There are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK, the condition comes with its individual challenges and can have a huge impact on everyday life, including within sports. For someone with autism and their family, going to watch their favourite football team can be overwhelming and stressful. The noise, sights and smells of a stadium, as well as the uncertainty …
Engaging families with autistic children in outdoor museum spaces, Natural History Museum, June 2020
By Laura Davison and Marie Hobson, Audience Research and Insight Team, Natural History Museum, London, U.K. audienceresearch@nhm.ac.uk The Natural History Museum has embarked on an ambitious project to re-connect people and nature, known as the Urban Nature Project (UNP), through transforming our outdoor spaces and developing a national programme of activity. To ensure that our redeveloped Gardens and associated family …
Early Morning Explorers at the British Museum, April 2020
In 2019 the British Museum launched its Early morning explorers’ events; relaxed sessions for families who would benefit from visiting the museum in a quieter environment. The events are for both children and/or parents with sensory processing requirements including Autism so that families who would otherwise be unable to attend can enjoy the Museum together. These were set up in …
Relaxed Opening – Antony Gormley, Royal Academy of Arts, Feb 2020
Antony Gormley Relaxed Opening: Sam Ahern I was lucky enough to be invited to a relaxed opening of the Antony Gormley exhibition at the Royal Academy back in November 2019. This was the first my relaxed opening for an exhibition that I’d been to. I had gone to other events like Tate Lates, so this was something of interest to …
Volunteering at ‘Devil’s Porridge Museum’ – Alastair’s story
I have been volunteering at Devil’s Porridge Museum for about 4 months now, along with 3-months of work experience I did back in 2016. I came back with ‘Employability Scotland’ to expand my work experience, gain more understanding in museum activities and improve my social skills with staff. Since returning I have tried to prove myself a cable (or at …
Early and Evening Explorers at London Transport Museum
London Transport Museum held it’s first Explorer event for families with additional needs back in 2014. This came out of a family’s feedback that a quiet time to visit was needed for their child as the Museum gets very busy and loud. We started with two mornings for the year but as of 2019, we now run 7 events annually; …
The challenges of adapting our museum for relaxed sessions. Gladstone’s Land, Edinburgh. Nov, 2019.
At Gladstone’s Land we are very happy to announce that we will be starting new relaxed sessions for visiting us very soon. We are a National Trust for Scotland property in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town and our building is one of the oldest on Edinburgh’s most famous street: the Royal Mile. Our house is a lovely example of …
Night Owls at the Science Museum
Night Owls at the Science Museum The Science Museum are running this event please share to your networks there are hardly any events for adults but if not enough people go they may not put on another event. Saturday 6th July Free accessible event for adults and young adults (ages 16+ only) Our Night Owls events are designed for adults and …
A first visit to the National Army Museum, March 2019
It can be very daunting visiting a new place for the first time, particularly if you are on the autism spectrum. Museums are starting to do more to help visitors prepare for a visit as well as offer ‘relaxed hours’ where they can keep the visitor numbers down. The National Army Museum offered their first relaxed visit called ‘At Ease’ …
‘The Winter’s Tale’- Relaxed Performance, National Theatre, February 2019
I can’t actually think of a time when we have all visited the theatre together. With two autistic children it is a sensory overload just waiting to happen. Quite frankly I am loathe to pay out for something that we probably won’t even get into, let alone sit through. Barriers include: travelling into London; busy, noisy places; expectation; excitement that …