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creating possibilities for disabled children
Image of Storm at Shanghai Children's Art Theatre
Image of Storm at Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre

‘‘It was a magical, theatrical, atmospheric delight. Transporting our young people to a magical island, the interaction between actors and students created a unique shared experience.” Joni McAuliffe, The Avenue School

About the show:

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Tempest, Storm tells the story of the magician Prospero, his apprentice Ariel and the creature Caliban.

Designed for autistic children and young people, this enchanting, intimate production has been carefully designed to put audience members at ease throughout, giving them space and time to move freely and experience the show in their own way.

Using elements of The Tempest and a limited amount of Shakespeare’s language, Storm tells a dramatic story of the sea, ships, islands and magic. Audience members will be welcomed into the performance space with relaxing music and during the performance will be invited to interact with the actors and the setting.

About Storm

Storm has toured UK schools, featured at the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, and toured to Shanghai and Egypt. A Chinese version of the show has been created in partnership with Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre.

About Bamboozle’s shows for autistic audiences:

These performances are intimate shows for a maximum group size of 6 children accompanied by their teachers, carers, or family group.

In school settings, we accommodate smaller group sizes of four audience members to enable a 1:1 ratio with our team of four performers.

Maintaining small audiences enables our team to provide a high level of focussed attention and the opportunity for intensive interaction. Each moment will be tailored to each child’s needs by a team of Bamboozle performers who are highly experienced in adapting to, and interacting with, children and young people who have a variety of complex and differing needs.

“I am speechless. The performance excelled all expectations. It was fantastic. Never before have I watched a show that is so inclusive and adaptable to all needs. The intensive interaction applied was extremely inspiring”. Imogen Pearce, Radlett Lodge School

“Wow, it was breath-taking. A real privilege to watch our students so engaged and present in your show. To see their responses and even communicating with words they heard within the performance was magical. Thank you”. Aimee Robinson, Priory Woods School

“I couldn’t hope for a better, more sensitive, engaging performance. Fully immersive, totally exciting!!’’ Ian Bearcroft, Oakleigh School

What you need to know

This show can be adapted for individual sensory sensitivities by informing our team of any particular sensitivities ahead of performances. The show includes moments of loud acoustic music, loud voices and interactive props.

Cost: TBC.

Recommended age range: 6 – 14 years.

  • We’re able to provide up to 4 x 40 minute performances throughout the school day.
  • Each show for a maximum group of 4 children.
  • For groups where pupils are comfortable with sitting for a 40 minute performance, we can accommodate groups of 6.

Floor space required: 10m x 7m x 3.5m high minimum. We require exclusive use of the space for the duration of our visit.

Further information and resources

Watch a short film about the show in a school setting

A short film of Storm at Hakawy International Arts festival for Children

Download our Companion Pack for Teachers and Support Staff

See an example of our Visual Story

Rain splashes over the top of a blue umbrella twirled by an actor. Two young audience members feel the water spray. A musician plays a wash tub bass in the background.
Performance of Rain Rain at Riverside School, March 2020

“Amazing – awe-inspiring and thoroughly engaging. Beautiful and mesmerising. Thank you so much”. Lisa Boyes, Victoria Education Centre

Patience and Bird are waiting for rain in the dusty, dry heat of the American Dust Bowl when Clanky Jane arrives with her ‘Cloud-O-Matic’ rain making machine.  Featuring captivating visual effects, puppetry, live music and a sprinkling of water, Rain Rain will immerse your children in a safe and engaging adventure.

This intimate show for just 6 children is specifically designed for audiences of children on the autistic spectrum.  The actors are highly skilled at creating a welcoming and calm space where time is given to accommodate the particular needs of individual children.  Parents can relax safe in the knowledge that Bamboozle has a well-earned world-wide reputation for creating theatre for children on the spectrum.

About Rain Rain:

Rain Rain is the adapted version of our original show Pulse for autistic children, which was developed with the aim of creating a production with three different versions that were adaptable for the needs of our different audiences; disabled audiences with complex needs, those on the autism spectrum and inclusive audiences. Rain Rain toured to special schools through the UK in March 2020 – a tour which was sadly cut short due to the mounting risks of Coronavirus at the time – and was sent out again for a five week schools tour in Autumn 2022.

Cost:

The cost for a school to book Rain Rain is £1,295.

We provide up to 4 x  40 minute performances (subject to the timings of the school day), with each performance catering for 4 – 6 pupils. (Group sizes will depend on pupils’ individual access needs, with a maximum of 4 pupils in groups who might be described as hard to reach to ensure a 1:1 ratio with members of the Bamboozle team).

To book please email jade@bamboozletheatre.co.uk, or call our office on 0116 255 2065 and ask for Jade or Jennifer.

Watch this video to see our ‘relaxed’ version for inclusive audiences:

About Bamboozle’s shows for autistic audiences:

Bamboozle’s productions for autistic audiences are designed to cater for groups of up to 6 children, aged 6-14, and their family groups or teachers and support staff. The shows accommodate the very wide range of abilities within the autism spectrum.

Bamboozle’s continuing research has highlighted the need for performances that are accessible to all levels of the spectrum including those children and young people who are described as being hard-to-reach or those who may present behaviour that challenges us.

Performances are tailored to each child’s needs by a team of Bamboozle performers who are highly experienced in adapting to, and interacting with, children and young people who have a variety of complex and differing needs.

“Children who would not usually initiate independent exploration stood up and actively engaged in the scene. Vocalisations, words and phrases were made and said that are rarely heard in the classroom setting. A wonderful performance and I was overwhelmed by the response from our children! They thoroughly enjoyed it!” – Josie McGrath, Priory Woods School

“The show has it all: sensory stimulation, catchy songs and beats and beautiful participatory moments where each child felt important and like the only one in the room. A compelling story with a realistic message of hope and determination.

It brought me to tears to witness the children interact, laugh out loud, get lost in the show, overcome moments of fear, and ultimately have fun watching a show so accessible for them. There needs to be so much more arts accessible for everyone – it has possibility to create change and Bamboozle did that today”. Kathryn Oscier, Portfield School

What you need to know:

This show can be adapted for individual sensory sensitivities by informing our team of any particular sensitivities ahead of performances.

Floor space required: 11m x 6m x 3m high minimum. Bamboozle’s requires exclusive use of the space for the duration of our visit.

The production features natural sensory materials including Children’s Play Sand mixed with organic cinnamon, diluted essential basil oil, (not applied directly to skin), cornflakes, rubber wellington boots and hessian sacks. The production also features some loud percussive sounds, and a light sprinkling of water over the audience.

Recommended age range: 8-16 years

Further information and resources

Listen to our Rain Rain theme by artist Gren Bartley

Example of Visual Story

Rain Rain Companion Pack for Teachers and Support Staff

The Backyard: The Wildings

“The Wildings has been created for autistic children & young people. It is a beautifully inclusive natural space, where the whole family can relax, explore and express themselves in an environment that is playful, and free from judgement or expectation.” – Dawn Bowden, Bamboozle Artist

 

The Wildings is as experience which we developed at The Bamboozle Backyard – a wildlife plot on an allotment site in Leicester. It is an oasis of calm and creativity waiting to be explored and brought to life during The Wildings sessions. The Wildings are sessions led by Bamboozle artists where the family can escape the busyness and stresses of modern life and take a breath.

“Instant relaxation!  Anxiety ebbs away rapidly. The magic of the location, and the wonderful people involved are a magical combination. Like walking into a daydream!”  Vicky Davies, parent.

During these sessions, you and your child will be encouraged to relax and recharge alongside the artists, who will skilfully provide a safe and engaging space to explore the natural elements within the site.

Each session will be organic in the way it develops and will be age-appropriate and child-led. The artists will pretend to be quirky characters with whom the children can choose to engage with, and explore ideas and activities. They can make potions, float stones or make mud soup!

The children can, if they choose to, follow their own ideas within a playful, fun environment.

This experience has recently been adapted for Festival settings and Forest School environments. If you’d like to enquire about bringing The Wildings to your outdoor space, please email info@bamboozletheatre.co.uk.

We continue to run FREE Wildings sessions for families at our Bamboozle Backyard in Leicester during certain school holidays.

>> To find out more and our current availability, please click here.

Would you like to get a postcard from the Backyard?

During the Winter months when we aren’t able to run our Backyard sessions in person, we’re sending a bit of Backyard to your home!

>> Join our Hibernation Series activities here.

Thank you to our funders!

The Might Creatives’ Creative Community Fund

Originally created with investment from The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Re-Wilding Characters you might meet

                 Aurora Sue                                    Mac George                                        Little Wing

               Aurora Dawn                                     Tayosong                                            Grace          

The audience gathers. The music swells.  The mist swirls.  Anticipation.  Then arriving in the playground the full-grown Firebird.  Its five-metre wingspan hovers above the audience, circling, swooping and diving.

Based on the myths and legends of the Phoenix, this spectacular new production promises to bring an unforgettable experience into your school grounds or outdoor space. If you’d like to arrange a visit full of unique Bamboozle puppetry, comic characters and live music – including a chicken jazz band! – please get in touch.

Our Firebird tour has come to an end for 2022, however the show is available for one-off or multiple bookings. Please email info@bamboozletheatre.co.uk for further details.

Watch our Firebird trailer:

Which of my students will the show be suitable for and how many can access it?

Who is it suitable for? This show is devised for a wide range of learning-disabled students, including those sometimes described as SLD, MLD and some students on the autistic spectrum.  While it is not specifically designed for those described as PMLD there will be Bamboozle’s customary mix of sensory possibilities, this will be more suitable for PMLD students who respond to sound, as there will be a lot of live and recorded music.

Who is it not suitable for? We will be working within Covid restriction guidance, so will not be able to offer close-up interactions in person.  This will limit the possibilities for students described as PMLD who are visually impaired, though, as above, it will suit those who respond to sound. It is not suitable for those on the Autistic Spectrum who need to be able to move around freely nor for those with the sort of challenging behaviour that makes it difficult to guarantee calm observance of boundaries.  This is because the actors will need to remain socially distanced from the audience. In addition: The Firebird and other puppets/props cannot be touched in the way Bamboozle shows normally accommodate for both Covid secure reasons and to avoid any unintentional damage.

How many can experience it? The show is designed to play to four class bubbles of any size.  The climax of the production takes place outdoors, with all four class bubbles watching at the same time, so there must be a suitable outdoor space, large enough for you to safely distance the class bubbles.

What happens if it rains?

The performance will go ahead unless the Bamboozle team judge the weather to be so severe that it poses a safety risk. Therefore the school will need to ensure pupils have warm clothing, wet weather gear and umbrellas available to cope with the British summer!  If you have a covered outdoor area, then we can also work with you to see how we could stage the performance such that the audience can stand under cover if the rains come.

This sounds great, what else do I need to know?

This experience is a unique one and will be different in each school, we will need to work closely with you to plan where and when each part of the action will unfold, please read The Firebird in your School to understand more about how the experience is likely to work across a school day.

More information

Download the Firebird – Companion Pack for Teachers Summer 2022

Our Front of House performances are designed to bring a burst of live music and colour to your front door!

Our performances provide a 30-minute set of acoustic and electric songs from a team of three musicians and a technician. The team arrive and set up a festival-themed performance area in either a front of back garden, or on street outside your house.

Front of House performances have been designed to ensure that our team can remain socially distanced from each other and from our audience. In order to for us to set up, we’ll need room to put up a 3m x 3m gazebo, with at least another 3m in front of the gazebo, and a meter either side for speakers.

If weather permits, families can sit outside to enjoy the performance, or remain inside the home to enjoy the music, e.g. this set up is recommended if you and your family are shielding, or if social distancing might present an issue for your children.

We encourage neighbours to listen in from a safe distance, too, whether in their own gardens or from their doorsteps. We will provide flyers that you can put through letterboxes to notify neighbours about our visit in advance. 

We are currently resting our Front of House project, and will update this page when the project goes out again. 

For any enquiries, please email: jennifer@bamboozletheatre.co.uk.

What families have said about our Front of House performances

“A special privilege of having a private concert on our front garden! My daughter laughed and danced and it felt so special to have those memories”. Andrea, parent

“I was humbled by the effort Bamboozle had gone to specifically to entertain my daughter. Our neighbours were thrilled to be invited and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was really lovely to see and be able to talk to people we hadn’t had any face to face contact with for some considerable time. It brightened up our weekend and lifted our spirits”. Iona, parent

“My daughter absolutely loved the performance, which was truly unique and something she hadn’t experienced before. She loved the fact that the performance was taking place in her garden and so she didn’t have the anxiety she would normally experience going out to a venue to see it. Tess, parent

“Amazing experience, so special just for our family. Unforgettable” Judith, parent

“It was something extremely special for my daughter as she has been shielding. It was a way of keeping her connected to the things she loves through this tricky time. Her visual difficulties mean she struggles to access things via a screen so this was perfect for her”. Joanne, parent

What you need to know

Recommended age range: flexible

Possible triggers: Loud music (volume can be altered as appropriate).

Download visual story

See an example of our flyer for neighbours

 

Please contact us via info@bamboozletheatre.co.uk and we will respond either via email or with a phone call if that is more suitable.

Photos of Bamboozle's AS production Moon Song at Shanghai Children's Art Theatre. An actress listens to the voice on a young audience member through a long silver tube.
Photo credit: Moon Song at Shanghai Children’s Art Centre, 2019

“It was magical to see how the pupils engaged with the show. The staff are so highly skilled and adjusted to every students’ needs”. Antonia Peters, Lakeside School.

Moon Song tells the story of Megan who falls asleep dreams of going to the moon where she encounters silvery creatures, flying saucers and shooting stars. Welcomed into the performance with relaxing music, audience members are invited to join Megan on a space-themed adventure.

This enchanting, intimate production is designed to put audience members at ease throughout, giving them space and time to move freely and experience the show in their own way.

Using Bamboozle’s calm approach, incorporating invitation and interaction, this sensory show caters for groups of six autistic children along with their families and carers or school staff.

About Moon Song:

Moon Song has toured to UK schools and theatres and toured internationally to Shanghai Children’s Art Theatre.

About Bamboozle’s shows for autistic audiences:

These performances are intimate shows for a maximum group size of 6 children accompanied by their teachers, carers, or family group.

In school settings, we accommodate smaller group sizes of four audience members to enable a 1:1 ratio with our team of four performers.

Maintaining small audiences enables our team to provide a high level of focussed attention and the opportunity for intensive interaction. Each moment will be tailored to each child’s needs by a team of Bamboozle performers who are highly experienced in adapting to, and interacting with, children and young people who have a variety of complex and differing needs.

“Fantastic! Our students find everyday a challenge, often needing constant direction and support to keep themselves and others safe. Your performances allow our students freedom to be themselves and for us to observe them in a place they can connect and understand”. Alex Sawyer, Yeoman Park School.

“Very moving – it was incredible to see the actors interact with the children and the time that was taken to give attention to each child individually. It really felt like a safe space was created where the children could join in and express themselves”. Nosheen Rara, Phoenix Primary and Secondary School.

What you need to know

This show can be adapted for individual sensory sensitivities by informing our team of any particular sensitivities ahead of performances. The show includes moments of loud acoustic music, loud voices and interactive props.

Recommended age range: 6 – 14 years

Further information and resources

Watch our short film about the show

  Watch our longer film (20 minutes) with commentary from Artistic Director, Christopher Davies.

Listen to our Moon Song theme by artist Tayo Akinbode.

Moon Song Companion Pack for Teachers and Support Staff

 

 

 

 

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