Our Work Is...
Inclusive
Everyone is welcome! Our shows, parties and workshops are made for young people with special educational needs and/or life limiting conditions, to enjoy with their family and friends. Our shows are designed for young people who are often excluded from experiencing and enjoying the arts due to barriers they face at traditional arts venues.
Sensory
We aim to stimulate the senses using lights, textures, props and puppetry to create engaging and captivating experiences for every young person.
Musical
Our shows use music and song to go beyond language. We incorporate musical participation, harmony singing, underscore and original songs to create a full musical experience.
Interactive
We perform with our audience, not to them. Our shows, parties and workshops are designed to be engaging, participatory and fun.
Bespoke
Every performance we deliver is tailored to be just right for that audience. We happily adapt to different spaces, different interests, and different needs.
Pupil-led interaction
We have a wonderful team of professional actor-facilitators, who are experienced in working with young people with additional needs and use their responses to guide each session.
Our Impact
Our projects are designed especially for young people who are often excluded from theatre in its traditional form due to health needs, care needs, educational needs and because most theatre spaces aren't accessible for them. We make the content of our shows, parties and workshops inclusive - involving siblings, carers, parents and teachers just as much as the young people themselves to provide a shared experience that everyone can enjoy.
Our Outcomes:
- To enable young people with complex needs and those in their wider support network – parents, siblings, carers, and staff - to experience escapism and joy through high-quality arts provision.
- To enable young people to feel included through fully interactive shows, workshops and parties that reflect and celebrate being different.
- To provide young people with a unique theatrical experience provided by top-class performers who adapt to each individual and audience.
- To improve the emotional wellbeing of young people, parents, siblings, carers and staff.
- To share skills and ideas creative exploration with teachers, carers and family members.
- To provide skills development and community engagement opportunities for actors – with a focus on those early on in their careers and actors with visible/invisible disabilities.
Workshop Delivery
All of our workshops take the format of a very simple narrative exploring the particular theme. We work to a basic framework but are guided by the pupil’s responses, taking time with each individual and making an offer of engagement. If they choose to accept the offer we help them explore that particular sensory element.
Accredited Sensory Workshops
Our Artsmark-accredited workshops help those who are sensory seekers to explore subjects through performance and interaction.