I can’t quite remember how I first contacted Kieran and Skye Burke. It was probably something to the effect of as many grateful thank yous as I could politely get away with; for the work they were doing, the way they were doing it and the reality they held with such gentleness and dare I say it - celebration? The kind of celebration where purpose is the fruit from the seed of hardship.
As a child born with a rare condition like their son Jack, it was no question for me that I wanted to offer my assistance in any way possible. This led to my involvement in two collaborative projects which they so beautifully executed here and here. As of January 2024, Kieran and Skye behind ART HELPS HEAPS have donated just over $74,000 to NFPs like Through The Unexpected and Rare Voices and Genetic Alliance.
There are two things which Skye and Kieran have done for me, in kind and in accident - they modelled a way forward to merge philanthropy and art making and by their openness and support through our exchanges - created an opening where my identity with illness could be normalised and safe. My dialogue between Kieran and Skye allowed me to reflect on the dynamics of a childhood and a family webbed by illness and that - the artist and the illness - could gently sit together.
There is always a path of integration and ART HELPS HEAPS have done just that.
Keep an eye on their future projects and collaborations here.
