Credit: Special Arrangement
A city-based NGO has created a puppet show for autistic children and their families to address the limited theatre options available to them. The 30-minute show is open to both autistic and neurotypical children and their families.
Colours Centre for Learning, Indiranagar, is staging ‘The Birthday Party’ to mark the Autism Awareness Month. The story follows a young boy and his father as they prepare for a friend’s birthday party. Through interactions with a diverse cast of characters, they learn life skills like friendship, emotional regulation, cooperation, and social communication.
The in-house team, working with arts experts, conceptualised the production with a focus on sensory needs. “Autistic individuals struggle with recognising emotions, so we designed the puppets with clear facial expressions. We also made sure the performance isn’t overly stimulating — scene transitions are gentle, and we’ve avoided bright flashing lights,” says Sneha Joshi, co-director of development and programs.
Puppetry was chosen as a medium because “arts are a powerful tool for teaching skills and imparting knowledge”.
Ticketed show on April 19, 12 pm, Atta Galatta, Indiranagar; Free performance on April 27, 11 am, Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. Visit @autismcolours on Instagram for details.