’re forgotten, let us have a chance to do what we like to do.
“Don’t just push us aside just because we’re different.”
Matthew is a member of council’s all-abilities advisory committee, as well as a performer in the talent show.
Matthew said he liked performing and being on stage with other people.
“I like expressing feelings and emotions in a safe environment,” he said.
“People with disabilities can do stuff if we put our minds to it.”
Matthew Langford is a member of Moira Shire Council’s all-abilities advisory committee and will be performing in the talent show on December 5.
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He wanted to tell people: “Living with disability is a challenge every day.”
IDPwD is “a day to stop and understand about living with disability”, he said.
Council chair administrator Graeme Emonson said the all-abilities talent show was planned to coincide with IDPwD each year.
“This year’s theme, ‘we shine brighter together’, will inspire everyone to embrace compassion and positivity,” he said.
About 24 performances, from groups and individuals across Moira Shire, will hit the stage.
They will all come together for a finale song, with the audience welcome to join in.
Dr Emonson praised the organisations that had helped council recognise IDPwD by staging the show.
“Cobram and District Specialist School, Providing All Living Supports, NCN Health and Cobram Community House, as well as Moira Shire staff, have helped make this event possible for three years now,” he said.
Georgie had the final word on IDPwD and the talent show.
“Everyone is their own winner,” she said.
“At the end of the day, we are all winners. We are all stars.”
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