For more than a decade, the GB-Art Show has been about more than celebrating creativity. It is a chance for our team, clients, friends, and industry partners to come together in support of a cause that changes lives.
Since 2012, the GB-Art Show has proudly supported Hear and Say, a Queensland organisation dedicated to helping people of all ages with hearing loss connect, communicate, and thrive. This year, funds raised through the event will contribute to Hear and Say’s 2026 Loud Shirt Campaign, which is aiming to raise $100,000 to support children and families accessing life-changing hearing and speech services.
With one in six Australians currently impacted by hearing loss, and that figure expected to rise to one in four by 2060, the need for specialist support has never been greater. Through audiology, speech pathology and related services, Hear and Say empowers babies, children, and adults with hearing loss to achieve outcomes that many families once thought impossible.
Supporting Children When They Need It Most
Funds raised this year will help support Hear and Say’s Child Champions program, which provides vital financial assistance to families experiencing financial hardship.
The program ensures children with hearing loss can access specialist hearing and speech services, regardless of their family’s circumstances. This includes children who do not qualify for NDIS funding, those whose plans do not cover the specialised support they need, and children requiring urgent early intervention while waiting for NDIS approval.
Access to early intervention can be life changing. It helps children develop the communication skills they need to engage confidently with family, friends, school, and the wider community.
Ashton's Story
Six-year-old Ashton and his family know firsthand the difference this support can make.
Living in the Lockyer Valley, Ashton travels to Hear and Say’s Ashgrove centre every fortnight for audiology and speech pathology appointments. When he was born, Ashton passed his newborn hearing test and, for the first few years of his life, developed as expected.
It wasn’t until his kindy teachers noticed he was lip reading and occasionally not responding when spoken to that further investigation revealed Ashton had progressive hearing loss.
“It was a huge shock as we had no experience of hearing loss ourselves,” said Ashton’s mum, Renee.
Like many families, Ashton and his parents suddenly found themselves navigating unfamiliar territory and searching for answers about what the future might hold.
In March 2025 and again in July this year, Ashton received cochlear implants. Through ongoing support from Hear and Say’s team of audiologists and speech pathologists, he is now adapting to the technology and building the skills needed to learn, communicate, and thrive.
“We are so grateful to Hear and Say’s dedicated team of speech pathologists and audiologists who are helping Ashton to re-connect with the world around him,” Renee said.
Stories like Ashton’s highlight the profound impact community support can have on a child’s future.
A Partnership Built on Connection
For more than a decade, the partnership between GB-A and Hear and Say has been built on a shared belief in the power of connection, communication, and community. While the GB-Art Show celebrates creativity, the funds raised help create opportunities for children and families across Queensland.
For GB-A Director Phil Jackson, the partnership with Hear and Say reflects the impact that can be achieved when a community comes together behind a shared cause.
“Each year, we’re reminded that the GB-Art Show is about far more than art. It’s about community coming together to create opportunities for others.
The stories we hear from Hear and Say families, like Ashton and his family, show just how important early support can be. We’re incredibly proud that this event can also help create life-changing outcomes for children across Queensland.”
Hear and Say CEO Scott Miller says the partnership between Hear and Say and the GB-Art Show is built on shared values.
“We are incredibly grateful to GB-A for supporting Hear and Say through this amazing community art show since 2012,” Scott said.
“The GB-Art Show is all about creativity, community and connection and these values align closely with Hear and Say’s purpose of enabling the joy of hearing, communication and connection for life.
The money raised on the night supports families accessing our paediatric early intervention program, including babies and toddlers with hearing loss.
Arts, crafts, and other fun activities are essential tools used by our clinicians to engage with children, and develop the skills needed to adapt to hearing technology such as cochlear implants and hearing aids.
The result is that more than 92% of children with hearing loss supported through Hear and Say’s early intervention program enter pre-school with hearing and speaking skills on par with classmates who have not experienced hearing loss.”
Creating Change Together
Every artwork exhibited, ticket purchased, raffle entered and donation made at the GB-Art Show helps support outcomes like these.
What begins as an evening celebrating creativity becomes something much greater – an opportunity to help children and families across Queensland access the support they need to communicate, connect, and participate fully in the world around them.
We thank Hear and Say for the incredible work they do every day and are proud to continue supporting their mission through the GB-Art Show.
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