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Relaxed pantomimes and grottos to know about this December
Published
Take the stress out of festive days out. Discover listings of inclusive events that are happening in Gloucestershire this December.
Planning ahead for the festive period is important for all families, but especially if your child has additional needs to consider.
All families should feel welcome at activities and in public spaces. The Equality Act is clear: Organisers must make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to enjoy events in the same way as the wider public.
All that said, it can be reassuring to attend events that have been specifically adjusted for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Such events can feel like safer places to be, offering greater peace of mind and reassurance that other families attending will be likeminded and non-judgmental. Many local venues host relaxed performances or ‘quiet hours’ throughout the year to meet this need, and never more so than during the festive period.
Relaxed Theatre Performances
The idea of heading to a play or pantomime with your child might fill you with worry – the noises, bright lights and rigid seating arrangements can be a big barrier for lots of children. The great news is that two Gloucestershire theatres have listed ‘Relaxed Performances’ happening this December.
'Scrooge' and 'A Christmas Carol' are heading to The Barn in Cirencester for a special performance on Monday, 8 December.
The Barn is ‘delighted to be offering a Relaxed Performance for ALL families to enjoy, including any young people or patrons with disabilities, additional support needs and those on the autistic spectrum as well as their families, parents, teachers or guardians.’
Meanwhile, local heroes Dick Whittington and his cat are paving the way at Cheltenham Playhouse with two relaxed performances on Tuesday, 30 December.
‘For the relaxed performances, several changes have been made to make the show more suited to those who prefer a more relaxed environment. The script is the same, but regular theatre 'rules' are relaxed, house lights will be left up, sound and lighting levels will be less intense, and you're welcome to come and go during the performance. There will also be extra staff and volunteers on-site to support. Please note for those with epilepsy, the performances may not be suitable.’
Santa’s Quiet Grotto
A warm welcome from the elves and reindeer is an ever-popular experience for young children looking forward to Christmas. Nonetheless, the magic of meeting Santa Claus can also be overwhelming for some young children and their parent carers.
Dobbies Garden Centre has listed two ‘quiet’ sessions in their Tewkesbury and Cirencester grottos with children with SEND in mind, where the centres ‘are delighted to offer one of our most popular experiences at Dobbies to children who may have some additional needs. These sessions can only be pre-booked, with no queuing on the day and a reduced number of families attending in each slot.’
On Friday, 5 December at both the Tewkesbury and Cirencester centres, Santa’s elves are making the following adjustments to his grotto:
• All music is off.
• Twinkling lights are removed or switched off.
• You can choose to have your child’s gift wrapped or not.
• Prior to your visit, we’ll email you photos of the grotto so you can prepare children for what they will see on the day.
Find out more
Find out more and how to book onto these events using the Glosfamilies Directory:
- Santa's Quiet Grotto at Dobbies Cirencester
- Santa's Quiet Grotto at Dobbies Tewkesbury
- A Christmas Carol at The Barn - Relaxed Performance
- Dick Whittington at Cheltenham Playhouse - Relaxed Performance
You can explore other events and activities on the Glosfamilies Directory.
Please note, where the Glosfamilies Directory contains links to other sites and services provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. The Council has no control over the contents of those sites or services and assumes no responsibility for the content of websites linked to this website. Read the full Disclaimer here.