Over three days, Prior's Court welcomed Bamboozle Theatre company to perform Storm, a multi-sensory piece inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Storm is immersive theatre for autistic young people, designed to be experienced rather than watched. Performances ran in small groups of up to six young people at a time. That intimate setting within our Piper Arts Centre let the performers engage with each young person directly, drawing them into the story through music, singing, props, movement and spoken narrative.

Ten performances across all age ranges

Bamboozle delivered ten performances over the three days, reaching young people across every age range at Prior's Court. Sharing a performance space in small groups gave young people the chance to practise social skills and communication alongside their peers. Staff noticed real engagement throughout, and the response from young people was full of curiosity and enthusiasm.

Becoming part of the story

During the performance, young people moved with the sails and the flowing fabrics, becoming part of the action as the narrative unfolded around them. Some explored the magic of the piece by chasing and catching a light as it moved through the space, appearing and disappearing to create moments of discovery. Song and sound carried the story alongside the movement, giving everyone a way into The Tempest that suited how they experience the world.

Connected to our Summer term Shakespeare theme

What gave the visit real purpose was its link to our Creative Arts curriculum. This summer term, young people at Prior's Court have been exploring Shakespeare, and Bamboozle rehearsed Storm specifically for Prior's Court to complement that topic. 

A space built for exactly this

The Piper Arts Centre was created to make afternoons like this possible: a dedicated space where our young people can access high-quality arts experiences designed with them in mind. It is always a pleasure to see the Centre used for precisely what it was built for.

The visit from Bamboozle formed part of the developing Creative Arts curriculum based in the Piper Arts Centre. The programme is designed to give autistic young people with complex needs opportunities to explore creativity through music, theatre, movement and sensory storytelling.

Activities are carefully planned so each young person can take part in ways that suit their communication style, interests and sensory preferences.

Working with specialist performers such as Bamboozle helps bring new artistic experiences into the school. These moments support young people to explore creativity in ways that feel fun and accessible.

As the Creative Arts curriculum continues to grow, we look forward to welcoming more creative collaborations to the Piper Arts Centre.

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