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FEATURE
SPOTLIGHT
A sensory theatre for a digital world A special educational need or disability should not reduce access to the arts but in many cases it does. Embracing Arts was established to help all children experience theatre and the arts. We speak to Claire Sundin, artistic director, about the charity’s experiences during the pandemic, and what this means for their future work. What does your charity, Embracing Arts, do? The children we work with have complex needs, ASD, PMLD or life-limiting illness. We, like many others, believe that every child should be able to enjoy the magic of theatre, and we provide theatrical experiences that can be brought to them, wherever they are. Our work is multi-sensory and participatory and can be tailored to the needs of each audience using storytelling, song, music and puppetry to entertain, engage and educate.
When did you start your work with children? We have been working with children’s hospices and SEND schools since 2009, bringing interactive sensory shows into their venues over the Christmas period, free of charge with our annual project, Christmas for Kids. In 2020, we began delivering inclusive parties and workshops for
SEND schools. Our mission is to improve wellbeing for those participating and our work is inclusive, sensory, musical, interactive, and performer led.
How did the pandemic change things for you? In 2020, we planned to tour our Christmas show to over 60 venues including children’s hospices, hospitals and SEND schools across the UK. Covid-19 had a huge impact on our plans, as it has for so many others. Our first responsibility was to our participants. We were aware that our work with the most vulnerable and isolated audiences was needed more than ever. Initially, we created a series of songs and stories, read by our puppets and sung by our alumni of actors, available on our YouTube channel. But this would not be a replacement for our ‘in-person’ tour.
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BIO CLAIRE SU N DIN Claire has worked with children with complex needs for over 15 years. She graduated from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and is an actor, singer, drama facilitator and artistic director of Embracing Arts. Claire directs the Christmas for Kids project, digital productions and devises Embracing Arts parties and school workshops. To register for the free show, visit https://bit.ly/3pRCzer and to find out more about the charity, visit www.embracingarts.org.uk
