The Playhouse Tent hosted by Shared Health Foundation - family sessions (27 June 2026)

*Please book 1 ticket per family*

The Playhouse Tent is a homespun interactive installation that will tour the UK throughout 2026. It invites visitors to step inside the lived realities of neurodivergent children and their families living in Temporary Accommodation (TA), while also encouraging them to reflect on the meaningful difference their understanding, empathy, and actions can make in response.

For neurodivergent children, those who experience the world differently through heightened or reduced sensory sensitivities, the conditions of TA can be profoundly harmful. Cramped spaces, unpredictable noise, lack of safe outdoor play, and constant uncertainty shape their daily lives in ways that most of us cannot imagine. TA can be a prolonged experience of instability and sensory overwhelm that can have prolonged health and educational impacts. The Playhouse Tent brings to further life the findings from our National Call for Evidence report It’s Like Torture which sets out a clear set of policy asks and next steps to urgently drive change.

How did The Playhouse Tent come about?

The Playhouse Tent was born from a collaborative project between the Leverhulme Trust-funded Sensory Lives research team at King's College London, our partner Shared Health Foundation, neurodivergent children and their families, and a community of advocates working toward housing justice. Together, we have created a space where understanding can begin and where change can take root.

Who should visit The Playhouse Tent?

Everyone is welcome to visit. There are two session types people can drop into. Sessions for families are being held and parents/carers are invited to select a group session with a maximum of 3 other families. Children should be supervised by the parent/carer during the visit. If you would like to book a single-family slot, please email mhairi-jean.ross@kcl.ac.uk

We are also running sessions for adults, and invite parents/carers, politicians, policymakers, local authorities, housing, health and social care professionals, educators, architects, urban planners, researchers, activists, and advocates.

What will you experience?

Your journey through The Playhouse Tent during the family session will unfold across three connected spaces:

Tent 1: Sensory realities

Here, through visual storytelling and objects contributed by families, you will encounter the daily sensory experiences of families living in temporary accommodation. For ethical reasons, the inside of the tent will be closed during the family sessions when children will be present.

Tent 2: Ideas and hope

In the second tent, the tone shifts and is more positive. Here, we share the voices of families alongside researchers, policymakers, and community advocates. This space is filled with ideas, recommendations, and possibilities for change. It is a space of collaboration and action.

This tent has been designed to be low-demand and sensory-friendly. You can explore at your own pace, take breaks whenever you need, and choose what feels right for you. In the family sessions there will be creative activities designed to be fun, flexible, and respectful of different needs and energy levels.

Tent 3: Snug tent

We have a dedicated sensory-friendly play tent space where children can spend time resting, regulating and exploring.

Contribute to a living archive

If you – a parent/carer or child – would like, you can contribute something to our living archive at the entrance to Tent 1. This could be an object, drawing, photo, colour, or word that representsyour experience of living in TA.  Please only bring something you are comfortable leaving behind. We will display it with care and dignity, along with a brief description of what it means to you. If you find it hard to part with the item, we can take an instant photo of it for you to keep.

This is completely optional. There is no pressure to contribute anything if you don't want to.

This will be one of the most powerful elements of The Playhouse Tent is the living archive at the entrance to Tent 1.  These items will be displayed with dignity and care, each accompanied by a brief description of its meaning. This archive is a collective testimony to the resilience, creativity, and humanity of families who deserve better. If you have any questions please email mhairi-jean.ross@kcl.ac.uk

How can we make your visit more comfortable?

We provide sensory aids at the entrance: ear defenders, sunglasses, fidget toys. There is a snug tent for families to spend time resting, regulating and exploring. We want everyone to feel welcome, understood, and supported. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable. Email mhairi-jean.ross@kcl.ac.uk

What happens after your visit?

The Playhouse Tent is not a passive experience. It is designed to catalyse reflection, conversation, and action.

After each session, both adult and family, we will facilitate a short debriefing discussion to capture immediate reflections. Children can give feedback in whatever way feels comfortable: choosing smiley faces to rate different parts of the tent, drawing or writing on a postcard, or recording a short voice note that will then be transcribed anonymously. 

We will contact you via email after the event to ask if you have any further reflections you'd like to share with us.