Arts Centre Melbourne Presents Groundbreaking Theatre for Children with Complex Disabilities

In an Australian premiere Arts Centre Melbourne will present Bamboozle Theatre Company's Down to Earth, an intimate, multi-sensory UK production developed exclusively for children with profound and complex disabilities on 10 & 11 June. Every moment in the performance will be tailored to each child's needs by Bamboozle performers, who are highly experienced in adapting their performance and engaging with children and young people who have a variety of complex and differing needs.

Using Bamboozle's immersive style, Down to Earth is an interactive work where children can experience a closeness to nature inspired by the Land Army girls of World War II. Each child aged 6 - 14 is welcomed individually and transported to a magical forest where shadows slide across the floor, and wildlife rushes through the trees. They will experience the feel of a vegetable patch, dance in their chairs with the Land Girls and meet a mischievous mole who causes mayhem. Each performance caters for up to six children, accompanied by their carer or family member.

Bamboozle Theatre Company is renowned for delivering magical, memorable, multi-sensory experiences for children and young people with moderate to profound learning difficulties as well as those with emotional and behavioural difficulties. While in Melbourne Bamboozle Theatre Company co-founder, teacher, trainer, theatre director and author Christopher Davies will also present professional learning workshops for artists, theatre-makers, teachers and disability professionals on 13 and 14 June.

Bamboozle have over twenty years' experience in developing and delivering high quality, interactive multisensory theatre experiences to captivate this audience The company travels throughout the UK and internationally to schools, theatres and arts festivals with magical productions to reach, engage and entertain all children.

Christopher Davies writes and directs the company's touring shows, runs the acclaimed training program and produces resources for schools. After 13 years teaching in primary schools, Christopher spent a year at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. He then joined the Leicestershire Drama Advisory Service where he ran courses for teachers and set up youth theatres for students with learning difficulties. He has tutored on Leicester University's MA drama course, and led training workshops for The National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe. As a director, he has created work for the London and Edinburgh Fringe and toured internationally.

Arts Centre Melbourne's Access and Community Outreach team creates opportunities for people with disability to enjoy exceptional art. It presents a growing program of groundbreaking work by artists with disability, innovative theatre and immersive programs specifically for audiences with disability and access requirements. This includes magical multi-sensory theatre experiences for children and families and 'relaxed' performances, creating an environment that has been carefully adapted, is friendly, informal and embraces different audience reactions.

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