TUBE - Oily Cart

About the show for young people
with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
An introduction for carers
OILY CART
Since 1981, Oily Cart has been taking its unique blend of theatre to children and young people in
schools and venues across the UK. Challenging accepted definitions of theatre and audience, we
create innovative, multi-sensory and highly interactive productions for the very young and for
young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities or an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
TUBE
TUBE is our new touring show for 2013. There will be three versions of TUBE on offer, carefully
tailored to engage three distinct audiences. The first version will be aimed at children from 3 to 11
with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. The second version will be created for children
also aged from 3 to 11 who are on the Autism Spectrum. The third version will be for babies and
toddlers in the mainstream.
In 2014, we will be touring a show called BOUNCE for young people with PMLD and ASD who are
over 11.
This handbook contains information to help you prepare for the show for young people with
Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. Please read it carefully beforehand as it should help
you get ready for the show and so enable the children to get the most out of the experience.
1
TUBE has been created specifically for an audience of 6 children with Profound and Multiple
Learning Disabilities, aged between 3 and 11. Each child must be accompanied by an adult carer.
We welcome parents who come and enjoy the shows alongside their children.
“The show was brilliant. It had just the right blend of movement, light and excitement. A magical
experience. Thank you for giving us such a lovely experience”. Parent of “Something in the Air”
THE THEMES
By focussing on tubes, we can create all sorts of interesting and beautiful sounds. We can play hide
and seek or produce pop-up surprises. We can use tubes to deliver bursts of water or air. We can
contrast different sizes, colours and textures. What can you do with tubes?
THE THREE CHARACTERS AND THEIR FAVOURITE TUBES
Tubee-Doo loves to play music on his amazing tube-0-phone musical instruments. He also uses his
tube to listen and speak through.
Huff ‘N Puff has lots of tubes that she uses to blow air onto your hands and feet. Some of her
tubes puff lovely smells.
Look ‘N See likes to look at you through a tube. He has tube lanterns that are beautiful to look at
too.
If you print up the characters’ pages as posters, the relevant page numbers on your printer will be 5,6 and 7.
What are your favourite tubes? Do you like to eat macaroni, Wotsits or Cheerios? Do you like to
listen to windchimes? Do you like groovy legwarmers? ...
2
THE SHOW
All our shows are multi-sensory and interactive. The performers present the interactions and
introduce them to the children. We then rely on you, the carers, to carry on with one-to-one
interactions. You are given simple props to share with your child and you are asked to swing,
bounce and spin the leaf chairs to the music. We hope you enjoy sharing the fun.
The show will last approximately 50 minutes.
OUTLINE OF THE SHOW
The performers welcome you to the performance space. Once everyone is comfortably seated in
the tubee chairs, Tubee-Doo introduces the Chair Dance.
In the silence which follows, we hear Huff ‘N Puff blowing down a tiny tube. The blowing gets
more lively as we add fragrance to the mix. This is followed by a delightfully deep Sonic Tube
Massage. Now towels and umbrellas are produced from a tube. Water is blown through a tube and
then huffed away.
Finally it’s Look ‘N See’s turn to share his Looking Tube. Each child is given a beautiful lantern
tube which combines both light and sound.
The show concludes with a Goodbye song to each of the six children.
3
Tubee-Doo
plays music
through his tubes
Huff ‘N Puff
blows air
through her tube
Look ‘N See
looks through
his tube
THE SET AND THE TUBE CHAIRS
The set consists of the 6 tube chairs for the children and
6 stools for the carers.
The tube chairs can swing and turn so that the
children can be turned to face the action. We have
additional support cushions for small children to
help them to stay in a sitting position. Or an adult
can sit in the chair with a small child on their lap.
We have put a small clip of how to get into a leaf
chair on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZflW3qQHUSk
It is not essential that the children watch from a tube
chair if it is really preferable that they stay in their
wheelchair, but wherever possible we hope that they
can experience the Chair Dance in the show in these
fabulous swinging seats.
School staff/parents must take responsibilty for moving
the children.
7
THE SET
On the left, you can see
the lanterns. On the right
are Tubee-Do’s
instruments.The 6 tube
chairs are arranged in a
circle around the mat.
There are red stools for
the carers.
8
PREPARATION - YOUR FAVOURITE TUBE
We would be very grateful if you could enable every child to bring
a tube with them to the show. This could become their object
of reference for the show. If the accompanying adults want
to bring a tube as well, that would be great.
The tube could be a musical tube like a tin can shaker or
a rainstick. It could be a tactile tube like a shiny balloon
pump or a ridged piece of hose. It could be a wearable
tube like a colourful leg warmer. It could be a
cardboard tube, beautifully decorated and threaded
on a ribbon around your neck.
The three characters in the show each have their
special tube. They will be delighted to see your
fantastic tubes!
FRAGRANCES
The characters each have a distinctive fragrance created
with essential oils. Look ‘N See smells of lavender, Huff ‘N
Puff smells of roses and Tubee Doo smells of mandarin. These
perfumes are also used in the smellotubes, the water on the
umbrellas and on the towels.
9
SCHOOL LIAISON AND DEBRIEFING
Each school has identified a liaison person.
Before the show, Oily Cart will be in close contact with the liaison person to discuss all the
practical arrangements. Past experience tells us that it is best if the liaison person or a nominated
deputy can be free from teaching commitments during Oily Cart’s stay.
We would like to meet with the liaison person at the start and end of the each day to review plans
and get staff reactions. After the event, we appreciate thorough feedback to help us to evaluate
our work and plan for the future.
AT PUBLIC PERFORMANCES, there are comment sheets for parents’ feedback.
Your observations of unusual behaviour inform us of effects that only you can appreciate. For
example, this feedback from GORGEOUS at Springside School in Manchester:
“Z (PMLD Bubbles) – has a severe visual impairment, but was looking towards the bubbles and belly
laughing all the way through the session. Laughing is very unusual for him. He usually mouths his
hands and has to wear special gloves because of this, but he didn’t mouth them at all throughout
the session. Very positive responses from this little boy.”
PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO
Ideally in schools, an extra member of staff would record the pupils experience so that the 6 carers
can concentrate one to one with their child.
Please do not use flash photography.
10
OILY CART
I www.oilycart.org.uk
E oilies@oilycart.org.uk
T 020 8672 6329
Facebook /oilycart
Twitter @oilycart
We would like to thank the following for their generous support: Arts Council of England, BBC
Children in Need, Boshier-Hinton Foundation, Chapman Charitable Trust, Esmee Fairbairn
Foundation, Genetic Disorders UK,Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust, Help a Capital Child, the Henry
Smith Charity, the John Ellerman Foundation, Taurus Foundation, the Royal Foundation of the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, True Colours Trust, Wandsworth Council,
Wates Foundation
The plastic tube instruments have been made by Jamie Linwood. Jamie also makes durable musical
instruments for schools, playgrounds and sensory gardens www.jamielinwood.co.uk
The lanterns and smellotubes have been made by Nik Ramage www.nikramage.com
The swinging tube chairs are called “leaf chairs”. There are various suppliers on the internet
including Rompa, priced around £545 for the seat. The stand is supplied seperately.
A CD of the music from the show will be available from June 2013
11