Environment Large floor piece full of sand – bamboo screen behind – bright ‘sandy’ lighting. Wooden bowls, spoons, forks, sticks, combs, pine cones, Indian printing blocks, instruments (shakers) for making patterns and sounds. Area of large stones next to cave – with fur rugs. Fire base with hidden sparkly lights and basket of sticks, drums and claves.

Sand Find smooth sand – begin making footprints, wheelchair tracks in sand. Dance in sand making shooshing sounds with feet as you slide, jump, hop, twizzle feet. Play in the sand – burying feet/hands, pouring sand through fingers, onto body, catching sand in bowls, exploring all qualities of sand. Make patterns with feet, fingers, bodies. Add ‘tools’ and instruments to make patterns in sand and build sounds and singing.

Stones Introduce stones – smooth, cold, hard, heavy – hold, feel on skin, roll, pass to each other, make patterns – lines, circles, curves, faces. Play sounds of stones, tapping, dropping and make rhythmic sounds building to group piece. Finish with circle of stones.

Fire Bring out fire base add sticks and build a fire – tapping, snapping sticks and twigs, dropping on fire. Add claves to build rhythmic ‘working’ chant. Encourage client to light fire (rubbing sticks together, clapping, magic, blowing). Switch on ‘fire’ and listen to crackling twigs (on looper) as the sun goes down.

Evaluation  The floorpiece contained the sand brilliantly and the sand  was an extraordinary medium for enabling all kinds of interactions. Even those clients who were reluctant at first eventually enjoyed the sand trickled on feet and hands and ended up sitting in the middle making patterns and experiencing the feel. Our visiting puppeteer Zolio introduced ‘the sand man’ to our Friday groups with great responses. The stones offered a complimentary yet totally different experience – some good rhythmic sections. As always, the building and lighting of the fire was ‘magical’ and led to a calm and enchanting chill section.

Furs  Snuggle up in furs round the fire. Add gentle drumming and singing in the firelight.

© InnerSense