Live music, sensory and cross-arts workshops for special schools, colleges and inclusive education settings, shaped around learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
I’m Luke Crookes, a bassoonist and creative practitioner. I use live bassoon, voice, movement, objects, images, stories and sensory invitations to create carefully held spaces with many meaningful ways to take part.
I work across all ages, including with learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), complex needs, autism and other neurodivergent ways of experiencing the world, and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. This includes people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) or communicate without speech. Participation might mean sounding, moving, choosing, looking, signing, watching, returning, resting or simply being present.
You can commission a single workshop day, a residency or longer programme, staff development, or a collaborative enquiry or research strand. Each project is shaped around the actual people, relationships and space—not a standard package imposed on every setting.
Space before music. We begin with the people and the room, allowing time to arrive before expecting anyone to join in. Looking, moving, making a sound, pausing or refusing can all shape what happens. A prepared theme provides continuity while I respond to the group’s communication, interests and choices. Explore the Field First approach.
Experienced across specialist education and culture
My SEND practice includes work with Riverside Special School and Beatrice Tate Special School, a five-week sensory project with Riverside and the Museum of London, and SEND projects at the National Gallery.
“Thanks for an amazing project. It was inspiring, creative, educational, and most importantly FUN for the staff and the pupils.”
Kerri Ovel, Deputy Head, Beatrice Tate Special School
A workshop day at a glance
One chosen theme
The same creative world across the day, responsively adapted for each group.
Up to four sessions
Usually 45–60 minutes each: two in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Fees
We agree the fee in advance, including preparation, delivery, travel and any additional work you would like included.
One theme, different ways in
This is not a ladder of ability. Pupils in the same group may join through different, overlapping routes, and nobody has to respond in the same way.
Notice & communicate
Encounter sound, movement, texture and objects; communicate through speech, sound, movement, gaze, gesture, signs or AAC; explore cause and effect, more, stop and choice.
Relate & take part
Explore feelings, personal space, turn-taking, connection, boundaries and belonging through shared creative play and genuine decisions.
Apply & grow
Take on sequencing, problem-solving, planning, teamwork, responsibility and creative authorship, with age-appropriate links to everyday life and the future.
Curriculum purpose comes first in planning. The creative world comes first in the learner’s experience.
Possible curriculum connections
- Communication, language and English
- Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and personal development
- Relationships, boundaries, consent and belonging
- Emotional awareness, body signals and creative regulation
- Music, art, drama, dance and cultural participation
- Science, history, geography and worldviews
- Maths, sequencing, pattern and problem-solving
- Safety, help-seeking, health and self-care
- Independence and community participation
- Teamwork, responsibility and preparation for adulthood
I plan with the school’s priorities in mind and work alongside familiar staff. The workshop can support curriculum access and reveal pupils’ engagement, communication and authorship; it does not replace the school’s direct teaching, safeguarding responsibilities or individual support plans.
Choose your workshop theme
Choose one existing theme for your workshop day. The pace, language, resources, sensory intensity and ways of participating are then adapted for each group. The curriculum connections are possibilities, not a fixed lesson plan.
Curriculum-led creative worlds
Identity, feelings & relationships — 5 themes
Me, My Sound & Belonging
Names, greetings, colours, mirrors, photos and personal sounds become a group song or sound portrait.
Possible links: identity, belonging, communication, music and expressive arts.
Feelings in Motion
Explore calm and active, fast and slow, and tension and release through sound and movement, while choosing what helps.
Possible links: emotional literacy, body awareness, PE, communication and music.
Sound, Rest & Regulation
Vibration, breath, stillness, gentle movement and learner-chosen sounds form a shared listening piece.
Possible links: wellbeing, body awareness, communication and music.
Friends, Space & Communication
Together and apart, near and far, listen and reply, yes and no become a responsive relationship story.
Possible links: friendship, personal space, consent, respect, communication and repair.
Create Our Story or Song
Pupils choose characters, sounds, order, contrasts and an ending, so their decisions genuinely alter the work.
Possible links: English, music, sequencing, negotiation, communication and collaboration.
Nature, science & sensory exploration — 5 themes
Signals from Space
Launch, countdown, float, orbit and exchange “alien” signals while creating a shared space mission.
Possible links: science, space, start and stop, sequencing, communication and teamwork.
Wild Weather
Wind, leaves, snow, ice, mist and melting become movement, texture, soundscape and story.
Possible links: seasons, materials and change, safety, clothing and descriptive language.
Growing & Changing
Seeds, roots, flowers, butterflies, birds and minibeasts inspire life-cycle movement and sound.
Possible links: science, growth, life cycles, environmental care, patience and transition.
Water Worlds
Flow, ripple, wave, crash and still pool become a pupil-directed sea journey or soundscape.
Possible links: science, geography, emotions and energy, movement, music and water safety.
Winter Light & Celebration
Light, bells, weather, gathering and quiet or excited contrasts create an inclusive seasonal piece.
Possible links: seasons, traditions, light and shadow, belonging and shared-event roles.
Everyday life, community & independence — 7 themes
Healthy Routines
Washing, teeth, dressing, food, hydration, movement, rest and daily sequence become a rhythmic routine story.
Possible links: health education, sequencing, self-care, choice and independence.
People Who Help Us
Signals, vehicles, uniforms and help requests become a community-services story.
Possible links: safety, help-seeking, speaking and listening, community roles and sequencing.
Busy Builders
Lift, carry, measure, drill, warning cues and protective equipment shape a collaborative construction soundscape.
Possible links: design and technology, measurement, hazards, roles, teamwork and responsibility.
Shops, Food & Money
Choose, find, queue, pay, pack and ask for help in an imaginary shop.
Possible links: maths, money, healthy choices, lists, communication and community participation.
Journeys & Getting Around
Pack a bag, follow routes, stop, wait and go, encounter delays and arrive through music, maps and role-play.
Possible links: geography, road safety, sequencing, time, independence and problem-solving.
Roll, Aim, Cheer!
A bowling and games world explores taking turns, aiming, counting, winning, losing, cheering and recovering.
Possible links: PE, number and score, fairness, social participation and teamwork.
Docks, Canals, Cargo & City Sounds
Boats, cranes, cargo, signals and old and new city sounds become a transport and teamwork story.
Possible links: local history, geography, transport, systems, communication and teamwork.
Performance, culture & new perspectives — 3 themes
Fairground & Circus
Tickets, waiting, fast and slow, more and stop, performance and applause shape a controllable imaginary ride or circus.
Possible links: choice, turn-taking, risk, confidence, performance and teamwork.
Pictures Come Alive
Enter a painting through pose, rhythm, character sound, objects and movement, then create a new scene.
Possible links: art, close looking, history, emotion, jobs, music and drama.
Curious Places & New Perspectives
Galleries, museums, theatres and unusual visual viewpoints invite noticing, questioning and responding.
Possible links: cultural participation, visual literacy, descriptive language and confident visiting.
Museum, story & place soundscapes
History, people & place — 7 themes
The Charterhouse: Monks & Gardens
Explore quiet courtyards, monastic routines and changing garden sounds through music, movement and sensory objects.
Possible links: local history, life in the past, plants and seasons, sequencing and listening.
London’s Pleasure Gardens
Step into the music, dancing, entertainment and bustling atmosphere of an eighteenth-century London pleasure garden.
Possible links: social history, music, dance, clothing, public spaces and rhythm.
A Story from the Great Fire of London
Follow one person’s journey through the sights, sounds and difficult choices of London in 1666.
Possible links: the Great Fire, chronology, homes and buildings, community, safety and helping others.
Roman Rhythms
Discover Roman daily life through marching patterns, market sounds, objects, games and shared rhythms.
Possible links: Roman Britain, pattern and counting, food, everyday life, music and teamwork.
Viking Voyages
Travel by longship through wind, waves and changing landscapes, meeting the sounds and objects of Viking life.
Possible links: Vikings, journeys and settlement, materials, geography and storytelling.
Sounds of the City: Transport, Docks & Trade
Travel through London by road, rail, river and ship, moving from today’s city into the historic docks and global trade routes.
Possible links: local history, transport, maps and journeys, food origins and trade.
Build an Open City
Use sound, movement, shapes and shared choices to imagine streets, buildings and welcoming public spaces.
Possible links: architecture, geography, communities, shape and space, design and citizenship.
Myths, stories & imaginative journeys — 7 themes
Rama & Sita
Enter a respectful, accessible retelling through light, rhythm, movement and shared storytelling.
Possible links: religious education and worldviews, Diwali, English, sequence and celebration.
The Odyssey: A Sea of Adventures
Set sail with Odysseus through storms, strange creatures and challenging choices in an interactive mythological journey.
Possible links: Ancient Greece, myths and legends, narrative, maps, decisions and drama.
Endymion: A Moonlit Myth
Explore Greek myth and John Keats’s poetry through night-time sounds, natural imagery and gentle movement.
Possible links: English poetry, Greek mythology, nature, light and shadow, music and expression.
All at Sea
Build a shared maritime adventure with rolling waves, changing weather, navigation sounds and a crew working together.
Possible links: oceans, weather, travel, communication, teamwork and positional language.
The Lost Zoo
Search for missing animals, discovering their movements, calls and habitats along the way.
Possible links: animals and habitats, classification, descriptive language, counting and problem-solving.
Jungle Stories & Plants
Travel through a layered jungle of leaves, vines, animal calls and changing textures.
Possible links: plants, habitats, rainforests, geography, descriptive vocabulary and movement.
Commedia dell’Arte: Characters in Motion
Meet a lively cast and explore how gesture, rhythm, posture and sound can tell a story.
Possible links: drama, theatre history, character, non-verbal communication and improvisation.
Nature, materials & making — 5 themes
Minibeast World
Shrink into a world of buzzing, crawling and fluttering creatures through close listening, movement and sensory detail.
Possible links: living things, habitats, classification, counting and descriptive language.
Water: Dissolving & Changing
Investigate dripping, pouring, dissolving and flowing through simple experiments, sound and movement.
Possible links: materials and change, prediction, cause and effect, science vocabulary and rhythm.
Clay, Ceramics & Porcelain
Discover how earth and minerals become useful and beautiful objects through texture, shape, pattern and process.
Possible links: art and design, materials, historical objects, pattern, sequencing and making.
Statues Come Alive
Explore sculpture through shape, pose, texture and sound before bringing imagined statues to life.
Possible links: visual art, sculpture, body awareness, history, language and drama.
Winter Light & Celebration
Create a seasonal world of light, darkness, bells, gathering and celebration, shaped around your school’s chosen traditions.
Possible links: seasons, music, worldviews, light and shadow, community and celebration.
Paintings brought to life
These soundscape stories begin with close looking, then move into character, atmosphere, rhythm, gesture, objects and pupil-created scenes. Artwork choice and framing are agreed with staff for age, access and curriculum fit.
Explore 10 painting soundscapes
Rubens: An Autumn Landscape with a View of Het Steen in the Early Morning
A wide landscape of changing weather, animals, work and journeys becomes a layered countryside soundscape.
Possible links: landscape art, seasons, weather, animals, work and storytelling.
Rousseau: Surprised!
A tiger crouches in a tropical storm as leaves, wind, rain and flashes of light gather around it.
Possible links: habitats, weather, camouflage, feelings, descriptive language and rhythm.
Tintoretto: The Origin of the Milky Way
Stars, flight, animals and myth create a dramatic journey through the night sky.
Possible links: space, mythology, movement, composition, narrative and music.
Drouais: Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame
A portrait rich in fabric, pattern, objects and quiet activity invites detailed looking and imagined sounds.
Possible links: portraiture, history, textiles, pattern, identity and storytelling.
Turner: The Fighting Temeraire
An old sailing ship and a small steam tug open a story about light, water, memory and technological change.
Possible links: transport, industry, history, old and new, colour, light and atmosphere.
Turner: Ulysses deriding Polyphemus – Homer’s Odyssey
A glowing sea, a crowded ship and the hidden Cyclops turn Homer’s story into a stormy musical adventure.
Possible links: Ancient Greece, myth, sea and weather, narrative, choices and drama.
Cézanne: Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses)
Figures, trees, colour and repeating shapes become an exploration of pose, group space and visual rhythm.
Possible links: art, shape, colour, body position, natural settings and composition.
Watteau: The Scale of Love
Music, conversation, costume and a garden setting inspire a gentle social soundscape.
Possible links: musical instruments, rhythm, gardens, emotions, relationships and history.
Titian: Bacchus and Ariadne
A sudden meeting, leaping figures, animals and brilliant colour create a story full of movement and transformation.
Possible links: classical myth, emotion, sequence, animals, colour, art and drama.
Piero della Francesca: The Nativity
Stillness, song, landscape and a gathered group invite an atmospheric exploration of image and music.
Possible links: Christmas, religious education and worldviews, music, landscape and cultural heritage.
Painting titles link to the National Gallery’s collection records. Images are not reproduced on this page.
Ways to work together
- A one-day workshop using one of the existing themes above
- Residencies and longer creative programmes
- Staff development and continuing professional development (CPD) through participation, reflection and practical exploration
- Collaborative enquiry, consultancy, research and agreed reporting
- Bespoke SEND projects connecting schools and colleges with museums, galleries and other cultural organisations
I usually plan with a headteacher, curriculum lead, creative-learning producer or access lead. Together we agree the priorities and practical arrangements, with familiar staff involved so the work can respond to each group and connect with what matters in your setting.
A Tuning In method by Luke Crookes
The Tuning In Creative Arc
Field First begins with the people and the room. I notice the smallest offers of sound, movement, gaze, gesture or stillness, then give what emerges enough form to become shared artistic material. Learners can arrive and participate in their own way, with familiar staff helping to hold the space. Read about the Field First approach →
From energy to expression
The phases below show how a workshop can unfold, rather than a fixed sequence everyone must follow. They may overlap or recur, with room to pause, return and follow a learner’s contribution. We can notice energy and body states without labelling them as good or bad, encounter the chosen theme through sound and sensory experience, and shape the group’s discoveries into something shared.
There is no single “correct” response. Pupils may participate through speech, AAC, gesture, movement, sound-making, looking, stillness or choosing between objects and ideas.
1
Arrive and notice
A familiar body-and-energy check-in song may invite pupils to notice whether they feel quiet, lively, heavy, light, steady or changeable, with every state welcomed. There is no requirement to answer or join in.
May develop: body awareness, emotional vocabulary, choice-making, communication and readiness to participate.
2
Enter the creative world
A specially created energy soundscape grows from a painting, story, material or phenomenon—perhaps water, clay, weather or a character—using sound, silence, rhythm and musical colour.
May develop: listening, anticipation, imagination, musical awareness and understanding of the chosen topic.
3
Explore in many ways
Instruments, voice, movement, textures, objects, images and sensory cues provide different ways in. Invitations can be simplified, extended or approached differently according to access needs.
May develop: sensory discrimination, cause and effect, motor planning, attention and expressive communication.
4
Choose and shape
Learners’ choices have a real effect. A sound, movement, rhythm, character or direction offered by a pupil may reshape the music or story as Luke follows and extends the contribution.
May develop: agency, initiation, decision-making, turn-taking and awareness of others.
5
Create together
Individual discoveries grow into a collective song, soundscape, movement sequence or story scene. Pupils can lead, join, respond, repeat, observe or contribute at their own level.
May develop: collaboration, creative thinking, memory, sequencing, shared attention and authorship.
6
Settle and close
The pace softens into a clear, familiar ending. Pupils can notice what has changed, revisit a favourite idea and prepare for the transition back to the school day.
May develop: reflection, recall, transition awareness and ways of returning to a steadier state.
In every theme
Sensory noticing
Textures, objects, images, light, sound and silence invite attention without demanding one kind of response.
Sound and movement
Voice, instruments, rhythm, gesture, stillness and whole-body movement make ideas tangible.
Choice and communication
Looking, signing, AAC, speech, moving, sounding, repeating, pausing and refusing can all change what happens.
Creative finish
The group’s choices become a shared soundscape, song, movement sequence, story scene or artwork.
See the method in action
These examples show how an artistic theme, curriculum purpose and different ways of participating can meet within one responsive workshop.
Wild Weather — wind, ice and changing energy
Explore
Drifting and gusting, frozen and melting, hard and soft, warm and cold, quiet and excited.
Possible curriculum links
Seasons, weather and changing materials; body signals and emotional awareness; clothing, comfort, safety and adapting plans.
Ways in
Weather sounds or images, fabric, reflective materials, safe warm and cool objects, light, bells, percussion and bassoon breath. Pupils may choose intensity, distance, more or stop, and repeat or change.
Creative finish
A pupil-conducted winter soundscape, movement sequence or changing-weather story.
Healthy Routines — sounds of the day
Explore
Wake and rest, wash and dry, brush and rinse, hunger and fullness, movement and stillness, sequence and finish.
Possible curriculum links
Health and self-care; sequencing and communication; food and hydration; privacy, consent, dignity and independence.
Ways in
Visual sequences, sounds of water and brushing, textures, a mirror, clothes, bags, symbols, pulse and percussion. Pupils may communicate comfort, refusal, support, stop or more.
Creative finish
A routine soundtrack, symbol sequence or branching story shaped by the group’s choices.
Docks, canals, cargo and city sounds
Explore
Flow, load and unload, lift and lower, signal and respond, stop and go, depart and arrive, old and new.
Possible curriculum links
Local history, geography, transport and trade; community roles; sequencing, communication, cooperation and teamwork.
Ways in
Maps, images or film, field recordings, boats, cranes and cargo objects, transport rhythms, route movement and role-play. Pupils may choose a route, sound, signal or role.
Creative finish
A city soundscape, loading sequence or transport journey directed by the pupils.
A Painting at Work — people, power and fairness
Explore
Lift and rest, heavy and light, push and pull, repetition and change, crowds and stillness, fair and unfair—beginning with Ford Madox Brown’s painting Work.
Possible curriculum links
Art and visual literacy; feelings and body states; dignity, equality and fairness; work roles, teamwork, pacing, breaks and safety.
Ways in
Close looking, tools and heavy or light props, city sounds, repeated rhythms, percussion, body movement, mark-making and live instrument. Pupils may choose a figure, action, posture or sound and alter the rhythm.
Creative finish
A living picture, character soundscape, rap or newly imagined scene.
A school can choose an existing workshop for its artistic and sensory possibilities, or begin with a curriculum area it would like pupils to explore. Priorities are agreed with staff so that the content, level of challenge and ways of participating are appropriate for each group. A newly commissioned theme, original story or additional curriculum development can be planned separately.
What staff may notice
Rather than predicting one outcome, we can notice what actually emerges: choice-making, initiation, sustained attention, turn-taking, communication, boundary-setting, regulation, collaboration, memory, role-taking and creative authorship.
What helps a SEND commission work well
The strongest work grows from shared planning, practical support and room to respond. We agree your priorities and curriculum connections in advance, then work alongside familiar staff to adapt to the learners, their communication and what happens on the day.
- A named lead to coordinate decisions and share information
- Shared aims, access information and safeguarding arrangements
- Familiar staff taking part and supporting communication and transitions
- A suitable space, realistic timetable and time to set up and pack away
- An agreed fee covering preparation, delivery and any requested follow-up
- Time to reflect together when staff development or longer-term change is part of the project
A single workshop day can be a valuable starting point. If you would like staff development, research or ongoing support as well, we can plan those elements together.
Explore related work: read about my wider SEND and inclusive practice, the approach and research behind the work, my selected projects and case studies, my professional bassoon background, and my museum, gallery and heritage work.
A moment for staff, too. Separately from school workshops, you can explore Give Yourself a Moment, my iPhone and iPad app for personal practice. Its original 24 guided audio practices remain free, with no account or subscription required to access them. For a shared listening session, explore sound baths for groups and workplaces.
Manchester, London and across the UK
I am based in North Manchester and work with schools and colleges throughout Manchester, Greater Manchester and the North West. Having lived in London for 20 years, I also love returning to work with schools and cultural organisations there.
I welcome commissions across the UK and internationally. We can discuss travel, equipment and any accommodation as part of planning the project. Planning conversations, staff development, consultancy and research can also take place online.
Practical details & booking
Fees
Fees depend on the project, location and preparation involved. A usual workshop day includes up to four 45–60 minute sessions using one chosen existing theme, adapted for the participating groups.
We agree what is included before you book: preparation, delivery, travel and equipment, plus any new content, evaluation, reporting or follow-up you would like. This gives both of us a clear, shared plan for the work.
Relevant DBS, safeguarding and insurance information can be shared during commissioning.
Frequently asked questions
Where are you based, and how far do you travel?
I am based in North Manchester and work throughout Greater Manchester and the North West. London is also an important part of my working life: I lived there for 20 years and enjoy returning for projects. I welcome commissions across the UK and internationally, with travel and any accommodation agreed as part of the project.
What ages and SEND contexts do you work with?
I work with children, young people and adults across PMLD, SLD, complex-needs, autism, neurodivergence and SEMH contexts. We agree suitable communication, access, sensory and staffing arrangements before the project.
Can the same theme work for very different groups?
Yes. The shared world stays recognisable across the day, while I change the pace, language, sensory intensity, resources, roles and ways pupils can respond. Routes can overlap within one class.
Do participants need to use speech or play an instrument?
No. Participation can include listening, looking, gesture, movement, signs, AAC, choosing, directing, touching an object, making a sound, taking a role or simply being present at a comfortable distance.
Can we choose more than one theme in a day?
I usually recommend one theme for the whole day. It allows the materials and musical world to be rich and consistent, while each group receives a genuinely responsive session. If your timetable needs something different, please ask.
Can the workshop link to our current topic or curriculum?
Often an existing theme can be emphasised in a way that supports your current priorities. If you need entirely new content, I can develop a bespoke workshop for an additional agreed planning fee.
What should we include in an enquiry?
Please share your organisation, location, preferred dates, approximate group size and age range, what you hope to explore, and any budget you have in mind. It also helps to know who will coordinate the project and which staff will take part. Please describe access and support arrangements in general terms, without naming individual learners or sharing confidential information.
Start a conversation about your SEND project
Tell me about your setting, the people you want to involve and what you hope might become possible. You do not need a finished brief. We can shape a workshop day, residency, longer programme, staff-development strand or collaborative enquiry around your priorities and the conditions the work needs.
Based in North Manchester · Manchester, London and across the UK · International commissions welcome