SENSORIA | OUR HOUSE
The collective bringing radical access to the Arts
Article Perpetua Png | Photography Emily Almodovar & Shokirie Clarke
As a disabled dancer/choreographer moving through the dance space, I feel lucky to have attended Sensoria’s inaugural event a few Saturdays ago, at East London Dance.
Overflowing with community, restorative practices, and meaningful conversations, Sensoria: Our House was a three-day event unlike any I’ve previously encountered and was a true reflection of the values of radical care, accessibility, and collectivism championed by this incredible organization.
Founded in 2023 by Saskia Horton, a disabled, chronically ill multidisciplinary artist, SENSORIA is on a mission to support disabled, chronically ill, and neurodiverse people to express and exchange through music and movement. The title of their first event, SENSORIA: OUR HOUSE, perfectly captured their commitment to creating safe community-driven spaces that center care and radical access. Throughout the event, attendees and I were not only invited but actively supported to reclaim space.
From personal experience and speaking to fellow neurodiverse, disabled, or chronically ill peers, I have found that our time in the dance space is often marked by feelings of being misunderstood and undervalued. In recent times, amid increasing awareness, dance spaces and organizations have enthusiastically waved the access banner. However, these ideals are rarely practiced in a meaningful way. Even when dance spaces attempt to be accessible, it often feels like an afterthought. The result is that, be it through intention or oversight, the silent but deafening message to dancers like myself is "You don’t belong here." The most dangerous thing about this is that over time, we begin to believe this.
SENSORIA: OUR HOUSE softly ruptured this narrative. The event was special to me because it was my first experience of being in a space where the disabled community had not only been considered but centred and celebrated from the very beginning. It was incredibly refreshing to be in an environment where everything on offer had been conceptualised and designed with someone with a brain and body like mine in mind. The funny thing about abstract yet consequential principals like "access" is that you can’t necessarily define it, but you know when it’s missing, and you can definitely feel when it’s there. I’m eager to share some of the ways in which it modelled and normalized radical accessibility and care. So let’s dive in!
One of my favourite spaces featured at the event was the sensory safe chill-out room. This was my first experience of a sensory room, and all I can say is that it was transformative. The room felt like a warm hug for my brain and was filled with mats, soft blankets, sensory toys, low-coloured lighting, and fairy lights. Tilley Milburn & Del the Piggie- a soft toy, whom she always performs with, from Puffing and Wooling led the space, seamlessly blending welcoming hand puppetry, storytelling, and life musings. The room provided a quiet space to recharge and regulate sensory overwhelm, making it a welcomed sanctuary.
Other highlights included panel discussions like ‘How to be a ‘Sick’ Dancer’ given by Saskia themselves and ‘sick’ artists Si Rawlinson, Elle Chante, and Duran ‘Dee Dee’ Abdullah, which gave a sense of reassurance and recognition, providing practical advice on how to navigate illness as a dancer. The workshop ‘Stimming as Movement Practice’ run by independent artist Xan Dye was a powerful neuro-queering practice that invited participants to question the norms and assumptions made about dance, validating and encouraging a deep appreciation and celebration of dance and dancing bodies in all their forms.
The presence of embodied healing sessions such as Qi Gong, led by multidisciplinary artist and associate director of House of Absolute, Ffion Campbell-Davies, Guided Movement Meditation by Studio Lotus Root (Chantel Foo), as well as the Shorinyoku Forest Bathing led by Faye Reader demonstrated SENSORIA’s understanding of the need for communal healing and co-regulation within the disabled, neurodiverse, and chronically ill communities.
One of my favourite aspects of the event was the free, yes I said it, free, Tuina (ancient Chinese healing massage) provided by the incredibly warm and skilled Hazel Culliney of Eva Roots which were offered across all 3 days of the event. I was lucky to experience a session on the last day and was left feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to engage with the rest of the activities on offer. All of these body-based offerings showed SENSORIA’s recognition of the trauma that disabled bodies endure in the dance space and in society in general and the need to create a space where we can access these healing resources and reconnect with our bodies and each other as a community.
The event culminated with a sensory-safe cypher which brought together all the access practices that had been introduced over the past days’ activities and conversations. Held in the upstairs studio, lit softly with colourful lights, we moved together, to sounds provided by Elle Chante (vocals), Cecilia ‘afromerm’ Morgan, Margomool (vocals & electronics), Robyn Steward (space trumpet) , Francesca Ter Berg (cello), and Cleo Savva (percussion), who came together to create a cinematic soundscape rippling with electronic synths and soft vocals. The cypher was gracefully facilitated by Ned Smith, Chantel Foo, and Saskia who created a soothing and engaging environment where everyone felt encouraged to move freely.
For those not in the mood to dance, cozy cushions, as well as pens and papers, had been thoughtfully laid out on the floor so people could sit and draw comfortably. Movement props like gymnastics ribbons and hula hoops were also available for participants to play with. There was also the option to contribute to the sonic environment by experimenting with the musical instruments dotted throughout the room. Looking across the room, you could see that people were moving for themselves.
I myself flitted light-heartedly between dancing, drawing, chatting, and hula hooping, and I must say, it was the most successful hula hooping session I have ever had—perhaps enabled by the complete absence of pressure. We all naturally arrived on the floor, thanks were given, and the event closed with the same organic and easeful energy that had marked its duration.
For the neurodivergent, disabled, and chronically ill dance community, this event was as nourishing as it was needed. SENSORIA: OUR HOUSE showed the importance of community organization, solidarity, and allyship between different communities, holding space for us to attend to our bodies and minds— together. Through its radically accessible design, it delivered a resounding message that dancers like me belonged. The event’s support and validation re-affirmed our intrinsic value and unique contributions to the dance space.
As a disabled mover, I feel grateful to have an organization like SENSORIA in my corner. Their fierce commitment to advocating, educating, and creating spaces for all people to thrive in the dance space is both comforting and inspiring. This feels like the beginning of something special. Echoing fellow attendees, I’m already looking forward to the next event! Thank you, SENSORIA, for giving dancers like myself the space and resources to reconnect with ourselves and empowering us to bring that sense of belonging wherever we may go.
This article was commissioned by We Are Sensoria & East London Dance
