Oxfordshire SEND students experience theatre performances

High Needs students at Banbury and Bicester College and City of Oxford College and University Centre have participated in multi-sensory theatre shows with Make/Sense Theatre company.

Since the beginning of the second half of term, students studying Supported Learning – Tier 2 at Banbury and Bicester College and City of Oxford College and University Centre have taken part in four weekly sessions.

Make/Sense Theatre make theatre for, by and with the neurodivergent community in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey.

The theatre company runs youth theatres, holiday and after-school clubs in special educational needs settings. They do outreach in the community, with adults and individuals with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and alternative provision. They offer supported internships and work experience for neurodivergent individuals.

Three professionally trained actors and a technician from their multi-sensory theatre offering 7Sense visited the college every Thursday at Banbury and Bicester College, and every Friday at City of Oxford College and University Centre, 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 sensory offerings to encourage engagement, ownership and play with the students.

A technician plays soundscapes which change according to the story to set the scene for the students. There are also original songs sung by the actors and accompanied by an actor-musician on a ukelele.

The show is a multi-sensory piece catering for audiences with complex sensory needs and/or profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Sky bound has been repeated each week, which helped the students to play, and grow in advocacy and 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 colleges.

It gives the students access to theatre and the arts, which they might not obtain otherwise.

Rhianna Petrie and Archie Fox are studying Supported Learning – Tier 2 at Banbury and Bicester College.

Rhianna said: “I liked the acting and the thunder and lightning. It was good.”

Archie said: “I liked Jack Sparrow and the music.”

Cathy Parkin, 7Sense Actor at Make/Sense Theatre, said:

“The shows have been really good. They’ve been well received by the young people and staff have been very complimentary.

“There’s a nice sense of familiarity where the young people know what’s coming, and they’re getting to the point now where they know the show so well that they can almost partake in it. They have the freedom to unmask in the space, and to do and be whatever they want.”

Kate Johnson, LLD/D Course Lead at Banbury and Bicester College, said:

“Hosting the 7Sense Theatre was an incredible opportunity for our learners. The cast were friendly and inclusive, immediately putting our learners at ease with their warm approach.

“The sensory input was outstanding, incorporating auditory, visual and kinaesthetic elements that enhanced sensory awareness and feedback.

“The repetition of the sessions created anticipation for what was coming next, which the students eagerly looked forward to, thereby increasing their engagement over the weeks.

“The songs, which used a single melody with different lyrics, quickly became familiar to the learners, encouraging them to sing along.

“The emotional benefit of these sessions was significant, as they allowed learners to express their emotions, leading to improved emotional regulation and wellbeing.

“They offer a platform for creative expression, which is vital for the cognitive and emotional development of SEND learners.”