21 May 07 Being the daughter of Office Manager Tracey Morgan really paid off for ten year old Sammie Johnston. Sure enough she was asked to model for Weta Workshop!

Here in New Zealand, approximately 10% of New Zealand children are dyslexic. This is over 70,000 children and young people aged 5-18 years throughout New Zealand. Dyslexia is often referred to as the hidden disability. Hidden because it is not physical, a disability because it so often presents itself in the form of learning difficulties. Richard alternatively believes it is a reason for celebration, giving a unique edge to these young New Zealanders.

We recently became involved in the New Zealand Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit because of Richard?s empathy for those young people struggling with a learning disability. The outdoor gallery is located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The gallery provides knowledge, inspiration and encouragement for all dyslexics by showcasing the artistic, engineering, creative and business achievements of four leading picture thinkers, of which Richard is one.

The Dyslexia exhibit is the first of its kind. It is hoped that by telling the stories of four gifted individuals the artwork will demonstrate the ability of the dyslexic mind and offer an alternative view to those that are engaged in the struggle, either directly, or as parents, caregivers, teachers and friends.

We created a number of elements for the Exhibit. Central to the story is a bronze sculpture, titled ?Inner Struggle?, showing a young girl lying down, barefoot, reading a steel ribbon of words that float through the air, spilling from the pages of her book. Ten year old Sammie Johnston, the daughter of Office Manager Tracey Morgan, was the model for this piece. It was the first time she had ever modelled for something before. ?I got a shock when I heard I was going to be a model for a sculpture at Mum?s work?, she says, ?because I?ve never been a model for anything before. They were looking for a girl my age, and they thought I?d be good for it.?

When Sammie came in to do the modelling, she wasn?t sure what to expect, but she says the highlight of the experience was being moved around on the turntable so the photographer could take photo references of her pose. ?They asked me to pretend to read a book and stay still for an hour?, she remembers, ?and they took lots of photos of me and spun me around on a turntable! The best thing about it was definitely spinning around on the turntable - it made me dizzy going around in circles and it was fun as well!?

Tracey took Sammie down to Christchurch for the official opening of the Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit, where she found her daughter was somewhat of an overnight celebrity. ?When I was in Christchurch everyone was taking photos for me?, grins Sammie. ?I felt really happy for myself, and I couldn?t stop smiling!?

As for the promotional reasons behind the sculpt, it seems the message of encouraging discussion of Dyslexia has been productive - Sammie herself feels she has more awareness of the condition. ?I think it must be frustrating for people who have it?, she says, ?because it means that they read different words than what are written down.?

And for the record, Sammie says she only wears pigtails on Fridays, when she goes to gymnastics, and she?d pose for another sculpture on one condition: that there would be a chocolate bar of some description involved.

For more information on the project, check out the Weta Workshop website and the Dyslexia Foundation site here.