Engaging audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
Engaging audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
By
Frozen Light
Learn how Frozen Light developed a show and worked with venues on its tour to engage audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).
Introducing Frozen Light
Frozen Light is a touring company that creates exciting and original multi-sensory theatre for audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).
We have a passion for stories and adventures, engaging interactive theatre and theatre that encompasses all senses.
Frozen Light was grown out of a desire to make theatre for audiences that don’t usually access theatre in mainstream arts venues.
We are an associate company of the New Wolsey Ipswich who share our vision of accessible theatre for all.
Our audiences
We focus on creating theatre for people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).
Lucy and I had previously done a lot of work performing multi-sensory storytelling shows in special schools after graduation in 2007. After six years of creating small-scale solo work we wanted to push ourselves artistically by working in professional theatre settings.
We wanted to increase the quality of our work and ensure that our audiences with PMLD could attend our shows with their families, outside of the school context as well as providing opportunity for school excursions. We also wanted to provide opportunities for adults with PMLD to access the theatre.
That provides the challenge of reaching lots of individuals rather than groups but it’s important to us that families have that opportunity to attend a performance together.
Our long-term ambitions...
- To increase the quality and availability of theatre for people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
- To achieve equal opportunity for people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
The project
The Forest was a multi-sensory production for teenagers and adults with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. It was Frozen Light’s second theatre production and the first that would tour entirely to theatre settings.
Our previous Grants for the Arts-funded tour of Tunnels had paved the way by transferring into a theatre setting. Tunnels was developed through a special school tour and followed by a theatre tour, also supported by house.
We received two separate grants for The Forest: one for the Research and Development Phase and then a smaller grant to support the tour.
Download the case study to read on:
Engaging audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PDF)
