PHSE Workshops
Embracing Arts are passionate about making PSHE content more inclusive for pupils with complex educational needs. We currently offer the following workshops:
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Online safety
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Stranger danger
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Life skills
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Building self-esteem
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Being different
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Racism and diversity
Christmas for Kids (C4K) is Embracing Arts’ main annual project and has been running since 2009. Our fun, festive shows are designed for young people with special educational needs & disabilities (SEND), those labelled PMLD (profound & multiple learning disabilities) and those with life-limiting conditions. The unifying feature of the young people in our audiences is that they cannot access theatre in its traditional form due to a lack of accessible spaces.
C4K is unique in that we are the only company in the country delivering shows designed for young people with additional needs into hospices and schools with a UK-wide outreach.
We bring our work directly TO our audiences in the places they feel most comfortable and supported.
Often, the young people that we cater for are too unwell or have such complex needs it is not possible to move them from their safe spaces to enjoy the arts. As such, we perform wherever we're needed: in hospice play rooms, in school halls and classrooms, and in community venues.
Our shows, delivered both in person and in digital format, have reached over 46,300 beneficiaries across the UK since we began.
C4K shows have always been offered entirely for free, and we fundraise throughout the year to pay our workforce fairly, meeting industry standards. Making this a free offering removes any financial barriers from our audiences accessing our work:
“With tight budget the opportunities to access any show are very limited. In the area where I was teaching it is almost impossible to take the kids to watch a show. So, to be able to offer them this experience in their own setting was amazing!” – Teacher, SEND School
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Awards for Embracing Arts
We were named Children’s Charity of the Year at the 2023 Kent Charity Awards, and our digital work was Highly Commended by the Third Sector Awards in 2021
Our Creative Director, Claire Sundin, was a finalist in the 'Children's Champion' category of the Children & Young People Now Awards 2024
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The Christmas for Kids 2026 tour heads to Scotland!
‘Chrimblesense’ is a fully interactive, multi-sensory exploration of Christmas (‘Chrimble’). Two friendly characters, Frosty and Joy, guide our audience through the joys of 'Chrimble' using music, textiles, light stimuli & instruments. The show has a flexible individual-led framework: sections can be extended, repeated or shortened guided by our audience's responses. Over the past three years we have toured the show to over 150 children's hospice and SEND school venues across the South, South East, South West, Midlands, North East and North West of England.
This year, we are delighted to be reaching venues in Scotland for the first time since 2019. One team of three artists will tour to 35 SEND School and children's hospice venues throughout the festive season.
“It was beautifully and thoughtfully presented. The best show for children with complex needs I have seen in 30 years plus of working in this area.”
- Department Head, SEND School
About 'Chrimblesense' from our audiences:
100% of audience surveyed said the young person in their care enjoyed the show and found it engaging
99% felt the show had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the young person in their care, as well as their own
Goes Digital!
A Free Digital Sensory Series
This year will see the 7th Christmas for Kids digital show, a popular magazine-style show for young people, delivered online for free in short episodes in the run up to Christmas. This year, we are thrilled to be adapting our hit show, 'Chrimblesense', for digital viewers all over the UK.
The digital show will feature Joy and Frosty, but they will be introducing their favourite elements of Chrimble to our loveable puppet, Phoebe. Each episode will feature a song and sensory activities to be facilitated alongside the show. 'Chrimblesense' is accompanied by a resource e-pack guiding parents, teachers and carers to facilitate the sensory moments wherever they are, as well as suggested further learning, crafting and play exploration.
'Chrimblesense' will be offered to SEND schools, children’s hospices, community groups, hospitals and families across the UK, with an estimated outreach of over 3,000 beneficiaries.
Please join our mailing list below for news on how to sign up for and enjoy the show!
"There are so many barriers to the pupils in my class attending live Christmas performances - this enables them to experience it in a way that is designed for them, alongside their peers."
- Teacher, SEND School
About our 2025 digital show, 'Phoebe's Festive Favourites':
100% of audience surveyed felt the digital show had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the young person in their care, and they found it engaging.
100% of audience surveyed found the resource packs easy to follow and felt they made the show more interactive
Feedback
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"It made a positive difference to us. We haven't seen such an accessible show before. It made my daughter feel understood and cared for, and like she belonged."
- Parent of child with additional needs, C4K Digital show
"It makes a huge difference to the children and families that they're able to come to a familiar environment to have a one on one show."
- Carer at Shooting Star Hospice,
C4K In-person show
"The Christmas sensory story is the highlight of our festive season. Child X who is profoundly deaf enjoys watching and being part of this fun, exciting, interactive story. It enables her to enjoy a story with her siblings without losing interest. As her Mum I've loved and cherished watching her reactions and interactions every year."
- Parent at Alexander Devine Children's Hospice, C4K In-person show
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Connect with Christmas for Kids:
"Every year we are blown away when we receive this opportunity, as we all look forward to this event. The performers are just amazing with how they deliver the show, and all the extra props that are provided to enable the children to be involved with the performance. It makes a huge difference to the children and families that they are able to come to a familiar environment to have a one on one show, and this has been expressed by parents. So, a HUGE thank you to you for doing what you do for us at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, and keep doing the great work you do.”
- Senior Care Leader, Shooting Star Christopher's