Cultural Education STINKS! – Collar & Cuffs Co (CPD)
Our session will look at how to choose and use sensory resources – especially smells – in cultural education to widen access, participation, meaning, wellbeing, and pleasure for children and young people with SEND, including those with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). Sensory resources include not only materials, but also the creation of sensory stories and poems, Story Massage, sensory drama, and more!
We will explore a little around how sensory processing differences can impact upon behaviour and engagement, and how positive and sensitively designed sensory experiences can help children and young people feel safe, maintain regulation, and ultimately, to participate and access learning; this is based on Greg Santucci’s Model of Child Engagement.
We will deliver the session through practical experiences and case studies drawn from our past, present, and future projects. Participants should leave with a foundation understanding of sensory approaches to cultural education, and with ideas on how to further their knowledge, skills, and experience in this area of work.
CPD Session Objectives or Leaning Outcomes:
Following the session, participants should be able to:
- Take the first steps in choosing and integrating smells and other sensory resources into cultural education practice, and understand how this can be beneficial for children and young people with a wide range of SEND
- Be able to use Greg Santucci’s Model of Child Engagement to identify how sensory access and inclusion can support behaviour and engagement in cultural education
- Identify next steps for researching training, techniques, or other sensory inclusion strategies to develop personal practice and pedagogy around sensory approaches to cultural education
CPD Session Leader/s: Julia Collar
Julia is autistic and a dedicated specialist in sensory inclusion, arts, and heritage, with a particular focus on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). Her career journey has been diverse, encompassing academia, youth work, teaching, community development, national policy advocacy, and professional theatre. Beyond her professional endeavours, Julia is a proud mother to twin boys, both of whom are autistic and in special education. She shares her life in Bedfordshire with her wife, Anna, marking a remarkable milestone of 25 years together in June 2023.
Collar & Cuffs Co
Established in 2016, Collar & Cuffs Co is an inclusive sensory arts and heritage company developing engaging experiences for children aged 0-7 and individuals with complex sensory, learning, and accessibility needs of every age. We have created sensory tours and trails at renowned cultural and heritage sites, including Kew Gardens, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, MK Gallery, the British Museum, Tate Liverpool, and the National Maritime Museum.
Our efforts have been acknowledged with awards, such as the 2022 Fantastic For Families Audience Innovation and Impact Award and the 2022 Best Family Arts Activity Award.
Webiste: www.collarandcuffs.org
Twitter: @collarcuffsco
Instagram: @collarcuffsco