Clowndoctors bring joy to young patients with visual impairments - Play and Connect Project with Sight Scotland

Hearts & Minds are delighted to have the Clowndoctors work with Sight Scotland on the pilot project, Play & Connect. 

Clowndoctor visits offer authentic connection and imaginative engagement, responding to how the child or young person is feeling at that moment. 

Co-Artistic Director Lucy McGreal explains about the new project: “Throughout our long-standing relationship with the Royal Blind School, they have seen first-hand the impact that the Clowndoctors have had with their young people and together we identified an opportunity for preschool children with visual Impairment and their families to engage with a Clowndoctor visit.  

Clowndoctor visits are accessible to children of all ages and abilities and are performed on their terms. The space that has been created during the start of Play & Connect has highlighted the opportunity for their unique voice, unique humour, unique imagination, and their unique self to be valued, validated, and amplified at times when they might be feeling powerless, anxious, lonely, or bored.”

This has also been seen within the families that have attended the sessions. For two-year-old Cian and his friend Archie, a special visit from Dr Beatz and Dr Biscuit is the highlight of their week.

Archie’s mum Kiana Mullan said “He is a lot, all the time…. but since coming here it’s been so much better. His willingness to play, the way he bonds with people it’s all improved.’

and Cian’s mum, Jo said "He’s been getting a lot of enjoyment from this. His facial expressions show how much he really enjoys it. He’s a lot more sociable. Some of the noises we’ve introduced at home, which has been beneficial for Cian. It’s good for him and good for us.”

 

Ronan McMahon aka Dr Biscuit commented on what he has observed during visits: “We’ve seen an increase in familiarity with us and they grow more comfortable. It’s a great sign of them engaging with us. We’re trying to build a caring and supportive space over simple games and activities where they’re coming from with their unique imagination and experiences. Every day is different.”

 

Lucy Chetty, Head of Learning at Sight Scotland said “What’s really important is that it is having the impact we want it to have; families feeling connected, young people feeling they have a peer group and a sense of shared safety and fun. They are really excited for the clowns to come along”

 

The play sessions are being piloted in Edinburgh and Glasgow and our partners Sight Scotland hope to expand the service.