Space to Be: Children’s Hospice Residencies

Information about suitability:

Tailored

Audience feedback

"Deep, meaningful, powerful and profound"
Audience feedback (Space to Be)

About Space to Be (Children’s Hospice Residencies)

Once upon a time, there was you and me… 

Oily Cart’s Space to Be is a mini sensory show made especially for children’s hospices. The experience, designed for families to do privately, or with a play specialist, links together different creative sensory activities using hand-crafted objects and a starry soundtrack. Families are encouraged to let their hands lead the way to discover different textures and open up tiny universes. Space to Be explores each family’s unique story and how we are all connected like a constellation of stars in the universe.

This award winning project was created for and with disabled children (aged 0-18) who have the most barriers to access, to share with their families. It first toured throughout the pandemic to the homes of shielding families across the UK, receiving overwhelmingly glowing feedback.

The highly adaptable experience can be tailored to different family groups, and also used by staff to support their wellbeing. It can take place flexibly in communal rooms or at bedside.

Space to Be’s power lies in its ability to connect and include the whole family, resonating with each individual regardless of their age or way of being in the world.

This new version has been created in consultation with Noah’s Ark Hospice.


Gallery

A mum and daughter lie down looking up. There is green gauze material just visible in the background suggesting they are in a tent-like structure. A night light projects dotted coloured lights onto their heads. Adult and child arms raised in the air, holding hands. Behind the hands is green-blue gauze material with light shining through it. A Black man shines his wrist torch onto a piece of shiny material with mirror triangles. This causes colourful light patterns on the wall behind. Photo from Space to Be, credit Suzi Corker

Video trailer

Space to Be | The Families' Experience

A selection of photos and clips shared by families of them experiencing Space to Be, alongside their feedback.



Credits

Creative Team

Associate Director Natalya Martin

Designer Sophia Clist

Jeremy Harrison Music Director and Composer

Joe Wright Sound Technologist and Sound Designer

Arti Prashar Dramaturg

Jacqui Adeniji-Williams Creative Collaborator

Ananya Rao-Middleton Illustrator

Ellie Griffiths Lead Artist

Mitra Djalili Voiceover Artist

Andy Le Vien at RMS Studios Voiceover Recording

The Space to Be soundtrack includes the real sound of stars. These sounds were generated using an approach called sonification, which turns the data collected by deep-space telescopes into sound. We would like to acknowledge and thank the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the work of astrophysicist Paul Francis from the Australian National University, which has been used in this project

Production Team

Production Manager Chloe Stally Gibson

Prop-maker Nick Burge and William Aubrey Jones

Costume/textile maker Keith Frederick, Elisabeth Sur & Orla Thorne

For Oily Cart

Artistic Director Ellie Griffiths

Executive Director Zoe Lally

Tours Producer Alison Garratt

Communications & Engagement Producer Flossie Waite

Administrator Joanna Morley

Press & Public Relations Representative Binita Walia

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