Jane McGowan on the company bringing sensory theatre to Surrey...
It was a chance encounter that started it. The year was 2005, and actor Anni Rhodes-Steere was working on a project with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
“I met a young man who was visually impaired, physically disabled and a selective mute. His father told me that drama was the only way his son could access the world,” she explains. “I discovered that sitting on a static gym bike, reciting Shakespeare, this young man became truly alive, giving a performance that was nothing short of amazing.
I wondered how many others were there in a similar situation?” Anni was determined to find out.
The following year, with the help of a handful of undergraduates and keen volunteers, she founded Head2Head Sensory Theatre. Its sole purpose: ‘To develop imaginative ways of making theatre and film accessible and inclusive for everyone, including children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), autism, ASD and other disabilities.’
Today, its three professional actors and a growing troupe of volunteers tour South West London, Surrey and Sussex, offering multi-sensory theatrical experiences – immersive theatre specifically designed to embrace audiences who would otherwise be excluded because of their cognitive status – via pantomime, storytelling workshops and craft sessions.
“The major difference with us is that we don’t perform in expected theatrical settings. We take theatre out to those who cannot access traditional venues,” says marketing lead Lisa Ronchetti.
Suitable for anyone aged 2-99, the shows themselves also break with dramatic ‘norms’, blending physical theatre, puppetry and the use of Makaton – an informal sign language which uses ‘keywords’, as well as signs and symbols.
“We have sensory storytelling, which is more ‘bums on seats’, but then we have roaming performances in which our actors will get up and move through the audience,” explains Lisa. “Everything we do is interactive. The actors often invite the audience to participate, perhaps by helping with a section of the story or props. “Nor is it unusual for a child to join in with an actor – and that’s fine.
The performers don’t mind. It‘s one of the big differences between our company and mainstream theatre. The physical stage separates the actors from the audience, who have to sit down and shush. That is not what we are about.” For families of neurodiverse children, Head2Head is a lifeline, enabling parents and children to share a fun-filled experience.
“They provide something that David cannot get anywhere else,” enthused one grateful parent." We go to every show they offer, even though it often means travelling for over an hour.”
The company performs throughout the year, working extensively with schools and councils. Many of its volunteers come from the Orpheus Centre, a specialist college for disabled young adults in Godstone, near Redhill. And work on Drewshearne Barn – an old milking barn at nearby Oxted, which Head2Head is turning into a groundbreaking permanent theatre base – is going well.
Once fully converted, the company hopes the venue will function as a workshop and performance space and as a general community hub, complete with a library and cafe. Yet funding is a challenge.
With show tickets £8 and below, the company must look elsewhere to stay afloat.
“We cannot rely on ticket sales,” says Lisa. “We’re really grateful for support from Your Fund Surrey, the National Lottery and the Arts Council, as well as from councils in places where we perform. But it is hard. This year, we’re teaming up with local running events, hoping people will run for us.”
The fight continues. But ask those families whose lives Head2Head has transformed, and everyone will tell you that it’s worth it.
For further info, visit: h2hsensorytheatre.com
