As a music service that has invested in SEND over recent years, we have worked with many settings that have an active interest in music and music therapy. Often, schools can provide good music or arts experiences but don’t poses the expertise or necessary equipment, to take these to the next level. Having worked in this area, we have identified a way of enhancing and building on what is available within schools and our own existing SEND festival. We are extremely lucky to have a real train carriage in our main performance space that is perfect for our intended sensory area! We believe that by creating a space that works for a wide range of children with a huge variety of needs is essential to the success of our project. By incorporating traditional sensory equipment such as lighting and fibre optics with musical instruments and calming sounds, we will provide a failure-free experience, allowing enjoyable stimulation without the need for verbal abilities or requiring specific outcomes.

What we'll deliver:

• A unique sensory experience for all, regardless of background.
• To convert our train carriage to a safe, comfortable area where every child can achieve.
• To significantly enhance the existing offer to schools and the community.
• The creation of an enhanced, state of the art space.
• The creation of a HUB that can be used by families to meet and support each other.

Why it's a great idea:

We truly believe that this project could provide children and their families with an essential experience that gives them the opportunity to flourish in a safe and creative environment. Research evidences that Sensory rooms are known to benefit a wide range of young people who have varied and often unique conditions or variances of conditions including autism, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or have had difficulty integrating and functioning in main stream school life. We would like to increase awareness of the challenges faced and to create an inclusive space where children and young people can interact, be creative and achieve together without the boundaries that are presented within the school environment. Although our main target group would be SEND, we would want the space and equipment to work for all - in other words a stimulating sensory musical experience can be fun for all, even if SEND children are the main target groups.

Steps to get it done:

• Purchase of specialist equipment.
• Installation of sound system in the carriage itself.
• Installation and integration of new sensory equipment.
• Pilot session with partner school.
• Sensory carriage made available to users.
• Launch event to coincide with SEND Festival.