Playful Tiger

Age 7+

Playful Tiger is for children and young people who are profoundly autistic and mainly non-verbal. It tells the story of a tiger’s visit to a rigid family home where he turns their world upside down. It's chaotic but brilliantly fun, with a focus on sensory engagement. Playfulness within the work creates space for a two-way response between the audience and performers.
The capacity of the show is 8 young people with their families and carers.

Barrowland Ballet is delighted to announce that Playful Tiger has been awarded funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation for this new piece of work with children and young people who are profoundly autistic, in order to explore how improvisation and sensory approaches can provide an artistic collaboration with this audience. The devising of the work has been informed by the children's own impulses and responses as well as the artists’ observations.

This funding is also supporting the Barrowland Ballet and Ellie Griffiths team to research and develop the most effective approaches to training and supporting venues to welcome and engage children and young people who are profoundly autistic and mainly non-verbal and their families.

Our team / performers

Choreographer
Natasha Gilmore
Collaborator
Ellie Griffiths
Performers
Jade Adamson, Kai-Wen Chuang, Vince Virr
Composer
Kim Moore
Set and Lighting Design
Fred Pommerehn
Costume Design
Christine Dove
Original Producer
Belinda McElhinney
Current Producer
Jo Walmsley
Audience Development and PR
Sally Wilson

What the press are saying

"remarkably bold and visionary...what really shines through is the generosity and constant awareness that the dancers show throughout the performance... the interaction is an uplifting witness to how dance can loosen up more than muscles." ★★★★

- The Herald
Read more

"The three dancers excelled in their ability to engage and interact with the young audience, and us adults too! The playful nature was spell bounding and I was completely captivated not only by the performers commitment to the role but by the participation of the young people, who in turn, became performers themselves both inside and out of the set. It was so magical to see such friendship and inclusion between different worlds but testament, that fundamentally, the art of playing has no barriers."

- Audience Member, Playful Tiger
"“It was a privilege to attend ‘Playful Tiger’ this morning with my daughter, Maisie. The dancers gave so much attention to the audience and were so skillful at communicating and discovering, quickly, how to connect with each person. The set and music were lovely and very engaging. Thank you for putting on the performance—hope there might be more similar things to come. My daughter has been happy all day!"

- Audience Member, Playful Tiger