UMBRA HABITAT

Umbra Habitat is the shadow world experience, for children with autism. It aims to help ease their experience in the Camden community, by adapting Koko theatre to visually, physically minimise their sensory overload. The hybrid programme consists of shadow theatre workshops for children with autism, to learn more about the behind the scenes of creating a performance. Umbra Habitats will play a role in creating a fantasy world, where the shadows begin to mean much more than just shadows. They represent the idea of how people with autism view the world differently, their experiences, struggles, their own perspectives of life of how things could be perceived. Reality and illusion emerging together, a shoe could represent a turtle. The ‘Occultus Umbrae’ hand structures are hidden spaces, where the children can retreat. This idea of prospect and refuge was an important aspect to embrace within the site, as the themes of protection and safety is incorporated throughout. The site becomes the stage, and the Umbra Habitat structures become the performers.