High Needs students from Bracknell and Wokingham College are taking part in theatre workshops with neurodivergent theatre company, Make/Sense Theatre.
Students studying the Supported Foundation Pathway – Tier 2 at the Church Road campus are taking part in weekly theatre workshops for six weeks, until the October half term.
Make/Sense Theatre make theatre for, by and with the neurodivergent community in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
The theatre company run assemblies, holiday and after-school clubs in special needs schools. They do outreach in the community, with adults and individuals with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, youth theatre and alternative provision. They offer supported internships and work experience for neurodiverse individuals.
Three professionally trained actors and a technician from their multi-sensory theatre offering 7Sense, are visiting the college every Thursday to perform a show called Sky Bound which is about three pirates going on a journey in a hot air balloon.
Sky Bound takes place in a tent resembling a hot air balloon. Students are encouraged to sit inside the tent. The actors use a variety of storytelling techniques, songs, puppets, props and sound machines to encourage the students to join in. A technician plays a soundscape and music in the background which changes according to the story to set the scene for the students.
The show is a multi-sensory piece catering for audiences with severe complex sensory needs and/or multiple learning difficulties.
Sky Bound is repeated each week, which helps the students to play, grow in advocacy and encourages independence. The students have autonomy over the work and can engage in different sensory offers.
The show is tailored to students’ preferences, ensuring that it is age appropriate and engaging for them.
Sky Bound is the first show funded by Arts Council England, enabling the team to introduce more complex technical aspects, have a technician and more design elements, making it an exciting project for both Make/Sense Theatre and the students at the college.
It gives the students access to theatre and the arts, which they might not get otherwise.
Ellie Lamport and Miriam Onasanya are studying Supported Foundation Pathway – Tier 2 at Bracknell and Wokingham College.
Ellie said: “I liked singing with the actors. I enjoyed looking at the map, stroking the bird and playing with the rope.”
Miriam said: “It was good. I liked seeing the maps and playing with the foils (for different types of weather).”
Rosie Taylor-Horler, 7Sense Co-creative Lead and Development Manager at Make/Sense Theatre said: “It’s exciting to come into the college and perform a show to young adults because there’s new challenges including keeping them engaged, observing and noticing what they enjoy, allowing them to play and unmask in the space.
“The reaction from the students has been really positive. For many of them, this is a new offer, but some have previously encountered Make/Sense Theatre before through our schools’ work.
“The difference between the audience seeing the show the first time and the second time is that it was more familiar which encouraged them to sing along and engage in ways that they wanted to, which shows that repetition is positive. Giving spaces for neurodivergent people to be able to play and explore sensory aspects and experience intensive interaction encourages them to have meaningful interactions.”
Sandra Walters, LLD/D Lecturer, αԼ, said: “The learners are thoroughly enjoying the theatre experience.
“They are participating with the interactions and the performers adjust their performance, depending on the response from the group. A great experience for them!”
Make/Sense Theatre are also currently working with high needs students at Reading College and University Centre on Fridays. The theatre group will be visiting high needs students at Banbury and Bicester and City of Oxford College and University Centre after half-term, and Guildford College and Merrist Wood College and University Centre after Christmas.
αԼ’s high needs provision was graded as Outstanding by Ofsted during their last inspection in November 2022, recognising the exceptional work being done across its high needs provision.
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