<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Puppetry was chosen as a medium because “arts are a powerful tool for teaching skills and imparting knowledge”.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="italic">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.</span></p>
<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Puppetry was chosen as a medium because “arts are a powerful tool for teaching skills and imparting knowledge”.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="italic">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.</span></p>