Shopping
Taking an everyday event and drawing out elements that will make it
accessible to all participants is an excellent starting point for creating a
multisensory experience which will be highly motivating for a wide range of
engagements. Shopping is an activity with which everyone is familiar, though
many are 'taken shopping', it is a passive experience, with little
participation, self-advocacy or choice-making. When devising a 'shopping'
experience, choose a subject that will offer a range of access levels. Set the
scene using props inspired by your chosen environment, i.e. shoe shop, bookshop, market, café.
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Create a
welcoming environment - props clearly displayed and easily accessible, at
different heights
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Think about using projections or SFX to the set scene
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Use a character
to greet and guide people through the activities available -
shopkeeper/waitress/bartender
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Encourage participants to explore the products available for
purchasing, picking items off the shelves and exploring their textures and
uses.
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They can try on shoes or clothes. Use mirrors so people can look at their reflections
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Perhaps there are food samples to taste, drinks to sample, freshly baked bread to smell, or flowers and herbs
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Provide baskets, bags or trolleys so participants can collect items for themselves.
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Build in comedy elements, for example use oversized hats, boots, fluffy slippers, that you can view in the mirrors. Or perhaps a practitioner takes on the role of a clumsy member of staff, always falling over and dropping things.
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Encourage participants to take on ‘staff’ roles, such as sorting out products, pairing items, stacking shelves, making announcements through a microphone.
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Incorporate
instruments that can enhance an activity, such as using gatos/washboards to mend
shoes, or a wine bottle xylophone in a French cafe.
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When your shopping trip is over, call a taxi, catch a bus or train perhaps and head off home...happily
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