FREE SEND-Friendly Creative Sessions - The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years
Wakefield Exchange (WX), Wakefield, WF1 3AD
Wednesday 1st April 2026
Join us for a free gentle and inclusive exploration of The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years.
We invite families with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to discover the story of a mysterious cat who has arrived from space and is currently resting.
This session is designed as a calm, accessible experience where families can engage in their own unique way through hands-on activities such as gentle movement, mark making and light play.
All creative activities are open-ended, allowing for individual interpretation and exploration.
The session will be led by experience SEND Creative Practitioner Bryony Pritchard.
Session details:
10am - soft arrival
10:15am-11:15am - Creative Session
11:15am-11:30am - Gentle ending
The exhibition will open to the general public at 11:30am, meaning the space will be exclusively for SEND families during the session.
*Guide age 4-14yrs (please contact us if you’d like to discuss suitability)
Maximum 8 families per session to maintain small group size in support of a calm engagement.
These sessions aim to:
Access information:
We are committed to making WX a welcoming and accessible space for everyone to enjoy.
We have full step-free access from our entrances and a fully accessible lift on the ground floor by the main bar.
A Changing Places Toilet (CPT) is located on the ground floor adjacent to the exit into The Yard.
Assistance guide and well behaved dogs are welcome throughout the venue.
You can find our Easy Read Guide here.
We invite families with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to discover the story of a mysterious cat who has arrived from space and is currently resting.
This session is designed as a calm, accessible experience where families can engage in their own unique way through hands-on activities such as gentle movement, mark making and light play.
All creative activities are open-ended, allowing for individual interpretation and exploration.
The session will be led by experience SEND Creative Practitioner Bryony Pritchard.
Session details:
10am - soft arrival
10:15am-11:15am - Creative Session
11:15am-11:30am - Gentle ending
The exhibition will open to the general public at 11:30am, meaning the space will be exclusively for SEND families during the session.
*Guide age 4-14yrs (please contact us if you’d like to discuss suitability)
Maximum 8 families per session to maintain small group size in support of a calm engagement.
These sessions aim to:
- Support children to engage in their own way and at their own pace
- Encourage sensory exploration and curiosity
- Build confidence, agency and self-expression
- Support communication through movement, gesture, sound and mark making
- Offer opportunities for connection, calm and share experience
- Create a welcoming cultural experience that values different and individuality
- Open-ended activities with no expected outcomes
- Children lead the pace and level of engagement
- Sensory storytelling and object handling
- Slower transitions and processing time
- Attention to noise levels
- Accessible materials and tools
- Table-top options for wheelchair users
- Quiet/chill-out area available throughout
Access information:
- Pushchair and wheelchair accessible
- Buggy parking available
- Further building access details available here.
- Ear defenders are available on request
We are committed to making WX a welcoming and accessible space for everyone to enjoy.
We have full step-free access from our entrances and a fully accessible lift on the ground floor by the main bar.
A Changing Places Toilet (CPT) is located on the ground floor adjacent to the exit into The Yard.
Assistance guide and well behaved dogs are welcome throughout the venue.
You can find our Easy Read Guide here.
