27th March 2017
An interactive theatre production called ?Paint? visited Barking & Dagenham College last week.
The show travels around the country and is aimed at young people who have Learning Difficulties and Disabilities. Small groups get to interact and become part of the show, which involves music, lighting, atmosphere and, of course, paint!
‘Paint’ is an interactive sensory experience that encourages young people with disabilities to engage and create in a world of sensory play. Mixing live performance and music with action painting and messy play, they use paint to touch and explore the 360º multi-sensory environment.
Steve Byrne, Interplay Theatre’s Artistic Director says “The notion is to leave a trace and a space. We want to unlock their engagement. The inflatable in the photo is used as a portal into the play; we bring them into the new world, where they are the characters."
On Wednesday last week, five groups of six to seven college students took part in the show.
Elisabeth Honeysett, Curriculum Team Leader for Learning Disabilities and Difficulties commented:
“Our students really responded positively and engaged in all the activities. Some of our more ‘reticent’ students and those with autism, who are often reluctant to engage, became really animated and vocal!”
Tutor Teresa Byrne saw how, in particular, one of her students was positively affected:
“We have one young lady, who has severe communication difficulties and confidence issues. In fact, she has found it hard to integrate into the group since her start here in September 2016.
“However, after the paint session, I was amazed to see her burst through the classroom door to try and tell me about her experience. She was so lively and animated and collected different coloured pens to compare them to the paint on her peers. She was flushed with excitement and even struck different poses to relate what she had been doing.”
