Drag Race star Spankie Jackzon selling TV show prize to fund centre

Spankie Jackzon, the season two winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, is selling the sceptre she won from the show to fund a new community project in Palmerston North.

Jackzon, who last year also starred in Celebrity Treasure Island, says she wants to set up ‘The Jackzon Effect’ centre as a creative hub to inspire local artists.

“It’s one of those things where sometimes you have to set something that’s really important to you free to do something better for everybody else," she told Midday Report.

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Jackzon says she’s had a few bids from abroad but ideally wants to hit $10,000 and would love to see the sceptre stay in the country.

“I have approached Te Papa and I have approached Te Manawa here in Palmerston North as well [to see if they want the sceptre],” she says.

“All I want to do is bring some joy and give that buffer and give artists a place to thrive in Palmerston North and rural towns.”

She says she’s achieved a lot in the past two years, but has been hitting the wall over the past six months as a self-funded performer.

“I was feeling lost and sad and disappointed, and I should’ve felt more grateful and I feel completely grateful for everything that’s helped me.

“But what I figured out was the thing that makes me able to do what I do, to the best of my ability, is to bring joy to other people and this way I get to fill my cup by doing what I’m supposed to do to be able to keep giving that out and you can’t keep running on zero or minus 15 percent.”.

The venue would allow local artists to hold shows without fees and would include activities like dance fitness, gym classes and drag classes, she says.

“I also want to share some of the Spankie spark, like I think the world is just getting to a real dark place and joy is free, and I want to be able to give people that place and that safe haven that they can be them.”