Mariya Darr

BA Art and Design

“Sensory design supports everyone’s opportunity to receive information, explore the world, and experience joy, wonder, and social connections, regardless of our sensory abilities”.(Lupton and Lipps, 2018) Working as a 1:1 teaching assistant for children with various special education needs and disabilities (SEND) I have an increased interest and understanding of the barriers that these can form in their ability to access the curriculum and the tailored provision required to therefore support them. As an artist, I have the responsibility to utilise the tool of artistic design and creative making to unearth new, alternate pathways to sustain a purposeful practice that enhances the education experience. As finances in the education sector run thin, budgets and funding for SEND are equally minimal, thus there becomes a need for design proposals that offer sustainable, affordable and attainable solutions.

The main method of construction involved the manipulation of an array of textures, materials and mediums to create unique multi-sensory experiences. The project explores creation of the optimum multi sensory space/ experience that meets the needs of primary age SEND children whilst still considering my natural artistic tendency to incorporate an ‘aesthetic quality’ to my work. The aim is to showcase how an effective sensory space and resources can be achieved sustainably with minimal budget with consideration for inclusive spacial design, primarily through repurposing and reusing recycled materials.