Welcome to Staying in Touch — a series where we catch up with artists who’ve been part of our Artist Development programmes.
Artist Development is central to our work: a way to connect outwards, open things up, and keep learning, as together we push the boundaries of Sensory Theatre. Through this series, we’re shining a light on where these artists are now, what advice they’d give others, and what’s stuck with them from their time at Oily Cart. It’s all about celebrating both individuals, and the wider community we’re all a part of — the artists, young people and companies who are shifting what theatre can be and who it’s for.
Ella in her solo show, Operation Shrink. Credit: Christa Holka.
In this blog, we hear from theatre-maker, facilitator and producer, Ella McGran. Ella completed a placement with us in 2023, as part of her degree in Theatre and Social Change at Rose Bruford College.
Since my placement with Oily Cart back in 2023, I have now graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Theatre and Social Change from Rose Bruford College. My placement heavily influenced the work that I carried out in my final year of study as I was inspired to write my dissertation on the use of Sensory Theatre practices alongside classical texts, and how these techniques can aid our understanding of unfamiliar language.
Since graduating, I have been working predominantly as a theatre facilitator. I’m currently on a School’s project with Go Live Theatre, where we are working with learning disabled young people in 3 London-based schools to create their very own shows about kindness to perform to their peers, teachers, and family members. As a producer, I have been working on the development and future of my autobiographical solo show about disordered eating, which I hope one day will tour secondary schools and colleges around the country to support young people who may be experiencing something similar.
Ella collaborated with other students (like former Placement student Billie, pictured) to explore the use of Sensory Theatre in a scene from The Tempest, ahead of her dissertation practical assessment. Credit: Ella McGran.
My time at Oily Cart massively shaped the way that I work and what is important to me as a producer, theatre-maker, and facilitator. One moment that has really stuck with me was a staff sensory walk where we guided each other around the park with our eyes closed, focusing on touch, sound and smell. I have since used this with young people, and they love it!
My advice to anyone wanting to work in theatre or, more specifically, Sensory Theatre, would be to tell everyone you meet about what you believe in and where you want to be. When working with young people, always take their lead; they often know what they need best, and you can and will learn so much from them.
For me, the connections that can be made through Sensory Theatre are what makes the work so meaningful and unlike any other. Whilst I continue to focus on my solo show for now, I hope to one day produce a brand new sensory theatre show (or two…)!!
Every so often you are part of a show that makes you want to linger in the imaginary world indefinitely, somehow there’s always more to discover. Although its more than 5 years since the inception of When the World Turns, to this day it continues to grow with a life of its own…
This is the second of two blogs by Oily Cart Artistic Director Ellie Griffiths, sharing how the show was made. The first part is about the origins and early development of the project: How we made When the World Turns: The Seed
R&D Collaborating Artist, Greta Chambers McMillan, experiencing the final show. Credit: Roswitha Chesher.
De-centring humans
In the show’s immersive environment we created, every sensory dimension is just as important as the humans in the show. The surround-sound scape (designed by Max Reinhardt and Steph O’Hara) is built from field recordings of nature. One of my favourite ‘tunes’ in the show is a track featuring the sounds of real mosquitos with different pitches, layered together in harmony. The lighting (designed by Marty Langthorne and Richard Vabre) is imbued with the colour tones and dynamics of natural light.
This hierarchal shift has a synergy with how I have witnessed many audiences of disabled children interact with sensory performances over the years. Despite theatre’s default of centralising the human story, often I witness audiences of individuals who might be just as interested in the shadows, by the sources of sound, by the smells in the room, by the texture of their seat, as they are in performers. In this way, each person authors their own ‘story’ of the show.
This shift of traditional hierarchies, of de-centralising the human in both theatre and the living world, has a satisfying resonance. Here you are welcome to interact with every aspect of your environment. Here all living beings and parts of the eco-system are valued equally.
When the World Turns. Credit: Suzi Corker.
Being Still
There were times in the process where we had to grapple with the balance of inclusion and sustainability (for example, the use of plastic as a robust material that can be cleaned easily when passed around for interaction with lots of audience members). This was unlocked by the theme of stillness. What this young audience often bring to a space is a sensory presence, and a natural focus on ‘Being rather than doing’ (a phrase coined by the researcher and artist Dr Jill Goodwin). By celebrating the value of being still, we hint at how much could be learnt from this community about our relationship with the natural world. When you let go of focusing on rushing around and ’doing’, you have time to notice the layers of life that are around you all the time. You start to value things differently. In this way, sustainability and inclusion need never be placed at odds with each other.
Variation
We (Oily Cart and Polyglot… Sue and I) set out to make the same show together. One thing I’ve found surprising is how simply ‘re-planting’ the first version of the show in a new culture and creative eco-system didn’t work out in the ways we anticipated. With each new iteration, new artists and collaborators have invested their ideas and input. The materials, smells and textures are different here. This is alongside the producing company’s different models, and unique history of Sensory Theatre work in each place.
All of this has fed into the two versions of the When the World Turns show feeling more like siblings. As Sue reflected, from seeing the UK show at Edinburgh International Children’s Festival recently: ”They have the same DNA, but distinct personalities”. Although not our original intention, this has brought us to a way of international co-producing that feels aligned with the values of eco-scenography: There is room for variance, evolution and transferring rather than parachuting into new environments. The soil we plant in is unique to place. The When the World Turns sister shows share values and practice, and both continue to evolve and be shaped by audiences they meet around the world.
Since premiering the first version of the show in 2022, there have been many off-shoots; an At Home version, A World Beneath Us, and a new show for babies and their grown-ups, Great Big Tiny World.
Great Big Tiny World. Credit: Suzi Corker.A World Beneath Us. Photos provided by families. Photo 3 credit: Suzi Corker
Over the last year our Associate Director Rhiannon Armstrong has taken on creative leadership of the UK version of When the World Turns. I can see it growing and shifting once more, guided by the careful hands that nurture it now.
When the World Turns is filled with the love of making, of growing together and apart, and the love of all living beings in their unique glory.
I want to thank the of hundreds of makers, production managers, producers, gardeners, artists, performers past and present, across the globe who have realised this vision as an eco-system… (The director always gets too much credit for something created by many hands and minds.)
To Mary and Wendy who planted that original seed. I hope they are proud of the continuing impact their vision is having around the world.
Both shows continue to tour in both countries and beyond. Long may they thrive!
When the World Turns, a collaboration between Oily Cart (UK) and Polyglot Theatre (AUS), was originally commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne for arts and disability festival Alter State 2022.
Every so often you are part of a show that makes you want to linger in the imaginary world indefinitely, somehow there’s always more to discover. Although its more than 5 years since the inception of When the World Turns, to this day it continues to grow with a life of its own…
This is the first of two blogs by Oily Cart Artistic Director Ellie Griffiths, sharing how the show was made.
Photo from the first UK R&D. Credit: Suzi Corker.
The Seed
The project began with the vision of Mary Harvey and Wendy O’Neill of Arts Centre Melbourne, who commissioned Oily Cart to collaborate with Polyglot Theatre to make a new piece of Sensory Theatre. Strategically, this was to change the fact that, at that point, there were no companies making theatre for children with multiple and complex barriers to access in the region.
As a new Artistic Director, who had long admired Polyglot’s practice, it was a dream gig to collaborate with former Director Sue Giles, who is a prolific theatre maker and thought leader in the field of theatre for young audiences. Both our practices are child-led theatre to the core, but we were working with different forms and methodologies, which provided scope for rich cross-fertilisation.
We quickly found a shared spark; dreaming up a show that honoured the atmosphere brought by young people most likely to be ‘parked’ in a theatre experience. Rushed past, because their responses and communication may be less recognisable to performers, and they appear to be more passive. We were motivated further by a conversation with a family who had a disabled child, who said they were often made to feel they didn’t belong in natural spaces. This came from not only a lack of physical access to wilder spaces for wheelchair users, but also a felt attitude from others that their way of being in the world somehow wasn’t ‘natural’. More than anything, we wanted to make a show that makes this audience feel that ‘you belong here’, and that belonging isn’t bound up in action or productivity.
Photos from UK R&D. Credit: Suzi Corker.
Eco-Scenography
This led us to the work of the ecological designer DrTanja Beer, to join us as a core collaborator. Tanja is an award-winning designer and researcher who has established a new field of ecological stage design called ‘Eco-scenography’. When the World Turns was built around these principles of a circular way of making, where the sourcing and re-distribution at the end of a project is considered as rigorously as the event of sharing the work. (No small task for an immersive art-form that often uses a lot of ‘stuff’!)
Over several years of remote collaboration, across time and space, and many, many Zoom conversations with Sue and Tanja (that were stimulating, challenging, sometimes baffling and always fascinating), the show began to slowly take root. Each country hosted creative developments with local creative teams. One team would make a response to what had been created and explored in the other country.
Collaborating Artist, Greta McMillan, during the UK R&D. Credit: Suzi Corker.
Biophilic Patterns
A big lightbulb moment in the creative process for me was when Tanja introduced us to the biophilic patterns, which are patterns in nature that can be weaved into design, to create ‘living’ environments that have a soothing, regulating effect on people who spend time in them. We devised around these patterns, such as ‘dynamic and diffused light’, ‘presence of water’ and ‘risk and refuge’. These felt like such natural meeting points of our ecological and sensory practices.
The patterns became the basis of the design and content of the show. The set is made up of hundreds of live plants, who fill the atmosphere with fresh oxygen and natural scent, creating a living breathing sensory environment. Plants have more sensory receptors than humans, which I think creates the ultimate responsive environment. What the audience does affects what the performers do, which affects the plants, which affect how people in the space feel… one of my favourite things is seeing how different people (adults and children) look in their body language and faces when they leave the space, from when they went in. The effect is tangible and is a focus on Tanja’s ongoing research.
When the World Turns (UK Performance Space). Credit: Suzi Corker.
Read the second blog for more on the creative process, international collaboration, and how the show continues to grow…
When the World Turns, a collaboration between Oily Cart (UK) and Polyglot Theatre (AUS), was originally commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne for arts and disability festival Alter State 2022.
Our current touring production of When the World Turns is directed by award-winning interdisciplinary artist, Rhiannon Armstrong. We’ve been lucky to collaborate with Rhiannon on different projects and in different ways over the past few years, from dramaturg onJamboree to joining Oily Cart as our first Associate Artist in 2019.
Rhiannon first worked on When the World Turnsto create an audio piece for a work in progress sharing as part of Bibu Festival, Sweden. As a live artist working in relational practice, we were excited by the wealth of new skills and ways of thinking they would bring to Oily Cart and When the World Turns as Director.
The White Noise Factory. Photo: Jemima Yong.
We wanted to share the blog Rhiannon wrote in 2019 at the end of their time as Associate Artist: at the bottom of the page there is also a video introducing their current project, The White Noise Factory:
How did I get here?
I hear a lot of talk about ‘challenging work’: this is usually presumed to mean work that challenges its audience, rather than the audience’s capacity to challenge the assumptions and processes of those that are doing the making.
There is an inclusivity at work at Oily Cart that I wanted to immerse myself in. Like many aspects of my life, my evolving work in sensory performance now lets me sit astride two worlds. Depending on the context:
I am both enabled and disabled
I am both a migrant and a national
I am both a young people’s sensory maker and an experimental performance/live artist
Being in both worlds stops me getting too comfortable in my perspectives and helps me question mine and others’ assumptions. I also get to bring philosophies and practices from each context and let them influence one another. I intend to keep melding, percolating, pollinating worlds.
What did I do as an associate?
I began by working as dramaturg on Ellie’s first two productions as Artistic Director: Jamboree, and All Wrapped Up. I brought experience and skills in ensemble performance-making to the company while also expanding my understanding of Sensory Theatre, and the barriers faced by audiences and collaborators alike.
Scene from All Wrapped Up. Photo credit: Suzi Corker.
An associateship can give both company and individuals space to develop successful long-term working relationships. I was collaborating artist on Something Love, and commissioned to create a sound work for When The World Turns, with Oily Cart and Polyglot Theatre (Australia).
My final act as associate was to travel to BIBU for my first taste of the international Sensory Theatre scene. As an independent artist it is rare to be able to attend these symposia and festivals.
Making my own sensory work
Oily Cart also encouraged me to seek funding to begin creating my own sensory work, providing mentoring, in kind studio and production support, and introductions to families and schools. The Covid-19 pandemic derailed a lot of my plans but thanks to support from Oily Cart and my funders (Unlimited, Jerwood Arts, and Paul Hamlyn) I was able to undertake collaborative explorations into sound as a form of touch and intimacy without social interaction, with staff and students at Swiss Cottage School; Sam and Lucy Bowen; and Tim Spooner.
Working with Lucy Bowen (session musician on The White Noise Factory).
The resulting project is now called The White Noise Factory. Its process is particularly attentive to young people’s inherent musicality, and considers possibilities for collaboration across time and distance, without relying on linguistic communication. The work explores what happens when we privilege sensory meaning-making over intellectual meaning-making.
What do I want to say about my time as Associate Artist
The main thing I want to emphasise is how much of a ripple effect my time as Associate has had. I have just finished a spell as artist in residence at Ashmount School in Loughborough with Attenborough Arts Centre. I would never have undertaken this residency before or have even known about it. Tim Spooner and I made a whole new sensory listening device which has already travelled with me to specialist schools and into family homes as part of remote and in person sensory sound collaborations. This was Tim’s first experience of making work for those who face the most barriers to access: our conversations about intended audience and the complex and intense nature of barriers to access have recurred in my work with other companies who don’t have experience in the sensory sector.
Watch a short video about The White Noise Factory (currently seeking development support):
A major new international collaboration, InSideWays (InUtsikter in Swedish), is set to land not in theatres, but in the heart of people’s homes.
This first-of-its-kind collaboration between pioneers of Sensory Theatre Oily Cart, Sweden’s trailblazing sensory producers Scen:se and regional theatres Folkteatern Gävleborg and Estrad Norrmarks the first time an At Home show has been programmed as part of their main theatre season. Launching in Sweden in Autumn 2025 and touring the UK from January 2026, InSideWays is an exciting milestone, showing how Sensory Theatre continues to grow and reach new audiences around the world.
Imagine a world that is sideways… A world where you can taste sound and feel colour. Where straight lines wiggle, and stories don’t stay on the page. Where creativity flows through the kitchen taps and brushing your teeth is magic…
Created for and with disabled children and young people and their families, InSideWays provokes new ways of playing together, to gently tilt perspectives of our homes, and those nearest and dearest to us. The show will land on each family’s doorstep and, through a series of sensory experiences, will immerse the whole home in sounds, music, smells, light, colour, textures and even taste. Rooms will gradually transform over two weeks, revealing the extraordinary in the everyday.
Oily Cart created their first At Home show for families during the Covid-19 lockdowns. InSideWays builds on what they learnt: that when the same artistic rigour and resource are invested in shows for people’s homes, world-class theatre becomes accessible to everyone, even if they have barriers to accessing public venues. “Sensory Theatre is for everyone,” says Eva von Hofsten, founder and artistic project director of Scen:se. “and through this collaboration we are gaining towards our ambition to reach everyone.”
“InSideWays has led us all into new creative territory,” says Ellie Griffiths, Artistic Director of Oily Cart. “We’ve spent the last year tasting sound, sensing patterns and creating stories that won’t stay on the page.”The creative process involves artists across the UK and Sweden, including the Bowen Family. Young artist Lucy Bowen is a music maker who explores sound in different ways, combining acoustic sound with physical, tactile touch, and even taste. “We are excited that Lucy will be working with artists from the UK and Sweden to develop this immersive experience,” says Sam Bowen, multi award-winning specialist museum consultant, founder of the SEND in Museums Campaign, and proud mum of Lucy. “As a family who has greatly enjoyed Oily Cart’s theatre, both outside and inside of the home, having this opportunity to directly shape a production is a dream come true for us,”
The show will continue to be developed over the next few months, before premiering in Sweden in October. “This show, more than many, tickles my brain,” says Ellie. “I genuinely feel the possibilities are endless. I don’t know where we will end up, but have a giddy exhilaration that it’s going to be VERY fun when we get there!”
Creative Collaborators: Laura Blake, Annika Bromberg, The Bowen Family, Ellie Griffiths, BK Sannerud, Karl Seldahl, Eva von Hofsten Creative Researcher: Aaron McPeake Pedagogues: Andreas Dahl, Linnea Lundberg, Maka Marambio de la Fuente
Oily Cart will share how UK families can express their interest in booking InSideWays later this year. Follow us for updates: in the Oily Cart newsletter, and on Facebook and Instagram (@oilycart).
Billie, with Access Officer Maka (left) and Executive Director Zoë (right)
About Me My name is Billie Antimony, (@billie_antimony) I’m a performance artist, facilitator, producer, and student currently pursuing my BA(Hons) in Theatre and Social Change from Rose Bruford College. My art explores themes of neurodiversity and disability, often with queer identity. I aim to create art that represents minoritised groups and amplifies marginalised voices, with a focus on how these identities can intersect. I’m passionate about making theatre more inclusive and accessible, I believe in the power of performance to ignite social change.
My journey with Sensory Theatre began when I worked with Ella McGran, a previous Oily Cart placement student, on her dissertation project. Through Ella, I was introduced to the transformative world of Sensory Theatre and Oily Cart’s groundbreaking work. This experience sparked my interest in the field and ultimately led me to apply to pursue my final year producing placement with Oily Cart—a dream come true and an incredible opportunity to deepen my understanding of this incredible, unique art form. I also gained a deeper understanding of how Oily Cart prioritises access, develops audiences, and situates themselves as pioneers of the industry. Their innovative approach to Sensory Theatre—creating immersive, multi-sensory experiences for audiences with the most barriers to access—felt like the perfect environment to grow as a producer and artist, and gain invaluable industry experience.
Gaining Industry Experience
Stepping into Oily Cart’s world was like entering a creative playground. From day one, I was completely immersed in the practicalities of running a theatre company that prioritises inclusivity and accessibility. I got to see how a small but mighty team collaborates to bring their visionary ideas to life, and talk with individuals about how their particular role fits into the system. Whether it was observing how they adapted their processes to meet the needs of their audiences, actors, and staff, or learning about the logistics of touring sensory performances, every moment was a lesson in how to make theatre truly accessible.
A Crash Course in Sensory Theatre
Beyond the practical experience in the office and rehearsal room, my placement also gave me a crash course in the theory behind Sensory Theatre, with oodles of resources to read though, videos to watch, and interviews to dissect. I learned about the importance of sensory integration, the role of neurodiversity in audience engagement, and how to design performances that are inclusive from the ground up. Being able to talk with inspiring artists such as Rhiannon Armstrong and Ellie Griffiths was truly an honour, the opportunity to witness their creative process live was an education and a half. These insights have not only deepened my understanding of Sensory Theatre but have also influenced how I approach my own work as an artist.
Experiencing Sensory Theatre Firsthand
One of the highlights of my placement was experiencing Sensory Theatre in action. Oily Cart’s work is deeply rooted in creating intimate, personalised experiences for their audiences. I had the chance to observe how they use sound, lighting, touch, smell, and movement to engage audiences in ways that traditional theatre often overlooks. It was inspiring to see how much thought and care goes into every detail, from the textures of the props to the pacing of the performance.
Observing Rehearsals for When the World Turns
A particular highlight of my placement was observing rehearsals for Oily Cart’s new tour, When the World Turns. This production is a beautiful exploration of the ecosystem we are all a part of, designed for young audiences with the most barriers to access. Watching the creative team work was like witnessing magic in the making. The way they experimented with sensory elements—like the sound of rain on our paper shelters, or the feeling of a shoe-brush-snake as it wiggles across arms—was both artistic and deeply care-centred. It was fascinating to see how they embodied creativity and playfulness to create an experience that would resonate with their audience.
Having the chance to sit in as an audience member during dress rehearsals was an experience I will never forget, and it has inspired me to pursue creative positions within Sensory Theatre. I was bought into a world where the only thing that mattered was my unapologetic, radical joy in this sensory moment. I was able to stim, tic and verbalise as I needed, something that I am not all that used to. My favourite moment was watching the lights dancing on the top of the tent, as it reflected off the water I was moving with my own hands.
Being a Disabled Artist: Unmasking in a Professional Space
As a disabled artist, I’ve often felt pressure to mask or downplay my disability in professional settings. But at Oily Cart, I felt seen and valued for who I am. The team’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion isn’t just limited to their audiences—it extends to their artists and staff as well. Hearing members of the creative and producing team talk openly about their own access needs was incredibly healing. This environment allowed me to unmask and fully embrace my identity as a disabled creative. It was a powerful reminder that my disability isn’t something to be hidden, but something valued that brings unique perspective that can enrich the creative process. Me and my disability have intrinsic value at Oily Cart. I may have started in November a nervous wreck, but by February I was sitting with my collection of fidgets and headphones typing away without any fear of judgement.
Final Thoughts
My lived experiences, and degree in Theatre and Social Change, have shaped how I view the role of art in society: it is a vital part of telling the story of those who many think have no voice. My time with Oily Cart reinforced the importance of this mission. Seeing how they centre their audiences—most of whom are neurodivergent and / or disabled —in every aspect of their process was incredibly affirming. It reminded me that theatre can be a powerful tool for social change, especially when it prioritises inclusivity and representation.
My time with Oily Cart was more than just a placement—it was a transformative experience. I walked away with a deeper appreciation for the power of Sensory Theatre, a stronger sense of confidence in my identity as a disabled artist, and a wealth of knowledge that I’ll carry with me throughout my career.
If you’re an artist or theatremaker looking to expand your horizons, I can’t recommend Oily Cart enough. Their work is a testament to the fact that theatre can—and should—be for everyone.
We sat down for a chat with Fundraising Assistant, Shania Selvendran, to talk about her time with the company this year. In this blog, Shania lifts the lid on why supporting inclusive arts is vital now more than ever, paving the way for a thriving creative sector where everyone holds the power to make change.
Shania Selvendran
Let’s get straight into it! Why do you think supporting inclusive arts matters?
Creativity is a human right. The act of supporting inclusive arts in today’s world matters more than ever: to reclaim spaces; to disrupt assumptions placed on marginalised communities; to better address the inequalities echoed in society from a radical new perspective.
One of the major obstacles is the huge gaps in public funding. The pandemic and cost-of-living crisis brought to the fore the lack of high-quality accessible arts experiences available in the UK. While the new government sets out its plans to unlock Britain’s £126 billion creative industries, there is still much more progress that needs to be made in the sector to celebrate disabled voices at the front and centre of the world stage.
By supporting inclusive arts, we can together build the infrastructure that supports a pipeline of extraordinary work that will challenge the world. Experiences that are bold, ever-growing, ever-innovative. Experiences that open up fairer, and equalising, spaces for all.
There is much untapped potential in the private sector too. Individual supporters can play a critical role to invest in the high value growth and sustainability of inclusive arts, now and forever.
What has been your journey into fundraising?
It all started when I hosted my own art fair at the age of 12 to raise money for a local cause… 12 years on, I’ve been bridging a career between the UK arts and charity sector, using fundraising as a catalyst to challenge attitudes, develop inclusion and ignite shared activism. I’ve not looked back since!
I’m also a Board Member with Young Arts Fundraisers – a peer-led professional network led by volunteers with a mission to champion the next generation of early-career fundraisers in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors.
Current projects during Shania’s time with Oily Cart. 1. Our co-production with Ockham’s Razor, JOYRIDE (working title). 2. At Home show, A World Beneath Us 3. Baby show Great Big Tiny World
What does supporting inclusive theatre look like?
Every piece of inclusive theatre has a tiny thread of rebellion in it that binds all of us. Throughout the history of disability rights, leading activists used performances as a form of live protest, to communicate campaigns around identity, visibility, unity, connection and justice. Breaking barriers, their movement (alongside allies and clear public support) changed the law and made extraordinary artworks born out of collective action, igniting a new wave of pioneers within a forward-thinking disability culture.
From my viewpoint (and that of many peers), how companies raise money should always come back to collective action.
What are 3 best practices to think about?
Through co-production with disabled people, the communities’ voice, influence and power should be at the heart of fundraising efforts – what they want to see happen, how a campaign is run, and how their story is told. This is what I’m calling ‘expanded listening’, where strategic business development is really led by lived experiences, and to see this ripple out towards change.
We are all a philanthropist*: It is important to note that the idea of being a ‘Supporter’ is not only exclusive to high-net individuals, and becomes part of a bigger strategy. A cake sale, nature trail or even a sponsored run, theatre is better when we are all in this together.
The true spirit of giving is one where everyone holds the power to change: from one-time donations to major, multi-year gifts, you, I and the rest of society can ignite a big movement that advocates with and alongside inclusive theatre for years to come. An approach whereby every person can contribute to a democratic giving ecology is one that we should fully back.
Is there anything you’ve learnt over the past year that you’d like to share?
The art of being a fundraiser is to always really interrogate, deeply reflect and question what we do and how we do it. A key aspect is how we communicate about lived experiences that might not be our own across all our fundraising efforts.
Everything we do at Oily Cart is guided by the social model of disability. From funding proposals through to grassroots campaigns, the language we use should always come from a place of ownership led by disabled people.
I think, as charity sector professionals, we can all do better through active learning, active training and active responsibility. To review best practices and share failures. To be more responsive to where we can improve, and the decisions we make, today and into the future.
Current projects during Shania’s time with Oily Cart. 1. Our Associate Artist (2023-25), Greta Chambers-McMillan. 2. Sound Symphony: Sensory Film 3. When the World Turns
What would you like to see happen in the future of arts fundraising?
In the future, I would like to see more organisations look to perhaps reimagine the role of being a ‘Supporter’ as being an ‘Activist’, to offer a more ethical, powerful approach to fundraising, i.e. Ambassador led patron and membership schemes or setting up a community-led fundraising board in every organisation to support with all funding streams.
Growing up as an unpaid carer for my brother, shared activism is really important in everything I do. Activism is a form of collective action, and I believe that this is the key to the future of fundraising where equality is infinite – in the arts, cultural, and heritage sector and beyond.
Let’s Donate Together; Be Together Oily Cart, alongside a growing community of disabled young people, families, artists and allies, are a force to be reckoned with. To join us in our mission to fight for inclusive and equal access to theatre, please support us and become part of a loyal network of supporters.
*Key terms:
Philanthropy: the giving away of money, especially in large amounts, to organisations that help people (Cambridge dictionary). Greek playwright Aeschylus coined the term philanthropy in the 5th Century BCE, ‘philan’ means “the love of humanity”.
Sensory Theatre is a bold and boundary-pushing form of performance, creating new ways to engage audiences, particularly disabled audiences who have historically been marginalised. Despite its significance, academic research in this area has been limited, leaving a gap in understanding and recognition of this unique art form.
Alison Mahoney
That’s why Alison Mahoney’s work is so vital. By focusing on this pioneering practice, Mahoney highlights how Sensory Theatre challenges conventional ideas of performance while unlocking new possibilities for creativity, inclusion, and accessibility. Their research not only fills the critical gap but underscores that Sensory Theatre—and its audiences—deserve greater attention and recognition.
With its ability to offer diverse ways to experience and interact with performances, Sensory Theatre has the potential to make the arts more open and accessible to a wider range of people. Mahoney’s work demonstrates how this innovative approach can shape the future of theatre, ensuring it becomes more inclusive and welcoming for everyone.
Below, we highlight two key pieces of Mahoney’s research, illustrating how their work is helping to broaden understanding and elevate the reach of this forward-thinking form of theatre.
Oily Cart’s Space to Be: Exploring the Carer’s Role in Sensory Theatre for Neurodiverse Audiences during COVID-19
Oily Cart, a pioneering London-based Sensory Theatre company, responded to COVID-19 restrictions with a season of work presented in various formats in audiences’ homes, and their production Space to Be marked a shift in the company’s engagement to include an emphasis on the carer’s experience.
Using this production as a case study, Alison argues that the pivotal role adopted by carers during the pandemic has the potential to shape future in-person productions, moving practitioners toward a more holistic, neurodiverse audience experience that challenges a disabled–nondisabled binary by embracing carers’ experiences alongside those of neurodivergent audience members.
‘Severe’ Sensory Theatre: Building Relational Disability Politics during UK COVID Lockdowns
This article examines the COVID-era shift in the disability politics of Sensory Theatre artists in the United Kingdom who create work for neurodiverse young audiences, arguing that the pandemic pushed them toward a more expansive and overtly political understanding of disability.
Alison examines the work of three companies – Oily Cart (London), Frozen Light (Norwich) and Spectra (Birmingham) – who adjusted their practices to embrace their audiences’ shifting access needs, including those in caregiving roles.
These changes move Sensory Theatre into a more politicized realm, echoing calls from crip studies scholars and disability justice activists to reimagine disability as a relational category from which solidarity can arise that does not hinge entirely on medical diagnosis. These artists’ renewed commitments to relational access provide lessons for performing artists and audiences navigating how to care for one another through the massive death and disablement of the ongoing pandemic.
Alison Mahoney is a PhD candidate in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, where their research and theatre practice centre disability and neurodiversity in performance. Alison was the founding artistic director of Bluelaces Theater Company (New York), which produces Sensory Theatre for neurodiverse audiences; with Bluelaces, they directed the devising process for Out There! and SUDS.
They also directed the regional premiere of Will Arbery’s Corsicana at PittStages and have worked as a director, creative access consultant, and teaching artist with several organizations and productions, including for Paola Prestini’s new opera Sensorium Ex (Omaha), Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (New York), CO/LAB Theater Group (New York), and Stage Beyond (Derry). Their scholarship has been published in Theatre Survey and Theatre Research International. MA Contemporary Performance Practice, Ulster University; BS Theatre & Gender Studies, Northwestern University.
Sam Bowen is an SEND in Museums Consultant, founder of SEND in Museums, award-winning inclusion campaigner and mum to Lucy. Her family have experienced all of Oily Cart’s At Home shows.
The Covid-19 legacy
As a shielding family with a disabled child at home in lockdown, it was extremely isolating for all of us. We missed the cultural experiences we had before, like going to Sensory Theatre.
Unable to make the in-person shows we had always enjoyed attending, Oily Cart began experimenting with new formats that would bring sensory theatre to audiences in a safe way.
One of these formats was At Home shows. These send the magic of theatre through the post, directly to each family. Together, the family unwrap a series of sensory packages that gradually build a narrative, at a time and in a space that works best for them.
We were lucky to be one of the families sent Space to Be. This was the first At Home theatre experience by the team at Oily Cart, and I can honestly say it was a profoundly moving experience.
Lucy and her family during the Space to Be experience
Our Journey with At Home experiences
Each Space to Be box had different activities in. The first was just for me as the carer parent. In 13 years, no one had ever acknowledged my emotional needs in the way this box did. I put on the eye mask, held the tactile sculpture and listened to an audio track that spoke to me directly and brought me to tears. Here I was seen, valued and even thanked for the role I have been playing that’s so hidden from society, but that Oily Cart knew was pivotal to my family.
We unpacked a new box each day and enjoyed them as a family. One had a self-build sensory space which made a dark den. We all lay in it together, my husband and I with our daughter between us. Instantly calmer, nurtured in a safe space together. Our daughter played the Lyra musical instrument whilst we listened to the audio track on the Bluetooth speaker that was in the box.
At one point the non-word voice of a disabled child spoke out and our daughter responded, vocalising back. I thought I’d dreamt it: what had just happened in this magical ‘tent’ hadn’t happened ever before. What had the child on the speaker said that my daughter had understood and responded to? That I couldn’t understand but she did made it all the more powerful and empowering for us.
We bought our own sensory tent after this with lights and a Bluetooth speaker and regularly now use it as a family to chill out. We were so moved by the Space to Be experience.
Lucy inside the Space to Be tent
Why At Home shows are essential
Through Space to Be, Oily Cart learnt that At Home experiences are often the most accessible, or even the only, way that some families can experience Sensory Theatre, even once lockdowns ended. So few opportunities for families like ours are available outside the home and that’s a desperate shame.
There can be so many barriers to attending live theatre, from lack of transport or physical access, to unpredictable medical and care needs which make booking and turning up to a show stressful or impossible. Families who experienced Space to Be shared that it was ‘nice to do something as a family where there were no barriers to everyone being included in the experience’, that being in a private, familiar setting meant young people could ‘relax and fully be themselves’, and that it gave them the space and opportunity to ‘just be together’.
The future of accessible theatre
So, Oily Cart have committed to making At Home shows part of their main programme, putting the same level of resource, craft, creativity, and rigour into these formats as the live touring show.
Lucy experiencing A World Beneath Us
This summer, families across the country, including ours, received A World Beneath Us, a sensory show about the invisible world beneath our feet: mycelium. Through a sensory film and accompanying sensory experiences, the show unearthed these magical, natural networks to explore the hidden world in the heart of each home, reflecting and celebrating each family as its own ecosystem. Again, it gave us new ideas. The shadow play with the shadow boxes and canvas screen was really effective. Such a simple idea but one I hadn’t thought of before! Another moment involves water being lit from beneath; seeing the movement this made on the ceiling was mesmerising.
As a family, A World Beneath Us reminded us why we love getting the chance to play with Oily Cart. At Home activities are not only more accessible, they can be revisited time and again and then adapted or added to with other items at home. A different At Home experience we enjoyed, Sound Symphony, has completely transformed bathtime every night in our house. One activity box has literally had a life-changing impact on all of us. You can’t really put a value on that.
Oily Cart are bravely stepping outside the box by delivering magical shows full of meaningful moments of wonder right into the homes of those who need and deserve them. At Home shows are important because they see, value and celebrate children like mine, and families like ours.
Hi, my name is Maka Marambio de la Fuente, a neurodivergent queer Latinx. I’ve spent the last year working as the Access and Wellbeing Officer at Oily Cart, a theatre company that creates Sensory Theatre for young audiences. My work is all about making sure that everyone feels welcome and included in theatre, no matter their background or needs.
In this blog, I’ll talk about why inclusion, access, and wellbeing are so important, share what I’ve learned so far, and explore what I’d love to try next. I’ll also offer some thoughts for other organisations looking to make their work more accessible and inclusive.
What does an Access and Wellbeing Officer do?
At end of the day, I want people to be in the best environment possible for them, to have the best possible experience, whether that’s as an audience member, freelancer, core staff team or trustee. Consistently considering access and wellbeing, and embedding inclusive practices into everything we do, is how we make that happen with and for everyone in our community. That looks like lots of different things day-to-day: from creating preparation resources to being an in-person access support at rehearsals or events.
Access and wellbeing has a big scope and many dimensions; when we have a person in a role like mine that is dedicated to it, general oversight, close connections and creative growth is possible. It’s a role that challenges my empathy, creativity and knowledge, to present every person we interact with the best strategies and support for their personal and communal wellbeing, and access to spaces and information.
What have you learnt in the past year?
NOBODY EXPECTS PERFECTION EVER.
Particularly in times of inflation, austerity and crisis, it’s so hard to not be overly critical with oneself. The funding landscape is increasingly competitive, for instance, which can add a huge pressure to present perfectly polished creative ideas. Joining the Oily Cart team, I’ve learnt that just as I don’t expect perfection from others, no one expects 1000/10 or even 10/10 ALL the time from me. It’s okay to send a draft; you can always ask for help.
Around that, I’ve learnt the massive value of reassurance. As a sector, we are doing unique, difficult work; as an individual, I’m a migrant that has changed my environment, moved hemispheres, and is doing this very nuanced work in a language that is not my own (but I’m making it my own). That’s huge! It’s important we stop and recognise those achievements, personally and collectively.
What do you want to try in the future?
I would love to explore Sensory Theatre that is connected to migrant communities, because our shared sensory memory is different.
I pass a tyre shop on my walk to the Oily Cart office, the sounds and smells really make me feel at home. I realise it’s because my grandparent’s house in Chile was near a neighbourhood with lots of car workshops, and my grandad had a workshop in his house too. It’s a sensory memory that’s specific to me, but I think it has wider cultural resonance: it taps into a working-class, Latin American sensory memory. Whenever I walk past, I take a deep breath.
These small sensory moments are also familiar, culturally-connected experiences. That’s so important to a family who are far away from their home. I think sensory, non-verbal experiences created with and for migrant communities, that tap into their individual and shared sensory landscapes, could create a really important, beautiful experience of sensory belonging.
What are your key insights to share with other organisations?
Nothing About Us Without Us: It’s essential when thinking not only about access and wellbeing, but across all our work, We need to constantly push to connect with the disabled community and work with disabled people It’s essential when thinking not only about access and wellbeing, but across all our work,
Challenge yourself: I regularly say to myself, “We are ok, how can we be better?” This leads me to constantly be mindful of processing times and rest, both for the people we’re working with but also myself, which is important as it’s common in this industry to burn out
More time: I am a fan of allocating buffer time for rest, for travelling time, having longer breaks, giving processing time after certain sessions and so forth.
Interview with Flossie Waite, Communications and Advocacy Officer at Oily Cart. Flossie is a disabled person with experience in journalism, including founding the UK’s first website dedicated to covering theatre for young audiences, Children’s Theatre Reviews, and editing Arts Council England’s Voice Magazine, a magazine created by and for young people. They have recently been accepted to the PYA England Steering Group.
For more on how we create and share our shows, and our research and resources, visit Resources for Artists.
We are delighted to announce that Greta McMillan has joined Oily Cart as our Associate Artist for 2024. Greta McMillan is a multi-disciplinary artist, filmmaker and climate activist, who uses eyegaze technology to create and communicate. Greta has been recognised by the Scottish Parliament, and her artwork been exhibited internationally. She is a recipient of the ‘Changes for a Better World’ Into Film Award 2022, and winner of the Scottish Youth Film Foundation ‘Films for our Future’ short film competition 2022.
Oily Cart’s Associate Artist programme champions and supports disabled artists to develop their sensory theatre practice and leadership skills to create a more representative sensory theatre-making sector. Having worked with Greta as a young artist in recent years, including on the development of our show When the World Turns, we are excited to support this next step in her creative career.
As Associate Artist, Greta McMillan will be working as Co-Director, alongside sensory artist Natalya Martin, to adapt When the World Turns into an At Home show.
Oily Cart’s Artistic Director & Joint CEO, Ellie Griffiths, said:
“We are delighted to have Greta as this year’s Associate Artist. We have long admired Greta’s work across different disciplines and her approaches to art-making. Her perspective and feedback on our sensory performance work has always been insightful and illuminating. I am excited to see what she comes up with, given more creative freedom and room to lead. I know this will push our work in different directions and ask rich questions of us a company and sensory work as a whole. This is the exact aim of the Associate Artist programme at Oily Cart: to nurture new talent in the field of sensory theatre that can break up its patterns and put it all back together again led by a more representative community of artists and makers.”
Greta McMillan said:
“As an Associate Artist with Oily Cart, I am enjoying working as part of a creative team. I am excited to have more independence as an artist, working with a team outside of my parents and family. My process is always changing with every new person I work with, I am learning new ways of working.
Over the course of this project I will have the space and time to push myself as an artist and develop my artmaking skills using my technology. It has been nice to have time to explore different art forms – film, photography, painting and music. Accessible sensory art is important and I would like to see more being created.”
Oily Cart’s Associate Artist programme champions and supports disabled artists to develop their sensory theatre practice and develop leadership skills to create a more representative sensory theatre making sector.
I’d like to acknowledge my position as a neurodivergent, non-disabled, white leader of an arts organisation. I’m aware this perspective permeates everything I write.
In this piece I question what can be gleaned from sensory methodology, which has been developed over decades of being with disabled children to expand our definition of advocacy so it never becomes simply speaking on behalf of.
Love your unresolve-ables
My experience of leading Oily Cart has been a bit like repeatedly tripping up in ethical tangles. It can be hard to talk about the tricky bits… the minute you bring them up, people look uncomfortable. There’s a seductive comfort in sticking with the positive. Yet without facing up to the gnarly tangles, especially the ones you may not be able to resolve, and especially where you are part of the problem, there’s no possibility for progress.
Someone once reflected that working with me was like chipping away at the floor you’re standing on to see what’s underneath. This attitude causes problems for a planning team who need definites and funders who want good news stories.
Making space for the ‘unresolveds’ can be counter-intuitive.
Through the Inclusive Cultures programme, and the wise minds I’ve encountered, I have noticed a shift towards honouring the tangles, without experiencing them as a threat. I have a hunch that being wildly curious about our grey areas could push towards something more nuanced and ultimately better, even if beyond the scope of our individual careers. I’m trying to now stand amongst the tangles, and breathe…
When the World Turnsis a collaboration across time and space with Polyglot Theatre (Australia). Together, we headed into, as co-director Sue Giles called it, ‘gloriously unknown territory.’ Just a few of the juicy questions we tried to answer together were: How do you collaborate internationally in a sustainable way? How can biophilia – humans’ innate love for, and need to connect with, living beings – inform the design? And how do you create and tour a show that includes hundreds of plants? Collaborating with leading eco-scenographer Dr Tanja Beer pushed our practice forward, for this show and all our future work.
We used what we discovered during our four-year collaboration to create this Manifesto of Care. It’s a guide, and commitment, to caring for all the living beings who were part of the first UK tour of specialist schools, and will help us navigate the future tour of public venues.
At Oily Cart, we are often asked for guidance around the development and practice of Sensory Theatre. For anyone interested in learning about and making this work, Oily Cart’s Co-Founder and former Artistic Director Tim Webb MBE has published an incredible resource. Sensory Theatre is an accessible step-by-step guide to creating theatre for inclusive audiences. It’s available to purchase here and from other retailers.
For more on Oily Cart’s history and the development of Sensory Theatre, take a look at Our Storyand our resources for artists. You may also be interested in Oily Cart: All Sorts of Theatre for All Sorts of Kids. Founders, actors, reviewers and audience contribute to this essential source book for anyone interested in Sensory Theatre.
Conventional theatre relies on seeing and hearing to involve its audience; sensory theatre harnesses the power of five or more senses to address its audience members who have different ways of relating to the world around them.
a groundbreaking book that opens the doors to all theatre practitioners TYA Today Magazine, TYA/USA
This book is an insightful history of Oily Cart and its pioneering development of work by Oily Cart co-founder and former Artistic Director Tim Webb. It gives a clear introduction to the fundamental concepts of sensory theatre, suggests a host of practical techniques drawn from over forty years of experience, and describes some of Oily Cart’s most radical innovations, including theatre on trampolines, in hydrotherapy pools, and with flying audiences in the company of aerial artists.
Dive in anywhere into this fascinating book by one of the founders of the great Oily Cart Theatre Company and you will learn something refreshingly new about theatre and how it can speak to ALL of us. Tony Graham, Freelance theatre director and former Artistic Director of Unicorn Theatre
The book also includes copious photos from the Oily Cart archives and links to video examples of the company’s work. Readers will learn how to:
Research the intended audience while not being led astray by labels.
Create a welcoming, immersive sensory space in classrooms, nurseries, school halls, and playgrounds.
Devise sensory stories that can be adapted to suit different audiences.
Recruit, audition, cast, and run rehearsals.
Ensure that the production is truly sensory and interactive.
Written for Theatre for Young Audiences, Drama in Education, and specialized Applied Theatre courses, as well as educators and theatre practitioners interested in creating inclusive, interactive productions, Sensory Theatre offers a goldmine of ideas for making work that connects with audiences who can be the hardest to reach.
Come check out Tim Webb’s exciting, engaging, and important new book! David Montgomery, Director of the Program in Educational Theatre at New York University
Much like the shows that Oily Cart creates, this book is a wonder. Based simply on the company’s reputation alone, anyone who has ever attended an Oily Cart performance should grab a copy. But the text is much more than a compilation of past achievements. Instead it is guidebook, a reference, an encyclopedia into the worlds of TVY (theatre for the very young), Sensory Theatre, into theatre that is truly created for ALL audiences Mark Branner, Professor of Theatre, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Vitally important book that every theatre professional and student must read. T.A. Fisher, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Bronx Community College (CUNY)
Mr and Mrs Moon 2012. Sandy played by Natasha Magigi in the giant sandpit where she and the participants all make sandcastles and draw pictures together
Big Balloon 2008. The aeronaut (Griff Fender) in his hot air balloon oversees the action at the Unicorn Theatre. An Oily Cart production for under-fives.
Jerwood Fellowships was an Imaginate project in partnership with Oily Cart and funded by Jerwood Arts which offered professional development support for four artists over two years to explore new performance ideas with a focus on supporting D/deaf and/or disabled artists and children.In this blog, originally published by Imaginate, Jerwood Fellow Emily Nichollreflects on her fellowship so far, including her mentorship by our Artistic Director Ellie. This is Part 2 of her blogs: you can read Part 1 here.
Image description: Two people play with their dogs on a sandy beach under a light pinky blue cloudy sky at sunset. There are reflections of the clouds and pink sky in a watery pool on the beach. It’s cold out so the people wear bright jackets. One is throwing something into the sea.
We have been able to spend time in workshops with the wonderful play worker, artist and consultant Max Alexander. Max’s ‘A Playful Manifesto’ brings such beautiful observations to the meaning and practice of play. His generous words give radical permission to play and to fail with compassion, joy and the permission to value others and ourselves. Looking sideways around things, catching ourselves by surprise, observing ourselves through thought or feeling, resisting ‘achievement’ as what we validate ourselves with. His words remind me of the practice of circus artists as they catch themselves or the audience by surprise and find ways to express the obsessive beauty they find in an object or movement through play, risk and failure.
“You can’t fail at play. We need space in our lives for things we can’t fail at, things we can’t judge ourselves on.” Max Alexander.
When speaking with Ellie Griffiths of Oily Cart, her self-awareness which centres another experience is inspiring. The importance of and process with which one can question your own positionality seems something tangible to observe and learn from her work and the way she talks about it. Through Oily Cart’s use of the social model of disability, their work and process allows for a removal of barriers and a centring of the person in order to offer relevant, responsive and positive theatrical experiences. The political nature of their work raises the importance of providing shared cultural experiences for disabled young people and families. When we are so separated by society between disabled and non-disabled communities, the importance also of shared experiences and resisting that separation is highlighted by aiming to offer more visibility to disabled audience and artist led work in theatrical spaces, whilst also remaining true to what feels comfortable for this audience with their new work to be enjoyed at home made during the pandemic. This work is as inspiring as any others of theirs. Beautiful, thoughtful care packages of curated experiences, and fascinating sensory film ‘Something Love’ which resonated greatly.
As the pandemic also shines a light on what and who theatres are for, we ask what could offer a greater sense of belonging to these spaces for those chronically made to feel uncomfortable. When so much is about a shared experience, I’ve always preferred circles for performing in or watching from, but I find myself questioning even more so of late, what’s enjoyable about straight on rectangular shapes. Both Max and Ellie speak about not necessarily being able to make something that will please absolutely everyone at once, or allow everyone in, much like many things in life perhaps. But who are the traditional theatre rules for, who do they serve, what else can be done to remove barriers?
Thinking in responsive or sensory ways offers something insightful to a theatre making process for all and any audiences. This feels useful and important to notice, but it also feels slightly uncomfortable. Unsure where the politics lies when this learning to make theatre for audiences who don’t get enough theatre made for them, might shift into learning how to make better theatrical experiences for audiences who get theatre made for them already all the time.
Sensory work as inclusive, also then asks questions of the structures within which work is made. Swept up in a system (and arts sector) which asks for faster, better, more, with short deadlines, unfair access to funding and perpetuates its own elitisms, expectations and extractions from people and environment alike, what needs questioned? Is it, for example, enough to represent this work in a theatre’s program, or what else could we also interrogate? Disabled artist and activist voices have been offering guidance, advice and making demands for a very long time. During the fellowship, learning from the work of Birds of Paradise has been informative and generous, in this blog Sandra Alland highlights experiences during the pandemic for freelancers. In Not Going Back To Normal, this collective disabled arts manifesto for a radically accessible world is also filled with generous, honest, exciting and damning words.
Image description: An empty bar or cafe during the first lockdown. The photograph is taken through the window and with the photographer’s reflection in the pane of glass. In focus is an empty wooden chair next to a wooden table facing another window opposite. There are chairs stacked upside down on other tables and empty armchairs. Through the window on the opposite side of the cafe is an empty street with people walking in the distance. The photo is in black and white.
Despite aiming to play and allow myself to fail and acknowledge structural issues, this time did also give a lot of fear. Of not getting it right, of failing, of not using my time wisely. Of causing harm or upset to others. Of not being the right person. Of overstepping, of saying the wrong thing. Of not doing enough. Of not knowing enough. Is this entire blog post naive? Of nearing the end of this time whilst still feeling very much at the beginning. Of being very much alone with my thoughts or with other people’s faces and voices streaming in from my laptop rather than in the physical collaboration which I am perhaps more used to. Of ‘who am I’ to be here on my own in my flat supported to do this, whilst so many people, families, teachers, face such enormous difficulty this year and all years. Of feeling very slow. Feeling my way between guilt and compassion as I took breaks to look after health and mental health.
Something which Imaginate was clear about from the beginning was that this fellowship is a period of support and learning with no specific outcome expected. Something generous, overwhelming and challenging all at once. Navigating what I best need, what to do with this time which has been crafted by Imaginate and Jerwood Arts in order to do what many now call for in order to give long term, funded, supported positions. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been supported at this time.
At the middle to end point, I realise I arrived with many questions and currently have even more. (classic) I realise there are questions I am afraid to ask. Questions I don’t have the language for. Questions around pulling lots of strands of research together, into tangible physical or sensory experiences or a live event. Questions of process, of bringing the right team together, of being relevant, of being responsive, of how to make space for play and seriousness together.
It’s obvious that people or audiences or young people who are chronically left out, marginalised, or invisibilised, have so much to offer to the world and deepen our understandings of the world. As Naoki Higashida writes in ‘The Reason I Jump: one boy’s voice from the silence of autism’
“So how do people with autism see the world, exactly? We, and only we, can ever know the answer to that one! Sometimes I actually pity you for not being able to see the beauty of the world in the same way we do. Really, our vision of the world can be incredible, just incredible …” (p55)
Image description: A close up of very green ferns. Spiky green leaves curl to the left, as another leaf which is more in focus curls towards the camera. Their stems are brown. They are soft but spiky with individual leaves picked out by the light and shadow.
Thanks to Ellen Renton for her advice on the audio description of the photographs.
Find out more about the project Emily developed during her Jerwood Fellowship here. You can find out more about the Jerwood Fellowships here.
Jerwood Fellowships was an Imaginate project in partnership with Oily Cart and funded by Jerwood Arts which offered professional development support for four artists over two years to explore new performance ideas with a focus on supporting D/deaf and/or disabled artists and children.In this blog, originally published by Imaginate, Jerwood Fellow Claire Eliza Willoughby shares about her practice and the performance idea she developed during herfellowship.
Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic
I am a musician, performer and theatre maker based in Glasgow. I am particularly interested in creating work that is playful, visual, and explores the live-ness of being in a room with an audience. I trained in clown, and am always really excited to bring that practice into the rehearsal room – what it means to take risks/ to fail/ to be bad at something/ to enjoy and interrogate the two-way relationship between performer and audience member. I sing, and play a number of instruments, so I also like to use those in the work I make. I am constantly intrigued in the alternating ways we can layer different mediums in theatre over one another – a bit like a canvas on stage with different colours and paint brushes and textures of paint. And then scrape it back and reveal the canvas underneath.
As part of my Jerwood Fellowship – a two year period (2020-2022) of research, training, creative development and work experience, focused on making sensory work for young audiences – I developed a performance idea called Dussskk. I was inspired to make an artistically ambitious, sensory piece of work that brings body, breath and voice together to address some of the hormonal and physical changes that happen in adolescence, which can be particularly unsettling for disabled young people.
Dussskk is a musikdrama for young people with additional support needs, specifically created for those who enjoy sound and seek sensory aural experiences. The piece will be a hybrid of gig / choral concert and immersive Gesamtkunstwerk – “a total work of art”. Dussskk is inspired by difficult transitional periods, emotional shifts and the magic of the inbetween. It is not driven by a narrative, or storyline as such – rather, the piece follows the dramatic arc of a transformative journey from morning to night, explored though sound, costume, lighting and movement. It will feel mature, powerful, aurally stimulating and is a celebration of the dark and light in all of us.
I envision Dussskk to be an immersive, kinaesthetic and aural experience with many facets of the performance – lighting, sound, costume and movement – coming together to envelop the audience, who can move freely amongst the performers. There is no division between “stage” and “audience” – instead, the performers inhabit the space like a living, moving, breathing creature, making full use of proximity and distance. It will feature 6 singers and will use the full range of vocal expression – from breath sounds and ugly, crunchy vocals to choral singing – to create something that feels new and exciting for this audience.
Claire’s blog, written part-way through her Fellowship, shares insights into her creative process. You can find out more about the Jerwood Fellowships here.
Our Associate Artist 2022, Jo-anne Cox, is a neurodivergent musician who plays a purple sparkling Bridge Violins “Dragon” cello. Stemming from improvisation and exploration, together they create original music, mixing up texture, loops and the dynamic voice of the cello. Jo-anne enjoys cross artform and musical collaborations, and devising work with a focus on audience interaction, access and inclusion. Here, she talks about developing her sensory practice during her time as Oily Cart’s Associate Artist.
As Oily Cart Associate Artist 2022, I led a project at JFK School in Stratford with young people who experience the most barriers to access, aged 8-13. Guided by Artistic Director Ellie Griffiths, I set out to explore the wild and calm outpourings of my “dragon cello”.
In past work, the dragon cello and I made statements about the value of people for who they are and the destructive forces of right-wing capitalism. I think it is important to include young people who experience the most barriers in politicised disability arts.
At JFK School, I began with soft sounds and built it up from there. Fears I had that the sounds would be overpowering were allayed as I observed young people leaning towards the cello with interest. Instead of introducing the wild, I soon found myself following the lead of a young person responding with an excited force of swirling vocalisation and movement.
Image description: I am relaxed and sitting with my purple sparkling cello, wearing a white top, with purple sparkly material around my waist and a full white skirt overlapping a netted vintage skirt. My brown shoulder-length hair is pulled back and I am wearing a see-through face mask. I am bouncing my bow and looking towards something happening in the room (not pictured). Photographer: Clare Conroy.
During the residency I worked with collaborators: Gary Day from Garden of Music and puppeteer Rachel Warr. Gary introduced switches, soundbeam and iPads demonstrating with a natural non-verbal rapport. Creative Enabler Lowri Jenkins supported two of the young people with a microphone and echo effect. Breathing sounds and low vocalisations intermingled with tech sounds and cello and a spontaneous piece of contemporary music emerged in a room darkened for ambience.
Video description: On an iPad screen against a white background is a picture of a friendly green dragon. A block bar of colour across the screen is moved by the touch of a finger. As the bar travels up and down over the dragon it triggers electronic sound going up and down.
Working in the sensory room with puppeteer Rachel, a hushed sense of wonder followed the dimming of lights. A translucent dragon puppet took flight and the young people tracked the creature as it travelled from person to person, bathing them in colour. The cello looped airy textures and followed the journey of the dragon. Soon the young people had their own shadow dragons to explore in this absorbing experience.
Sound description: Over an airy atmospheric loop, the cello plaintively follows the flight of the dragon puppet, up and down a little before soaring up and sliding between high notes. The voices of some young people vocalising are heard as they engage with the dragon puppets.Image description: This is a close-up shot. The room is dark, a young person’s hands are resting on a tray table, and hovering just above the tray table is a translucent green, blue and yellow dragon puppet. A supporting adult holds the puppet with one hand and shines a light on its wings, illuminating the dragon and bathing the young person’s hands and the tray table in colour. Photographer: Clare Conroy
Working at the school with the same young people over the weeks enabled participation to develop over time. Responses included tracking light, listening, vocalising, movement, reaching out for shiny material and puppets, smiling, laughing and deeper breathing.
It was wonderful to receive this feedback from one of the teachers at JFK:
“I am so so grateful for the opportunity you gave us to work with Jo-anne and the team. It was such a wonderful experience for all the students and staff. I am always trying to look for enriching activities for our learners with complex needs and this was truly spectacular”
I am keen to further develop the piece into an immersive sound and light-based work, set in the world of the dragon. I would continue with the residency style approach, having time to get to know the audience and what works for them.
As a musician who has faced barriers, I feel it is important to share that high quality access was crucial to my well-being and success. I had one person from the Oily Cart team dedicated to my access throughout, and I had a Creative Enabler who supported me and my artistic practice.
Oily Cart’s Associate Artist programme champions and supports disabled artists to develop their sensory theatre practice and develop leadership skills to create a more representative sensory theatre making sector.
Photo of Mark and Stella Farina from The Lost Feather.
Mark is the longest-serving creative with Oily Cart. He is a learning disabled artist and performer who has worked with us for 25 years, performing in 14 shows so far. In 2022 Mark took on the new role of Associate Director, for our specialist school show The Cart. As part of this, he co-created the story of The Lost Feather, the sensory story which came out of The Cart. He also created the images that were the basis of the show’s design. The story was shared with more than 2,750 disabled and neurodivergent young people across the UK.
This year, we adapted The Cart into a sensory storytelling adventure called The Lost Feather. Mark’s story will be shared with even more children and families as it tours libraries, festivals and hospitals this summer. You might even see Mark pop up as a performer from time to time during the tour…
We spoke to Mark to find out more about his creative process.
Interview with Mark
What is your role for The Lost Feather?
I invented the story, and the puppet, always drawing. Like Fred the nightingale, fly to paradise.
How did you come up with the pictures and the story?
The idea was I saw a parrot on a Tv advert for Cadbury’s. And I got the picture and I started designing it. I brought it to Oily Cart on paper.
This is what I drew to go inside the story. That is Fred the nightingale, that’s what I drew. It’s like a puppet, all different colours, with a tail and wings where it flies and it’s got eyes, its own feet and a big feather tail. Next to it is another picture of Fred the nightingale. He’s got big wings and a rainbow-coloured tail. It’s got rainbow colours, blue wings, coloured head and a beak and wings and when it flies on a string. This is what I created – another parrot – a long time ago.
Drawing of Fred the nightingale parrot by MarkFred the nightingale parrot puppet
The designer Amanda Mascarenhas used Mark’s picture to design the puppet – you can see, for instance, that one of the wings is bigger than the other in both the original drawing and the final puppet. The collaborative team enjoyed this rejection of symmetry and sameness. The final puppet was made by Alison Alexander.
How did you develop these ideas in rehearsals?
Me and Amani (Amani Naphtali, Collaborating Artist / Writer of The Cart) did a poetry story to do this show. I called myself a sensory name. I called myself “Captain Sensory” and come up with a story with nice and sensory stuff. Super sensory superpower is vibration box. I was doing movement, rhythm, the beat of the story and sound, the beat and it keeps going. We were doing the movement with the sensory stuff with Stella (Stella Farina, Creative Enabler on The Cart and The Lost Feather) and Amani and it worked. Amani and me and Stella, we did our voices like making sounds and it did work.
Can you tell us about some more of your drawings and how they connect with the show?
Drawing of The Cart by Mark
I designed the Oily Cart Cart. That is the Oily Cart instrument. That’s like a magical wizard that gives all the magic. And there’s music and the magical stuff coming out of the cart. Teachers were dancing to the music of the cart. The music of the wheel is a triangle when it goes around.
Drawing of the finale of The Cart by Mark
That’s the finale of the Cart. That’s a finale of rainbow colours and everyone can dance. I wanted a rainbow sparkling waterfall. That’s a boy enjoying the finale – he’s got a good smile. Finale rhythm – come together, where they can dance and do movement. When we take it out to festivals, everyone can do the finale! This is a festival finale – you see it and it’s good.
What would you like to say to audiences coming to The Lost Feather?
Children, find this feather. If you find it, you’ll be sparkling special. You can dance with this feather and make the Fred nightingale smile. If you find it, you can dance with this parrot as your friend.
Written by Participatory Artist Siobhán Wedgeworth
Over the past year, I have had the chance to immerse myself in the world of Oily Cart and sensory theatre. It’s reinforced to me that my creative world and practice is much better when it is theatre which we can taste, touch, smell, feel, see, hear and experience together – not in isolation. Doing maternity cover as Access and Engagement Officer, my tasks ranged from carrying several bunches of red roses across Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to leading Oily Cart’s first community workshops in our Sensory Play Programme.
Baby Drum Sensory Play Session. Photo: Rosie Simsek
Community is an interesting word when it comes to theatre. It’s often talked about as a ‘communal space’, but as this illustration by Play Radical’s Max Alexander shows, it’s a different thing entirely being together in commune in a way that feels authentic to each person, especially if much of the audience is disabled.
Illustration by Max Alexander
Community participatory arts is often seen as lesser than ‘main stage’ theatre shows. While this statement is not a new revelation and there has been growing development of wonderful engagement and community projects nationally, there is still more to be done for projects which involve and invite children and families who experience the most barriers to access (often labelled as PMLD – Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities). I’m interested in the space between the two: where high quality theatre can pop up in unexpected, everyday, familiar places, and people feel ownership and have more power in their everyday communities and spaces.
Organisations can learn from community arts projects how to build a community around the work they are touring by building long term relationships with the local community through regular free sessions, visiting schools and development opportunities to name a few. By doing this, arts organisations would get to understand the bread and butter of each community, how news travels from Whatsapp group to Whatsapp group or at the local caff.
“Working in non-arts contexts offers opportunities for new conversations: creative and verbal, collective and individual”
Nicola Naismith, 2019
Despite the importance of working in non-arts contexts, I wonder: how can we dissolve the idea that we must go to “them”? Instead, let’s see theatre makers and arts organisations shift their practice to a sustained and focused effort on making our creative spaces welcoming; becoming part of the community, rather than a closed space.
Siobhán leading a Baby Drum Sensory Play Session. Photo: Rosie Simsek
I am currently working with Spark Arts for Children as one of their Vital Spark Artists, a movement addressing the lack of diversity in the Performance for Young Audiences (PYA) sector. Spark have found an exciting balance of these two worlds, with shows taking place in families’ homes, school halls, libraries and local arts venues across Leicester. With families and children at the heart of the festival, I feel excited by how this model could be adopted nationwide with touring throughout the year. I feel inspired by my time with Oily Cart to continue exploring sensory theatre and how I can make ambitious, high quality work that sits neatly bang in the middle between these two worlds and really own it!
“Sensory Theatre might even be seen as not a different or special way of making theatre, but maybe just the way that makes the most sense, so everyone can come?”
Young artist Coery Nicholson at Oily Cart’s 40th Celebration
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![In this photo Greta is sitting in her wheelchair in front of one of her paintings hanging on the wall. She is a young white woman with brown hair and she is wearing a patterned beanie hat with a pink jumper and fluffy black jacket. The painting behind her is a mix of yellow, pink and black swirls and lines on a white background.]](https://oilycart.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Greta-McMillan-Oily-Cart-Associate-Artist-e1729869215943.jpeg)
![In this photo Greta is sitting in her wheelchair in front of one of her paintings hanging on the wall. She is a young white woman with brown hair and she is wearing a patterned beanie hat with a pink jumper and fluffy black jacket. The painting behind her is a mix of yellow, pink and black swirls and lines on a white background.]](https://oilycart.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Greta-McMillan-Oily-Cart-Associate-Artist-1024x768.jpeg)
