Like everyone around the world right now we are working a little differently due to the impact of Covid-19, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do what we do best…support children with disabilities and additional learning needs.

We consider the safety of our audience members to be our priority, and as such, our Big Top shows are currently postponed until it is safe for them to take place.

Although this is preventing us from making a difference in many communities throughout the UK with our breath-taking show – we do have additional projects that disadvantaged families can enjoy at home.

We know how special a visit to our circus is and that it can having a lasting impact on the lives of those most vulnerable. But what we also know is that one of the biggest problems our families face is actually getting inside of our magical starry big top tent!

For children on the autistic spectrum or those with profound and multiple learning difficulties attending a live event such as ours can be partnered with anxiety of the unknown. And to help those who may feel this way we have developed innovative ways of helping them prepare for our event.

The more time certain groups of our audience have to prepare for their visit, the better. So now is the perfect time to take a look at the support we have on offer to add a little magic to your lockdown experience.

The Circus Starr Sensory Story.

With the help of sensory specialist Joanna Grace, last year saw us introduce our very own Sensory Story and pack! The pack was created to help those with profound and multiple learning difficulties experience some of the sensory changes they could encounter as they arrived at our event.

The sensory story can be downloaded from our website with guidance to help parents understand how a sensory story works, or a pack containing supporting resources can also be ordered to be delivered directly to families and schools. Both of these methods are free thanks to our very kind business supporters.

The world of sensory stories is quite new, and we have received fantastic feedback from schools and parents both at home here in the UK and as far as Australia and New Zealand.

The Show And Tell App

We are so proud of our app, which has helped many autistic children come along to our event, and also won an Autism Professional award back in 2015.

The app was developed with autistic children in mind, and helps them prepare for their visit to our Big Top. It allows the user to personalise their journey and experience at the show, as well as displaying images and videos of what it is like so that they know exactly what to expect.

show and tell is available to download for free on all Android and iOS devices.