A shared vision between Jeannette Baalbergen a teacher for people with disabilities and potter Iain Crichton to establish a place where people of all abilities could celebrate their creativity and be empowered to become valued members of their own communities saw the establishment of the Panacea Arts Trust and then the Spark Studio in early 2000.

Spark Studio is a creative space offering an innovative art programme for adults with various disabilities. The sessions provide a learning process in visual arts education especially orientated to the requirements and circumstances of the artists; they also promote and encourage self-development through the vehicle of creative expression.

“The expression of creativity is fundamental to all healthy human development – it has a profound influence on personal functioning and wellbeing. Working with creative process and media provides a means of effective and purposeful communication. The making of art presents to the ‘artist’ a vocabulary and way of expression that can transcend verbal and cognitive communication.” says Director, Suzanne Vesty.

“Thanks to Microsoft we are able to further develop our visual arts education programmes for people with disabilities and I now have access to the programmes I need to ensure that Spark Studio can meet its administrative needs.”

12 students attend each class under the guidance of two to four tutors, including a health care worker. The mother of one of the students sums up the success of the work; “It would be true to say that the individual tuition Matthew received during Term Three has not only produced some quite remarkable results, given his degree of disability but has also become his raison d’être…” Anna Tucker - mother of Mathew Tucker

“TechSoup is a wonderful facility for charitable trusts like Spark Studio. We are sometimes fortunate in receiving grant money to buy a new computer but usually this does not cover the software. TechSoup saved us a lot of money, it is easy to apply to and they were very prompt in their responses and supply of goods.” Jenny Wood, Sparks Studio Administrator.

Who are they?
Panacea Arts Charitable Trust – Spark Studio

Where are they?
Auckland, New Zealand

What do they do?
Offer an innovative art‘s programme for adults with various disabilities

What did they receive?

Outlook Professional 2007, and Office Communicator and Publisher 2007

The outcome
They are now able to further develop their visual arts education programmes for people with disabilities and have all the software they need to administer their Charitable Trust.