Sharing the joy of winter with magical sensory production Brrr

Wed 29 Jan 2025

Creative connections

At Capital Theatres, we believe that every child should have the chance to experience the magic of live performance.

For some, this means tailoring our performance environment to make theatre accessible, like our relaxed performances. For others, it means creating entirely new productions designed specifically for young audiences who may face unique challenges in accessing theatre. That’s why, for a second year, we are thrilled to be supporting Brrr.

Brrr is a magical sensory installation and live performance by award-winning Scottish dance artist and choreographer Hayley Earlam, developed in association with Capital Theatres. It has been created especially for our young audiences aged 10+ with complex needs, including profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), neurodiverse and autistic young people, wheelchair users, and those using mobility aids.

Held inside a cosy inflatable dome, this brand-new production features dance, music, and immersive video to surround children with the sights, sounds, and feel of winter. For many, winter can be an energetic and overwhelming time of year. Brrr offers a gentle, restorative and inclusive space where everyone is free to enjoy winter in their own way.

Last year, after performance development work in the Studio Theatre, we hosted performances of Brrr for children with profound and multiple disabilities who are being supported through NHS respite care. Brrr then took to the road to spread winter joy at Braidburn School and Oaklands School. We are thrilled that Brrr will return in January 2026 for it’s second run of performances with Capital Theatres.

Three performers in white costumes with flexible tubes dance in a blue-lit, futuristic room evoking a sensory production of winter’s chill, while two seated people watch.

Three performers in white costumes and hoods dance on a brightly lit stage, surrounded by curved, inflated, white set pieces. This sensory production evokes a wintry world where every movement feels touched by the magic of "Brrr.

A boy smiles with eyes closed, hugging a large white tube, while a woman in a white hat and sweater kneels beside him, smiling.

A woman sits on a bean bag watching a large screen displaying a top-down view of people in a circular room; a soft play area and an informational sign are in the foreground, creating an immersive sensory production perfect for winter days.

A performer in white brings a sensory production to life, tossing confetti inside an inflatable, color-lit dome as people watch from the side.

A man in white helps a young girl interact with a flexible white tube in a brightly lit, padded room, while another child and adult are in the background.

Two people in white costumes are inside a dome-like, inflatable set with soft, colorful lighting; one is sitting and the other is mid-kick in a performance pose during this immersive winter sensory production.

Claire Swanson, Head of Creative Engagement at Capital Theatres said: “We believe every child should be able to experience the magic of live performance. We work year-round to address the barriers that prevent some children from achieving this, by investing in new productions for children with complex needs and working with Additional Support Needs (ASN) schools across Edinburgh to help them attend our venues. However, this is the first time we have supported a production that creates a performance space we can take to the children who can’t come to us.

We were delighted to present the second performances of this wonderful new production, and to play a role in making sure Scottish artists like Hayley Earlam can continue to push boundaries and connect with audiences in meaningful new ways.”

After watching last year’s performance, an NHS respite nurse said: “I’ve worked here for two and a half years and we’ve never been able to take the children on a trip like this. To see them having fun, they loved it. It was just perfect. It was really special. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Hayley Earlam, dance artist and creator of Brrr said: “I was delighted to work in partnership with Capital Theatres towards the creation of Brrr – a new sensory performance and installation for audiences with complex needs. Brrr is an immersive exploration of winter, offering a gentle and responsive space where the audience has the choice to respond in their own way. It was so exciting to develop this work in the Studio Theatre and host pilot performances in local ASN schools and the venue itself. We hope Brrr offered a restorative and inclusive theatrical experience of winter.”