TUBE: An evaluation report for

Oily Cart

Dr Andrea Creech

Institute of Education, University of London

April 2014

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ContentsList of

Tables and Charts...............................................................................................3

Executive Summary.............................................................................................4

Introduction........................................................................................................9

Aims of the evaluation.....................................................................................9

Background.......................................................................................................10

About Oily Cart...............................................................................................10

Beneficiaries...................................................................................................10

Oily Cart’s aims and objectives.......................................................................11

Methods............................................................................................................11

Findings.............................................................................................................13

Four key questions: quantitative results........................................................14

Differences between PMLD TUBE and ASD TUBE...........................................15

Differences between schools.........................................................................18

General feedback...........................................................................................20

Relevance of the Oily Cart performance to their audiences..........................23

Engagement in the Oily Cart performance.....................................................27

Children’s responses to the TUBE..................................................................30

The influence of Oily Cart on day-to-day practice..........................................35

Summary...........................................................................................................39

Appendix 1: Draft questionnaire for future evaluation exercises......................40

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List of Tables and Charts

Table 1: Number of questionnaires received....................................................13Table 2: Sources of questionnaire responses....................................................13Table 3: Classes that experienced the performance.........................................14Table 4: Overall responses................................................................................15Table 5: Mean scores and standard deviation for PMLD TUBE and ASD TUBE responses..........................................................................................................16Table 6: Overall responses according to type of show (numbers and percentages representing type of show: PMLD TUBE; ASD TUBE)....................17Table 7: Differences between schools for perceived relevance of TUBE...........19Table 8: General feedback - examples...............................................................21Table 9: The TUBE met our needs - examples...................................................24Table 10: Sustaining the children's interest - examples....................................28Table 11: Children's varied responses to the TUBE - examples.........................32Table 12: Changes to practice...........................................................................37

Figure 1: General feedback from adults in the audience..................................21Figure 2: The TUBE met our needs....................................................................24Figure 3: The TUBE sustained the children’s interest........................................28Figure 4: Children's varied responses to the TUBE............................................31Figure 5: The TUBE provided teachers, carers and parents with new ideas......36

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Executive SummaryAims: This report focuses on an evaluation of Oily Cart ‘TUBE’ performances, drawing on audience feedback to explore the relevance of the performances; the extent to which young people with special needs engage with the performances; and the extent to which the performances foster beneficial change amongst young people and their teachers, carers and parents.

The specific aims of this evaluation were to:

Ascertain the extent to which TUBE was relevant, engaging and beneficial for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) as well as children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD);

Understand the ways in which TUBE had been perceived as being relevant and engaging;

Understand the specific ways in which TUBE had fostered beneficial changes in young people’s behaviour, mood, or general responses;

Ascertain the extent to which TUBE had influenced the practice of teachers, carers and parents, in the classroom and/or at home;

Understand the specific ways in which TUBE had been perceived as beneficial to the practice of teachers, carers and parents.

Background: Oily Cart, established 32 years ago, creates highly interactive and multi-sensory theatre for very young children under six and young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) and/or an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Oily Cart is funded by the Arts Council of England, Wandsworth Council, Boshier Hinton Foundation, BBC Children in Need, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Genetic Disorders UK, Goldsmiths’ Company Charity, Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust, Henry Smith Charity, John Ellerman Foundation, John Thaw Foundation, Mercers’ Charitable Foundation, Taurus Foundation, Tesco Community Awards, the True Colours Trust and the Wates Foundation.

Methods: An audience feedback questionnaire was developed, comprising four key questions relating to 1) the relevance of the show; 2) the extent to which children had been engaged in the show; 3) the extent to which the show had provoked beneficial change amongst the children who attended; and 4) the extent to which the show had been beneficial for practice in the classroom and at home. The four key questions were framed as Likert scales, with five response categories ranging from negative to positive.

In addition to the Likert scales, each question had a space where questionnaire respondents were encouraged to elaborate on their answers, providing examples and detail that would help Oily Cart to understand the processes by which TUBE had

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or had not been effective in achieving the company’s aims and objectives. There was also a space for general feedback.

All of the quantitative data were entered into SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics were produced, including comparisons of responses from the PMLD and ASD groups, well as comparisons amongst schools. The qualitative data were entered into NVivo, a qualitative analysis software tool. A framework of themes was developed, emerging from the qualitative responses.

Findings: Overall, 171 questionnaires were returned, with 118 (69%) from PMLD TUBE and 53 (31%) from ASD TUBE. One hundred thirty-nine questionnaires were collected from 16 schools and from 32 additional respondents who had attended shows in theatre venues.

Overall, the responses were very positive, with mean scores ranging from 4.68 to 4.85 (where the most positive response was represented as ‘5’).

Relevance: One hundred and forty-eight respondents (87.1% of those who responded to this question) indicated that the show was completely relevant to the needs of their children, with a further 18 (10.6%) responding in the ‘quite relevant’ category. No responses to this question were negative.

Engagement: One hundred and twenty-seven (77% of those who responded to this question) respondents indicated that their students had been very engaged by the performance, with a further 31 (18.8%) responding with ‘quite engaged’ and just seven responding in the neutral or ‘a little bit engaged’ categories.

Beneficial change: One hundred and thirty-two respondents (77.2% of those who responded to this question) indicated that they had observed a very beneficial change, with a further 19 (11.1%) indicating that there had been a ‘quite beneficial’ change. Seven responses (4.3%) to this question were neutral. Four respondents (2.4%) indicated that they had observed a small beneficial change and just two responded that there had been no beneficial change at all.

Influence on practice in the classroom and home: Finally, 102 respondents (79% of those who responded to this question) indicated that the performance had been very beneficial for their practice, with a further 19 (14.7%) agreeing that it had been quite beneficial in this regard. Six (4.7%) answered with a neutral response, while just two (1.6%) indicated that the performance had not been beneficial for their practice.

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Differences between PMLD TUBE and ASD TUBE: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of responses.

Differences between schools: A statistical test (analysis of variance) revealed that the differences between schools were statistically significant with regard to questions one, three and four. These differences can be attributed to school 11, where there was, overall, the greatest variation amongst the responses. However, whilst acknowledging the differences it is important to note that the responses were all very positive, with no mean scores below 3, the neutral point on the response scale, and the large majority of mean scores above 4.

General feedback: The majority of additional general feedback reinforced the positive feedback in other sections of the questionnaire, with many superlatives that included: ‘it was beyond doubt the best show we have ever had in school’ , ‘massively impressed’, ‘amazing’, ‘faultless’, ‘100% effective’, ‘fantastic’, ‘high quality’, ‘excellent’, ‘wonderful’, ‘super special’ and ‘beautifully performed’.

Eighteen respondents provided ideas relating to how the show could have been improved, with reference to the needs of specific children regarding the structure and strategies adopted.

Other general feedback focused on the excellent information that had been received, the appropriate venues and the cost (just two mentioned this, with one indicating it was affordable while the other indicated that if it were less more children would be able to access the show).

Relevance of the performance: A total of 162 responses were coded under the overarching theme of ‘meeting needs’. Amongst these responses there were 26 explicit references to ‘meeting our needs’. Other comments elaborated on this, specifying the particular ways in which was evidenced. Forty-three commented on the effectiveness of the individual attention that each child had received. This was perceived to have been a crucial factor in establishing trust and encouraging the young people to interact and engage with the performance. Thirty-five responses focused on the appropriate pace of the performance, commenting specifically on the effectiveness of short bursts of activity interspersed with pauses and moments of calm. The same number of respondents (35) commented on the multi-sensory resources and props, which ‘transfixed’ the children and helped to sustain interest. Several respondents mentioned the specific qualities of the Oily Cart staff – friendly, patient and helpful. Finally, nine respondents focused on the effective use of language, where ‘less is more’.

Engagement in the performance: In total, 275 comments were coded under the overarching theme of ‘sustaining interest’. Amongst these, 98 responses were explicit comments that noted sustained interest, with comments describing how children stayed alert, focused and concentrated for extended periods of time. In many cases this was described as unusual and remarkable behaviour. Several

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respondents elaborated on specific ways in which the show supported children in this sustained focus. The key areas that were identified included its engaging music, multi-sensory range of activities, visual interest and fun, interactive characters.

Young people’s responses to TUBE: A total of 337 comments were coded under the overarching theme of ‘diverse responses to TUBE’. Amongst these, just seven indicated that the experience had been difficult for a child, while a further four reported that they had not observed any noticeable change. A large majority of these qualitative responses provided details of positive changes in behaviour and mood. These included: ‘a calming effect’ (73); participating, focusing and engaging much more than was usual (70); ‘very happy children’ (68); ‘excitement’ (13); and ‘enjoyment’; (38); increase in vocalising (28); beneficial changes in physical responses (26) and good eye contact (10).

Influence on practice in the classroom and at home: A total of 155 comments were coded under the overarching theme of ‘influence on practice’.

Three Head Teachers made it explicit that the experience had functioned as valuable Continuing Professional Development for their TAs in particular. The performance had provided a space where the TAs could observe the use of multi-sensory stimuli and reflect upon the responses amongst the children that could otherwise have been missed in the context of a busy classroom.

Seventy-five responses related to new ideas for the creative use of multi-sensory objects, highlighting how the show had demonstrated how simple objects could be used in such a way as to foster a ‘sense of wonder and intrigue’ amongst the children.

Twenty-four respondents identified specific communication strategies that they planned to incorporate in to their practice. These included mimicking, use of repetition, varying the tone and dynamic range of their voices, as well as using multi-sensory stimuli to support speech and language development. In addition, twelve respondents reported that they had gained new ideas for strategies for calming the children, including adjusting the pace of their lessons and incorporating planned pauses and ‘built in stillness’.

Sixteen responses focused on the use of music, with indications that the teachers intended to make more use of music in the classroom, after having observed how engaging simple musical techniques had been.

Summary: Overall, TUBE was perceived as an exceptionally positive experience for children and their teachers, carers and parents. The performance was child-centred and interactive. The performance was structured and paced appropriately and made expert use of appropriate resources. Children engaged with the performers and demonstrated higher than usual levels of focus, concentration and sustained interest. The children also demonstrated high levels of enjoyment, happiness and responses

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that included vocalising, reaching out, movement to music and eye contact. Alongside this, TUBE was structured in such a way as to ensure that a safe, calming and trusting environment was established, with space for calm and quiet. Key facets that supported the engagement of children were the visual interest, the use of music, the multi-sensory activities and resources and the fun, responsive characters. TUBE had a high level of positive impact with regard to its influence on the practice of teachers, carers and parents, offering many ideas for the creative use of multi-sensory objects in the classroom and the home. Most significantly, the experience provided adults with a space where they could observe the responses of the children and reflect upon the different strategies that were employed in fostering such responses.

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TUBE: An evaluation report for Oily Cart

IntroductionThis report focuses on an evaluation of Oily Cart ‘TUBE’ performances, drawing on audience feedback to explore the relevance of the performances; the extent to which young people with special needs engage with the performances; and the extent to which the performances foster beneficial change amongst young people and their teachers, carers and parents.

This report summarises audience feedback collected from adults who accompanied young people who attended Oily Cart’s production of ‘TUBE’, in 2013. During that year, Oily Cart undertook a total of 117 performances of TUBE. Two versions of the show were offered, one specifically designed around the needs children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) and the other designed to meet the specific needs of children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Ninety-five PMLD TUBE performances and 22 ASD performances were given. Six children attended each show. TUBE reached a total of 702 children in 21 Special Schools and five theatre venues across the UK.

Aims of the evaluationThe specific aims of this evaluation were to:

Ascertain the extent to which TUBE was relevant, engaging and beneficial for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) as well as children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD);

Understand the ways in which TUBE had been perceived as being relevant and engaging;

Understand the specific ways in which TUBE had fostered beneficial changes in young people’s behaviour, mood, or general responses;

Ascertain the extent to which TUBE had influenced the practice of teachers, carers and parents, in the classroom and/or at home;

Understand the specific ways in which TUBE had been perceived as beneficial to the practice of teachers, carers and parents.

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Background

About Oily CartOily Cart was established 32 years ago and has achieved some renown for creating theatre for two audiences who are often under provided for in terms of cultural activity:

Very young children under six; Young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and/or

an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)

Oily Cart states that their mission is to explore new approaches to performance and to engage with and extend reach these culturally neglected audiences.

Oily Cart’s unique form of theatre is highly interactive and multi-sensory. Challenging accepted definitions of theatre and audience, they create innovative, multi-sensory and highly participatory productions by transforming everyday environments into colourful, tactile ‘wonderlands’. Using hydro-therapy pools and trampolines, aromatherapy and puppetry together with a vast array of multi-sensory techniques, they create original and highly specialised theatre for our young audiences.

The founding Creative Team lead the company, with Tim Webb the Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Amanda Webb, Head of Design and Max Reinhardt the Musical Director. Oily Cart is funded by the Arts Council of England, Wandsworth Council, Boshier Hinton Foundation, BBC Children in Need, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Genetic Disorders UK, Goldsmiths’ Company Charity, Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust, Henry Smith Charity, John Ellerman Foundation, John Thaw Foundation, Mercers’ Charitable Foundation, Taurus Foundation, Tesco Community Awards, the True Colours Trust and the Wates Foundation.

BeneficiariesOily Cart performs in theatre venues and Special Schools across the UK. Each year they work with over 6000 young people aged 6 months to 19 years old, plus their teachers, carers, parents and siblings. Two thousand of these are young people with severe learning disabilities, people who require individual care, often on a 24 hour basis.

Oily Cart tours three original shows for a total of 30 weeks in each year, with a combination of long-term residencies and two-day visits. Their aim is to make a positive difference to the lives of young people and their families, who can be excluded from cultural activity because of the barriers they face through disability. Oily Cart is one of the very few theatre companies making work for audiences of young people with PMLD and/or ASD in the UK.

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Oily Cart’s aims and objectivesOily Cart aims are:

To create high quality, interactive, mult-sensory performances for young audiences, using original live music, writing and design.

To provide these audiences with access to arts activities to which they would otherwise be denied.

To make a positive difference to the lives of young people and their families, who can be excluded from cultural activity because of the barriers they face through disability.

To provide a rare opportunity for families to participate in a shared experience where the child with the disability is the focus.

To promote and encourage models of best practice through raising the public and cultural profile of these audiences and the importance of cultural provision for them.

To provide training opportunities for the families, teachers and carers who work with these young people, and

To celebrate the diversity of cultures in our society by producing theatrical performances including artists of different cultural backgrounds.

MethodsAn audience feedback questionnaire was developed that comprised four key questions relating to 1) the relevance of the show; 2) the extent to which children had been engaged in the show; 3) the extent to which the show had provoked beneficial change amongst the children who attended; and 4) the extent to which the show had been beneficial for practice in the classroom and at home. The four key questions were framed as Likert scales, with five response categories ranging from negative to positive.

In addition to the Likert scales, each question had a space where questionnaire respondents were encouraged to elaborate on their answers, providing examples and detail that would help Oily Cart to understand the processes by which TUBE had or had not been effective in achieving the company’s aims and objectives. There was also a space for general feedback, where respondents were asked to provide any additional comments relating to their experience of TUBE. The questionnaires were anonymous, although respondents were asked to indicate which school they were from and which year group of children had attended the performance.

All of the quantitative data were entered into SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 20. Descriptive statistics were produced. Some comparisons of groups were undertaken, with comparisons of responses from the PMLD and ASD groups, well as comparisons amongst schools.

The qualitative data were entered into NVivo, a qualitative analysis software tool. A framework of themes was developed, emerging from the qualitative responses. Each

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response was coded and grouped in an appropriate theme. The themes were organised around the four key questions. Some additional themes emerged under the heading of ‘general feedback’.

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FindingsOverall, 171 questionnaires were returned, with 118 (69%) from PMLD TUBE and 53 (31%) from ASD TUBE (Table 1).

Table 1: Number of questionnaires received

Type of show Number of responses Percent

PMLD TUBE 118 69.0

ASD TUBE 53 31.0

Total 171 100.0

Questionnaires were collected from 16 schools and from 32 additional respondents who had attended shows in theatre venues. A total of 139 responses were received from schools, with the number received from individual schools ranging from one to twenty-three. The mean (average) number of responses from individual schools was 8.69.

Table 2: Sources of questionnaire responses

Number of

questionnaires

% of total responses

received

School

1. 2 1.2

2. 23 13.5

3. 8 4.7

4. 6 3.5

5. 3 1.8

6. 7 4.1

7. 4 2.3

8. 2 1.2

9. 10 5.8

10. 12 7.0

11. 14 8.2

12. 1 .6

13. 5 2.9

14. 6 3.5

15. 23 13.5

16. 13 7.6

Responses from theatre venues 32 18.7

Total 171 100

Respondents from seven schools reported which year group they had accompanied. These ranged from Nursery classes to Year 7 (Table 3).

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Table 3: Classes that experienced the performance

Class the respondent accompanied Total

Nurser

y

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Number of

respondent

s in each

school

2 4 1 3 1 11 22

1 3 1 5

3 3

2 1 3

2 2

1 1

5 7 12

Total number of

respondents6 7 5 8 6 1 11 4 48

Four key questions: quantitative resultsQuestionnaire respondents were asked to indicate their answers to four questions relating to the relevance of the show, the extent the show had engaged their children, the extent to which the show had fostered beneficial change amongst the children and the extent to which the show had impacted upon their practice at school or in the home. The responses were on a five point Likert scale, as illustrated in Table 4. The most positive response (for example, ‘completely relevant’, ‘very engaged’ or ‘very beneficial) was represented as ‘5’ on the scale, while the least positive response (‘not relevant at all’, ‘not engaged at all’, ‘not beneficial at all’) was represented as ‘1’ on the scale.

Overall, the responses were very positive, with mean scores ranging from 4.68 to 4.85 (where the most positive response was represented as ‘5’). One hundred and forty-eight respondents (87.1% of those who responded to this question) indicated that the show was completely relevant to the needs of their children, with a further 18 (10.6%) responding in the ‘quite relevant’ category. No responses to this question were negative. Similarly, 127 (77% of those who responded to this question) respondents indicated that their students had been very engaged by the performance, with a further 31 (18.8%) responding with ‘quite engaged’ and just seven responding in the neutral or ‘a little bit engaged’ categories (Table 4).

The greatest amount of variation and the ‘lowest’ mean score (albeit still exceptionally high at 4.68) was found in response to the question of whether the performance had provoked a beneficial change amongst the students. One hundred and thirty-two respondents (77.2% of those who responded to this question) indicated that they had observed a very beneficial change, with a further 19 (11.1%) indicating that there had been a ‘quite beneficial’ change. Seven responses (4.3%) to

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this question were neutral. Four respondents (2.4%) indicated that they had observed a small beneficial change and just two responded that there had been no beneficial change at all (Table 4).

Finally, 102 respondents (79% of those who responded to this question) indicated that the performance had been very beneficial for their practice, with a further 19 (14.7%) agreeing that it had been quite beneficial in this regard. Six (4.7%) answered with a neutral response, while just two (1.6%) indicated that the performance had not been beneficial for their practice (Table 4).

Table 4: Overall responses

Do you think this show was relevant to the needs of your children?

N Mean Completely Relevant

Quite relevant

Neutral A little relevant

Not relevant at

all17

04.85 148

(87.1%)18

(10.6%)4

(2.4%)0 0

Do you think this performance engaged your students?

Very engaged Quite engaged

Neutral A little bit engaged

Not engaged at

all16

54.72 127

(77%)31

(18.8%)5

(3%)2

(1.2%)0

Do you think this performance provoked a beneficial change in your students?

Very beneficial

Quite beneficial

Neutral A little bit beneficial

Not beneficial

at all16

44.68 132

(77.2%)19

(11.1%)7

(4.3%)4

(2.4%)2

(1.2%)

How beneficial did you find the performance to your practice?

Very beneficial

Quite beneficial

Neutral A little bit beneficial

Not beneficial

at all12

94.70 102

(79.1%)19

(14.7%)6

(4.7%)0 2

(1.6%)

Differences between PMLD TUBE and ASD TUBEThe responses from PMLD and ASD versions of ‘TUBE’ (the show) were compared. Table 5 sets out the mean scores and standard deviations (an indication of the range of scores) for the four questions. All of the standard deviations are fairly small, indicating little variation in the responses. The largest variation was found amongst PMLD TUBE responses to the questions relating to a) beneficial change amongst the students and b) beneficial change to practice. The least amount of variation amongst responses was found amongst ASD TUBE responses to the question regarding the relevance of the show. The highest mean scores (most positive responses) amongst both groups were with regard to relevance of the show. The lowest mean score (least positive response) amongst the PMLD group was regarding beneficial change to the students, while the lowest mean score amongst the ASD group was regarding the engagement of the students. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of responses.

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Table 5: Mean scores and standard deviation for PMLD TUBE and ASD TUBE responses

Questionnaire version Number of

responses

Mean Std. Deviation

Do you think this show was

relevant to the needs of your

children

PMLD TUBE 118 4.85 .45

ASD TUBE 52 4.85 .36

Do you think this performance

engaged your students

PMLD TUBE 117 4.76 .54

ASD TUBE 48 4.63 .67

Do you think this performance

provoked a beneficial change in

your students

PMLD TUBE 114 4.64 .84

ASD TUBE 50 4.76 .59

How beneficial did you find the

performance to your practice?

PMLD TUBE 87 4.70 .76

ASD TUBE 42 4.69 .56

Table 6 shows that amongst those who had attended PMLD TUBE, 88.1% rated the show as ‘completely relevant and 8.5% rated it as ‘quite relevant’. The responses to ASD TUBE were similar, with 84.6% rating it as completely relevant and 15.4% rating it as ‘quite relevant’. In response to the question of whether the show had engaged the students, one respondent in each group indicated that students had been ‘a little bit’ engaged, while 79.5% of those in the PMLD group and 70.8% of those in the ASD group indicated that the students had been very engaged. Amongst the PMLD respondents there were two who indicated that the show had been not beneficial at all with regard to fostering beneficial change amongst the students, compared with none in this category amongst the ASD group. The majority (79.8%) of those in the PMLD group and 82% of those in the ASD group indicated that the show had provoked very beneficial changes in their students. Similarly, there were two PMLD respondents who indicated the show had not been beneficial for their practice, compared with none in this category amongst the ASD respondents. Amongst both groups the large majority gave positive responses to this question (81.6% PMLD; 73.8% ASD).

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Table 6: Overall responses according to type of show (numbers and percentages representing type of show: PMLD TUBE; ASD TUBE)

Number and percentage of responses

(Column %)

PMLD TUBE ASD TUBE Total

Do you think this

show was relevant

to the needs of your

children?

Not relevant 0 0 0

A little bit

relevant0 0 0

Neutral 4 3.4% 0 4 2.4%

Quite relevant 10 8.5% 8 15.4% 18 10.6%

Completely

relevant104 88.1% 44 84.6% 148 87.1%

Total (100%) 118 52 170

Do you think this

performance

engaged your

students?

Not engaged 0 0 0

A little bit

engaged1 0.9% 1 2.1% 2 1.2%

Neutral 3 2.6% 2 4.2% 5 3.0%

Quite engaged 20 17.1% 11 22.9% 31 18.8%

Very engaged 93 79.5% 34 70.8% 127 77.0%

Total (100%) 117 48 165

Do you think this

performance

provoked a

beneficial change in

your students?

Not beneficial at

all2 1.8% 0 2 1.2%

A little bit

beneficial3 2.6% 1 2% 4 2.4%

Neutral 6 5.3% 1 2% 7 4.3%

Quite beneficial 12 10.5% 7 14.0% 19 11.6%

Very beneficial 91 79.8% 41 82.0% 132 80.5%

Total (100%) 114 50 164

How beneficial did

you find the

performance to your

practice?

Not beneficial at

all2 2.3% 0 2 1.6%

A little bit

beneficial0 0 0 0.0%

Neutral 4 4.6% 2 4.8% 6 4.7%

Quite beneficial 10 11.5% 9 21.4% 19 14.7%

Very beneficial 71 81.6% 31 73.8% 102 79.1%

Total (100%) 87 42 129

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Differences between schoolsThe questionnaire responses were interrogated for any differences between schools. Table 7 sets out the mean scores and standard deviations (a measure of the variation in responses) for each school, in relation to each question.

With regard to the perceived relevance of TUBE, mean scores ranged from 4.14 to 5. The greatest variation in responses and ‘lowest’ mean score (but still very high, being above 4, where 5 = the most positive response possible) was found in school 11, where 14 individuals completed the questionnaire. In the two schools with the greatest number of questionnaire respondents (23 in each) there were high mean scores (4.91 and 4.96) and little variation in responses.

With regard to the perceptions of the extent to which TUBE had engaged students, the mean scores ranged from 4.21 to 5. Again, the lowest mean score and highest variability in responses was found in school 11. Similarly, the lowest mean score (3.43) and greatest variability in responses was found in this same school in the responses to the question of whether TUBE had provoked beneficial change amongst students. For this third question the mean responses ranged from 3.43 to 5. Finally, for question four, concerned with impact upon practice in the classroom and home, the mean scores ranged from 3.79 to 5 and again the lowest mean score and greatest variability was found in the responses from school 11.

A statistical test (analysis of variance) revealed that the differences between schools were statistically significant with regard to questions one, three and four. These differences can be attributed to school 11, where there was, overall, the greatest variation amongst the responses. However, whilst acknowledging the differences it is important to note that the responses were all very positive, with no mean scores below 3, the neutral point on the response scale, and the large majority of mean scores above 4.

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Table 7: Differences between schools for perceived relevance of TUBE

Do you think this

show was relevant

to the needs of your

children?

Do you think this

performance

engaged your

students?

Do you think this

performance provoked

a beneficial change in

your students?

How beneficial did

you find the

performance to your

practice?

School N Mean* SD Mean* SD Mean* SD Mean* SD

1 25.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 5.00 0.00

2 234.91 0.29 4.91 0.29 4.91 0.29 4.91 0.29

3 84.75 0.46 4.50 0.84 4.57 0.53 4.57 0.53

4 65.00 0.00 4.67 0.82 4.67 0.82 4.50 0.84

5 35.00 0.00 4.67 0.58 4.67 0.58 4.67 0.58

6 75.00 0.00 4.86 0.38 4.67 0.82 5.00 0.00

7 45.00 0.00 4.75 0.50 4.50 0.58 5.00 0.00

8 25.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 4.00 1.41 5.00 0.00

9 105.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 4.80 0.63

10 124.67 0.49 4.58 0.67 4.50 0.80 4.73 0.47

11 144.14 0.86 4.21 0.97 3.43 1.60 3.79 1.42

12 15.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 4.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

13 55.00 0.00 4.60 0.55 4.80 0.45 5.00 0.00

14 64.67 0.52 4.83 0.41 4.67 0.52 4.50 0.55

15 234.96 0.21 4.82 0.39 4.91 0.29 4.82 0.50

16 135.00 0.00 4.85 0.38 5.00 0.00 5.00 0.00

Total13

94.83 0.44 4.74 0.56 4.65 0.80 4.70 0.71

*5=most positive response; 1=least positive response

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General feedback Respondents were asked to provide any additional general feedback relating to issues that had not been covered in the questionnaire (Figure 1). The majority of this

additional feedback reinforced the positive feedback in other sections of the questionnaire, with many additional superlatives that included: ‘it was beyond doubt the best show we have ever had in school’ , ‘massively impressed’, ‘amazing’, ‘faultless’, ‘100% effective’, ‘fantastic’, ‘high quality’, ‘excellent’, ‘wonderful’, ‘super special’ and ‘beautifully performed’ (Table 8).

Eighteen (11%) of respondents provided ideas

relating to how the show could have been improved. The majority of these were with reference to the needs of specific children, for example highlighting some children who would have been better off in a different position, or others who found specific strategies or the structure of the performance difficult.

One Head Teacher explained that she felt she could have made better choices about which children should attend the performance had she had more detailed information in advance. Nevertheless, others (5; 3%) highlighted that they had valued the excellent information that Oily Cart had provided. Eight (5%) responses praised the venue specifically, pointing out features of the venue that had been particularly appropriate in meeting their needs. Just two mentioned cost, with one indicating that if the show were less expensive more pupils would be able to access it, while the other indicated that the show was affordable and reasonably priced, particularly bearing in mind its specialist expertise.

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Figure 1: General feedback from adults in the audience

Cost

Excellent information

Good venue

Ideas for improvement

Generally positive feedback

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Table 8: General feedback - examples

Number of references

Percentage of total respondents

Example

Generally positive feedback

47 27 The performance was really thought out and beautifully performed.

Another wonderful, outstanding performance. I feel privileged that I got to go along with my student again.

A fantastic show for all.

Fantastic performance, very high quality.

Ideas for improvement

18 11 We needed to have our child sitting up more rather than lying back in the hanging chair. This would have allowed him to anticipate better the next movement from your actors.

Some used far too much language for our non verbal autistic children but otherwise brilliant.

It was up too close too quickly

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…He would have enjoyed it more if they had sung/performed at a distance for 5-10 minutes first before coming up close to him. But lots of great singing and stimulation - a brilliant performance.

Had we known the content and level of performance, we would have chosen children wisely.

Some students found the waiting before the show a bit too long. They started throwing the tubes, hurting themselves.

Good venue 8 5 Venue brilliant for access.

Venue was great, the room a good size for the size of group.

The venue is well catered to provide for disabled children.

Excellent information

5 3 Great to have such detailed email prior to show so we knew what to expect.

Excellent liaison and information given from the office and the stage manager.

All other aspects of liaison were very well managed … professional, kind, patient, wonderful.

Cost 2 1 If only this was cheaper more students would be able to benefit from your wonderful work!

Very affordable for such a unique, tailored event. Cannot speak highly enough of the show, so nice to have PMLD catered for.

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‘The characters were fantastic and great with the children and understanding their needs.’

Relevance of the Oily Cart performance to their audiences

As noted above, 87% of questionnaire respondents indicated that the Oily Cart performance was ‘completely relevant’ to their children’s needs. In a follow-up open question, the respondents were asked to comment on the ways in which the Oily Cart performance achieved this relevance.

A total of 162 responses were coded under the overarching theme of ‘meeting needs’. Amongst these

responses there were 26 explicit references (15% of total 171 respondents) to ‘meeting our needs’, with comments that praised the performers for their understanding of the children’s special needs. Many other comments elaborated on this, specifying the particular ways in which this understanding was evidenced (Figure 2; Table 9). Forty-three (25%) commented on the effectiveness of the individual attention that each child received, which helped to establish trust and encouraged the young people to interact and engage with the performance. Individual responses to each child’s sounds, actions and movements helped to make the performance a child-centred experience, where as one parent put it, each child was ‘present, engaged and interested’. Thirty-five (20%) responses focused on the appropriate pace of the performance, commenting specifically on the effectiveness of short bursts of activity interspersed with pauses and moments of calm. Others highlighted that they had been impressed by the absence of any sense of ‘rush’, with time given to the children for exploration of the sensory props, yet framed within an overall structure where activities were highly engaging. The same number of respondents (35; 20%) commented on the multi-sensory resources and props, which ‘transfixed’ the children and helped to sustain interest. Several respondents mentioned the specific qualities of the Oily Cart staff – friendly, patient

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and helpful, remarking that they had been impressed by the priority given to using the children’s names in their interactions. Finally, nine respondents focused on the effective use of language, where ‘less is more’, highlighting that this was a specific way in which children were supported in engaging with the performance without having to rely on verbal processing.

Figure 2: The TUBE met our needs

Met our needs

Used language appropriately for the children

Staff were friendly and helpful

Appropriate props and resources

Pace was appropriate

Individual attention was valuable

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Table 9: The TUBE met our needs - examples

Theme Number of references

% of total respondents

Example

Met our needs 26 15 I cannot praise the Oily Cart team highly enough: their understanding of the needs of our children was impressive and they are obviously well practised at putting children at their ease and engaging with them before the show begins. Our carers also loved it.

All children engaged to a greater or lesser extent relative to their particular needs.

The characters were fantastic and great with the children and understanding their needs.

Individual attention was valuable

43 25 The kids received a lot of 1 to 1 and this helped them with singing and joining in.

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The actors were brilliant at engaging with each of the children. It was fantastic that they remembered the names of each of the children (not always the case with some theatre groups).

The characters engaged with each child on a level that was just right. They responded immediately to the child's sounds, actions, movements, and so built up a warm and fun filled relationship throughout the performance.

Pace was appropriate

35 20 The short bursts of activity were great and kept the children's focus and attention.

Every activity had pace and was not rushed, new ideas were introduced as simply as possible with relevance to the senses.

Lots of excellent pauses and moments of quiet and calm. The activities were highly engaging - opportunity to explore. Time was given - no rush.

Appropriate props and resources

35 20 Props used were key ones that interest the children - use of water; sounds; movement in chairs; instruments; straws in lanterns.

Props used were key ones that interest the children - use of water; sounds; movement in chairs; instruments; straws in lanterns.

The child I worked with focused on the props and faces of the performers. She was transfixed at times. The props interested her and she reached out and up towards them.

Staff were friendly and helpful

14 8 The characters were very friendly and really interacted with the children.

The staff were patient, friendly and helpful throughout.

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The staff were very friendly and remembered each child by name, even the following day.

Used language appropriately for the children

9 5 Lots of repetition on key words but not too much language used.

It was great to see my son enjoy something that did not rely on a lot of verbal processing. I cannot fault it. Thank you so much.

I was massively impressed by the sparse, effective use of language. For our children less is definitely more, and I have never seen a show where the temptation to over talk is reigned in like this one. All the more engaging because of it.

Total 162

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‘It was a fantastic experience for our class. All the children were engaged, alert. and absorbed.’

Engagement in the Oily Cart performanceAs noted above, 77% of respondents indicated that their children had been ‘completely engaged’ in the performance, with a further 18.8% indicating that the performance had been ‘quite’ engaging. Respondents were asked to elaborate on their responses, in open questions (Figure 3; Table 10).

In total, 275 comments were coded under the overarching theme of ‘sustaining interest’. Amongst these, 98 responses (57% of total 171 respondents) were explicit comments that noted sustained interest, with comments describing how children stayed alert, focused and concentrated for extended periods of time. In many cases this was described as unusual and remarkable behaviour. Several respondents elaborated on specific ways in which the show supported children in this sustained focus. The

key areas that were identified included its engaging music, multi-sensory range of activities, visual interest and fun, interactive characters. Sixty-four respondents (37%) highlighted their children’s engagement in the music, referring to the dynamic range, ‘beautiful voices’, ‘soothing rhythms’ and repetitive lyrics as being particularly effective. Fifty-nine (35%) of respondents made explicit references to the effectiveness of multi-sensory activities. The range of activities had stimulated and sustained interest through touch, smell, visual and aural senses. The

bold, bright and engaging visual display was identified by 46 (27%) of respondents as being particularly important in sustaining the children’s interest. Some also commented on the effective use of the ‘visual schedule’ which helped the children to understand what was going to happen next. Others commented particularly on how much their children had responded to the use of projected images, particularly in the good-bye sequence. Eight (5%) also attributed sustained interest and engagement to the ‘fun’ and inspirational characters.

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Figure 3: The TUBE sustained the children’s interest

Sustained the children's interest

Fun characters

Visual interest

Multi-sensory

Engaged in the music

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Table 10: Sustaining the children's interest - examples

Theme Number of references

% of total respondents

Example

Sustained the children's interest

98 57 A usually placid and hard to engage child stayed alert and awake for whole session (60 minutes - wow!). One child, who finds it hard to sit still, stayed sitting in leaf chair for whole session.

One child in particular focused for several minutes during the performance, something which we continually work towards in her targets.

The child I worked with finds it difficult to react to anything and will often fall asleep during lessons but he remained focused during the whole performance.

Engaged in the music

64 37 D responded to the music most of all.

My child listened throughout. Gentle sounds engaged him. Turned to listen to different sounds, stopped rocking to listen, wide awake and alert to the show.

Music (tempo and sound) was very engaging and different.

Multi- 59 35 Definitely ignited all their senses and the

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sensory length of time they engaged for was what amazed me.

Given our child has hearing and vision impairments we are of the view that most sensory experiences are beneficial in broadening his understanding of the world.

Children were able to interact with the performance and able to enjoy the different sensory experiences from touch, looking, listening, smelling.

Visual interest

46 27 Some of the children were very focused on the costumes.

Particularly relevant, due to visual stimuli as main communication.

The children laughed a lot. The characters were bright and engaging …The bold colours were eye catching and easy for children with visual impairment to track, but there were not too many colours.

Fun characters

8 5 The performers were full of fun and dressed very colourfully.

The characters were fun, colourful and included staff as well as children.

You guys were wonderful, fun and inspirational. Thank you. Excellent, vibrant, engaging.

Total 275

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Children’s responses to the TUBE Questionnaire respondents were asked to indicate whether the Oily Cart performance had provoked a beneficial change amongst the students. As noted above, 80.5% indicated that they had noticed a very beneficial change, while a further 11.6% indicated that the change had been ‘quite beneficial. In an open question respondents were asked to elaborate on these responses, providing detail of the kinds of changes they had noticed.

A total of 337 comments were coded under the overarching theme of ‘diverse responses to TUBE’. Amongst these, just seven indicated that the experience had been difficult for a child, while a further four reported that they had not observed any noticeable change. A large majority of these qualitative responses provided details of positive changes in behaviour and mood (Figure 4; Table 11).

Seventy-three (43% of total 171 respondents) respondents observed that overall the show had had a calming effect on the children. In some cases calmer behaviour throughout the remainder of the day of the performance had been noted. According to some reports, being calm and relaxed helped the children to engage in high levels of interaction. Many respondents (70; 41%) noted that they had observed children participating, focusing and engaging much more than was usual. ‘Very happy children’ were described by 68 (40%) respondents, with many highlighting the laughter, smiles and giggling that they had noted amongst both the children and the carers. Thirteen (8%) respondents described ‘excitement’ and an increase in general alertness amongst the children, while 38 (22%) used the word ‘enjoyment’ to describe their children’s responses. Some respondents (28; 16%) noted an increase in vocalising amongst their children and others (26; 15%) noted beneficial changes in physical responses, noting more reaching out, turning heads and better gross and fine motor skills. Ten (6%) respondents noted specifically that their children had demonstrated good eye contact during the show.

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A few (7; 4%) indicated that the experience had in fact been a difficult one for their child, with one describing how the child had become ‘scared’ - this was in reference to a child specifically identified as ‘SLD’ who had attended the PMLD TUBE. Others reported that the child had become ‘upset’. In one case (PMLD TUBE) the adult reported that despite this there had been many positive ideas that would be adopted into daily practice and that, for the carer at least, the performance had been both inspiring and enjoyable. Another respondent who reported the child had been ‘very upset’ (ASD TUBE) again emphasised that despite this she had gained new ideas for her practice and ‘loved the resources and songs’. Three respondents (two PMLD TUBE and one ASD TUBE) noted that their children had attention spans that lasted just a few seconds and that despite a higher level of engagement than usual; they had nonetheless found it difficult to sit through the show. One respondent, who had accompanied a child at the ASD TUBE, noted that the child had found ‘the environment difficult to cope with’, although he had engaged with the good-bye song. Finally, four respondents said that they had not noticed a particular change that could be attributed to the show, but emphasised that nonetheless the performance had been a positive experience for the children.

Figure 4: Children's varied responses to the TUBE

No change in responses

Eye contact

Vocalising

The children were excited and alert

Children interacted and were engaged with the performers

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

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Table 11: Children's varied responses to the TUBE - examples

Theme Number of references

% of total respondents

Example

The show was calming and relaxing

73 43 Very lively group but there were definite moments of calmness shown by all children.

One of our boys doesn't respond well due to how special he is and he was just so happy, engaged and relaxed.

He does not often sit for a long period of time, but he sat all the way through the performance. He has been very calm throughout the afternoon, after the performance.

Children interacted and were engaged with the performers

70 41 The children were laughing, smiling and totally engaged with each of the actors.

Some pupils came out of their own world to participate, engage, interact.

I spoke to the actors at the start of the second day ... I wanted them to know how extraordinarily will the children had behaved, how much more focused many of them had been than usual and how surprised we had been at the level of participation. This may not have been obvious to the inexperienced observer or indeed to the actors. But we saw it, and marvelled throughout the three days.

Very happy children

68 40 I was sitting next to K, who doesn't usually exhaust himself with laughter. Thank you.

Simply, one very happy student.

If by beneficial you mean giving my child and myself a happy unique experience then absolutely.

Enjoyment 38 22 D really enjoyed it. He sat in the chair for a full hour which is amazing for him.

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Happy and excited and enjoying.

The children enjoyed the whole spectacle as evidenced by lots of laughter and giggling!

Vocalising 28 16 Child smiling, vocalising, moving arms up to touch lights.

Very vocal, lots of smiling, very enjoyable. Four our children lots of nice responses.

Student really showed she enjoyed it by vocalising and turning her head.

Physical response

26 15 Increased gross or fine motor-reaching/holding.

Some of the children were reaching out for visual items far more and were responding a lot more than they usually would.

The leaf chairs helped the children to experience a range of movements they do not normally experience.

The children were excited and alert

13 8 He was more alert and interested in his surroundings with his head control being outstanding for him throughout the performance due to the interest, excitement of what was going on around him.

The little boy who was so excited and alert during your performance continued to be as alert through the rest of the afternoon … we were able to encourage him to walk in the afternoon which for most days he finds very difficult.

He was excited throughout, laughing, but you contained him. He really had a great time, all the time, without being so excited he missed things.

Eye contact 10 6 Responses from all the pupils included vocalising, eye contact, smiling, using their senses.

The SLD children were very focused

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‘Cannot speak highly enough of the show, so nice to have PMLD catered for.’

and maintained good eye contact with the adults.

Lots of laughter, eye contact, attention.

Difficult for some children

7 4 SLD child - did not provoke any beneficial change. More than anything she was scared of performers.

My child occasionally awoke, had a look around, usually he would become upset.

The pupils are not developmentally ready to share attention for more than a few seconds, in some cases.

No change in responses

4 2 I'm not sure exactly if there has been a change. I am sure my students enjoyed the experience but I can't say it's brought any change. Significant or otherwise, to them.

Hard to see the impact of Oily Cart on PMLD children as some are non responsive.

I did not particularly notice any changes in behaviour, but with my son I wouldn't especially expect to see any. However, I feel that the whole experience was beneficial for him.

Total 337

The influence of Oily Cart on day-to-day practiceQuestionnaire respondents were asked how beneficial they had found the Oily Cart performance to be, for their practice. As noted earlier, 79.1% of respondents indicated that the performance had been very beneficial for their practice, with another 14.7% indicating it had been quite beneficial. The respondents were asked to elaborate, specifying where there were any useful techniques that they would take from the performance and adapt to home or school settings. A total of 155 comments were coded under the overarching theme of ‘influence on practice’.

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Three Head Teachers made it explicit that the experience had functioned as valuable Continuing Professional Development for their TAs in particular. The performance had provided a space where the TAs could observe the use of multi-sensory stimuli and reflect upon the responses amongst the children that could otherwise have been missed in the context of a busy classroom. For some (7; 4%) of the teachers, the experience had reinforced their existing practice, providing and opportunity to observe the children’s responses to communication strategies that the teachers themselves were familiar with.

A large number of responses related to new ideas for the creative use of multi-sensory objects. Seventy-five (44% of total 171 respondents) provided answers that

were coded in this category. The adults highlighted how the show had helped them to see how simple objects could be used in such a way as to foster a ‘sense of wonder and intrigue’ amongst the children. Many teachers planned to add tubes to their resources, with at least one seeing the possibilities for an ‘orchestra’ in her classroom. Some respondents (18; 11%) indicated that they

hoped to purchase similar resources to the ones they had seen in the performance. In particular, many coveted the chairs, reporting that the special ‘leaf chairs’ had been a very effective part of the experience that had helped to engage the children and sustain their focus.

Twenty-four (14%) respondents identified specific communication strategies that they planned to incorporate in to their practice. These included mimicking, use of repetition, varying the tone and dynamic range of their voices, as well as using multi-sensory stimuli to support speech and language development. In addition, twelve respondents (7%) reported that they had gained new ideas for strategies for calming the children, including adjusting the pace of their lessons and incorporating planned pauses and ‘built in stillness’.

Sixteen responses (9%) focused on the use of music, with indications that the teachers intended to make more use of music in the classroom, after having observed how engaging simple musical techniques had been.

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Figure 5: The TUBE provided teachers, carers and parents with new ideas

CPD for T

As

Reinforce

d existi

ng prac

tice

New id

eas fo

r calm

ing tech

niques

Will brin

g more

music to

classr

oom

Interest

ed in

buying s

imilar

resource

s

Ideas fo

r communica

tion strate

gies

New id

eas fo

r crea

tive use

of eve

ryday

multisensory

objects i

n the c

lassro

om0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Table 12: Changes to practice

Theme Number of references

% of total respondents

Example

New ideas for creative use of everyday multi-sensory objects in the classroom

75 44 It makes me think that there are so many other everyday objects that could be used creatively and engagingly that we have not yet thought of.

Gave me new ideas for future sensory sessions.

I am going straight to nearest building site to beg for tubes. We

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can use these for smells, listening, vibration. Hopefully an orchestra!

Ideas for communication strategies

24 14 Communication strategies: mimicking, musical, repetitive sounds.

As a speech and language therapist, it has made me reflect on sensory stimulation using smell, touch, light and sound as part of sessions in class and in 1:1 situations to support speech and language development.

Using different tones in your voice.

Interested in buying similar resources

18 11 I will ask the school if we can have some wonderful hammocks like yours.

We are now looking at buying one of the swing chairs so we can do mini/individual performances.

Percussion instruments would be a wonderful addition at home or school.

Will bring more music to classroom

16 9 S really responds well to music and singing so to bring more music in to the classroom would be fun and beneficial.

More music and simple session...

The performance showed that you can use very simple resources and make them very effective for our children by adding music.

New ideas for calming techniques

12 7 We loved the breathing technique at the end of each section. The children quietened and calmed every time. I think this could be adapted for use in the classrooms.

Planned pauses - built in stillness … Chairs kept children calm and alert.

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Building in whole class pause and still, to refocus.

Reinforced existing practice

7 4 We use lots of techniques that we saw today - but it's nice to see them so professionally done.

A lot of it is similar to our sensory journeys. Will use simple material, e.g. tubes. Loved the chairs and the singing. Will definitely come again!

Music and sounds are already used with this student. She loves to sing and dance and it seems to increase her concentration levels for a short period.

CPD for TAs 3 2 This enabled staff to find out what sensory approaches stimulate children and gain responses not normally expressed.

I'm glad I sent my TAs to support as it gave them the opportunity to watch and observe a pupil's responses. They told me they saw reactions that they wouldn't normally see in our busy classroom settings. They were able to support the pupils but also watch how pupils reacted to the performers and their clever props!

It was an amazing experience for all of the children and excellent CPD for staff and professionals who supported each child.

Total 155

SummaryOverall, TUBE was perceived as an exceptionally positive experience for children and their teachers, carers and parents. Overall, the show was a highly valued experience that met the needs of the children in several ways. The performance was child-centred and interactive. The performance was structured and paced appropriately and made expert use of appropriate resources. Children engaged with

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the performers and demonstrated higher than usual levels of focus, concentration and sustained interest. The children also demonstrated high levels of enjoyment, happiness and responses that included vocalising, reaching out, movement to music and eye contact. Alongside this, TUBE was structured in such a way as to ensure that a safe, calming and trusting environment was established, with space for calm and quiet. Key facets that supported the engagement of children were the visual interest, the use of music, the multi-sensory activities and resources and the fun, responsive characters. TUBE had a high level of positive impact with regard to its influence on the practice of teachers, carers and parents, offering many ideas for the creative use of multi-sensory objects in the classroom and the home. Most significantly, the experience provided adults with a space where they could observe the responses of the children and reflect upon the different strategies that were employed in fostering such responses.

Some constructive suggestions were provided for improving the experience. Most of these related to specific needs of individual children. Perhaps the most salient suggestion was that schools be further supported in their selection of children who attend the show, so as to ensure that those who would benefit most have access to the experience.

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Appendix 1: Draft questionnaire for future evaluation exercises This questionnaire was developed, drawing upon the language used by the respondents to the original questionnaire. The rationale behind this approach is that the qualitative data from the initial questionnaire represents the authentic voice of a range of Oily Cart audiences. By using their ideas and specific language as the basis for a quantitative rating scale questionnaire, Oily Cart will be able to gather a large amount of comparable data across diverse performance contexts, ‘testing’ the extent to which the responses to TUBE are replicated amongst wider audiences as well as allowing space for individual views to be expressed.

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Feedback form

We very much hope you enjoyed the show. Feedback from our audience is essential as it enables us to record and respond to your reactions. Please help us by completing this form as soon as you can – we are very interested in your

response to the show.

Name of show: _____________________________

Number of children you accompanied to the show________________________

Number of PMLD ________ Number of ASD ___________

School or venue: ____________________________________________________

1. Please tell us about the extent to which the show met the needs of the children you accompanied to the show.

Strongly agree

Agree Neutral Disagree

Strongly disagree

This show was relevant to the needs of the children I accompanied.

The characters engaged with each child on a level that was just right.

The actors responded immediately to the child's sounds, actions and movements.

Every activity had an appropriate pace

The staff were very friendly.

Props interested the children.

Language was used effectively.

2. Please tell us about whether you think the children you accompanied engaged with the show.

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The children I accompanied:

Strongly agree

Agree Neutral

Disagree Strongly disagree

Were engaged in this performance.

Showed sustained interest in this show.

Remained focused during the whole performance.

Responded to the music.

Showed that the show ignited all their senses.

Were able to interact with the performance and able to enjoy the different sensory experiences.

Found the characters bright and engaging.

Found the performers to be full of fun.

3. Please tell us about responses that you observed amongst the children you accompanied to the show.

The children I accompanied:

Strongly agree

Agree Neutral

Disagree Strongly disagree

Showed beneficial changes, during this performance.

Showed beneficial changes, after this performance.

Showed definite moments of calmness.

Were laughing and smiling. Were totally engaged with each of the actors.

Were excited and alert during the show.

Responded a lot more than they usually would.

Were very vocal. Experienced a range of movements they do not normally experience.

Maintained good eye contact with the adults.

Became upset. Were scared of the performers.

Are not developmentally ready to share attention for more than a few seconds.

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Did not show any changes in behaviour.

4. Please tell us about the extent to which the performance was beneficial for your practice in the classroom or the home.

The show: Strongly agree

Agree Neutral

Disagree Strongly disagree

Was beneficial for my practice.

Gave me new ideas for future sensory sessions.

Gave me new ideas for communication strategies.

Gave me ideas for helping children to become calm.

Gave me ideas about use of repetition in communication.

Reinforced my existing practice.

Showed that you can use very simple resources and make them very effective for our children

Was a space for me to observe the responses of the children that I might have otherwise missed.

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5. Please use this space to comment on any other aspect of the show:

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