It is Neurodiversity Celebration Week and thousands of people around the world are celebrating different minds.
Our Clowndoctors work with many young people in special educational schools across Scotland. Here Fiona Ferrier, Joint Artistic Lead, shares experiences of Clowndoctor visits with a class at a school they visit:
In one of our schools, we visited a class of five senior pupils, each with diverse needs and abilities. We aim in our visits to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the class by creating sessions that were always full of laughter, engagement and would take the ideas of the young people to create the play.
During one session, we wanted to celebrate the abilities of the young people, and we led everyone in a game of copying a jump, which one of the pupils does often, and then celebrating. We began with the two Clowndoctors and the girl, and moved to encompassing everyone in the class, holding hands, and giving the young girl the full lead on when we would all jump. She was able to control the play, control the class, and laughed with joy when we all fulfilled the jump on her lead. The class were interacting and communicating with each other, which was also one of the goals of our visits.
During another session, one of the girls wanted Dr Spritely and Dr Cous Cous to get married. Following her lead, she became the minister, another girl the bridesmaid, another girl the best man, and the final two pupils as the band (leading with ‘Old McDonald’ and ‘Wind the Bobbin Up’. The Clowndoctors allowed the pupils to lead the play during each visit.
Role-playing scenarios is a great way of exploring the world, and with the Clowndoctors, it can be undertaken in a safe, fun way that is led by the young people.
“All 5 pupils are always completely engaged when the Clowndoctors enter the classroom. Not only are they engaged, the smiles and laughter is fully evident throughout the session. This class certainly love the Clowndoctors.” Class Teacher.
If you would like to support the work of our Clowndoctors in the Classroom Programme please DONATE HERE
