School Review: Relaxed Snowman Performance

Hub partner Carrot Productions stages the classic The Snowman film with a live orchestra of professional musicians sourced from the finest UK orchestras. They tour the country in December and perform for schools and public audiences in Derbyshire each year.

Together with Derby & Derbyshire Music Partnership, they have staged special relaxed performances open to special schools and settings with children with additional needs. 

School review

Rachel Beckett (Music Coordinator and Aspire Curriculum Lead at Stanton Vale Special School) wrote this review of the experience her school and the children had when attending the relaxed performance. 

Thank you so much to you and your team for arranging such a superb performance last week. As a Special School, the opportunity to listen to a quality orchestral performance which is age and stage appropriate is rare.

This performance was perfectly pitched in terms of content and length.

My colleagues and I met this morning to review our trip and we all agreed it was an outstanding success. The ability to park straight outside the door for easy access, the disabled toilet facilities and the space around the seating in the auditorium all made the performance accessible for our students.

In our school we often say ‘the little things are the big things’ and the finer details of the performance was what made our visit so memorable. The café area was used by two of our students and some students from other schools. They entered and left the auditorium according to their comfort.

One of my students took a break and went back in as there was no pressure for him to be in a specific seat. This meant that he enjoyed the music on his own terms and he remained calm, happy and had a positive experience. Another student moved around for 20 minutes, dancing and laughing.

The audience all appreciated the fact that this was a relaxed performance and we didn’t feel the pressure to stop the enjoyment of the music which was taking place.

Please pass on a special thank you to your snowman who took time to interact with our students in the café area and with my class after the performance. This unique social opportunity was so important to our students and my colleagues were very touched at the kindness and knowledge shown by all of the performers and your superb staff team.

Beech and Oak Class were both enchanted by the orchestra and responded in ways which we couldn’t have anticipated. As a SEND teacher, I hope to provide the same experiences for my students as mainstream students. The gap in opportunity to experience equality of cultural capital for a student with additional needs is huge. This unique performance closed that gap for a morning.

All students, regardless of ability, enjoyed a quality musical experience. My colleagues and I would like to pass on our heartfelt thanks on behalf of all of our young people for a wonderful morning.

More opportuities for additional needs settings