- A working group in the Mandurah area have brought back a community disco event.
- All three ‘pilot’ events were a huge success, with more fun times planned for the future.
Reviving a community event
A local community have come together to solve a problem - with a groovy solution.
People with disability in the Mandurah, Perth regions identified that there was no place for them to be able to meet up and have a dance in a safe and inclusive space.
Then came Project Disco (EasyBeatz).
The disco was a successful community event which was run by other organisers, but once they retired the disco ceased.
There were no other Mandurah-based opportunities available for people with disability to develop social confidence in restaurants, cafes and hotels.
A working group comprising APM Communities Local Area Coordinators, service providers Chorus and Intelife, the City of Mandurah, community members with disability, and the Brighton Hotel collaborated to plan and implement three pilot events.
The City were able to secure a grant to help cover some of the costs of the events such as venue hire, a DJ, lighting and food.
All three events sold out, with over 200 people with disability, carers and loved ones attending.
“The music at Easybeatz was good, I got to choose songs” attendee Emily said.
“My client loved it and had a great time! The DJ had awesome vibes and was so great. Everyone was lovely, friendly and inclusive and we will definitely be back again” Support Worker Rachel said.
With some positive and constructive feedback from the pilot events, there will be more fun to look forward to at the next event.
Working group member Ayesha has since been employed through APM Communities' customised employment project and is now taking a lead role in managing this project.
“It has been great to see this project come alive, as it took awhile for easy beatz to become an actual event at a local venue in Mandurah” Ayesha said.
“It is awesome to see how EasyBeatz has become to those that have a disability in the local area and I think it is really important to acknowledge how inclusive the Brighton has been.”
Throughout the process, the working group aimed to develop relationships with other licensed venues to enable people with disability to develop confidence to attend multiple venues within the locality.
“I think that it is amazing to see how a small idea has become such a huge event” Ayesha said.
“I look forward to see how this project will grow in the future.”
Ayesha and the team at APM Communities are dedicated to expanding this project to more areas to provide people with disability a safe, inclusive, and fun space.
APM Communities delivers NDIS Partners in the Community services in parts of Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.
Our Local Area Coordinators (LACs) help people with disability, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, families and carers to identify and access the support they need.