The Playhouse Tent @ Royal Geographical Society conference (Wednesday 2 September 2026)

The Playhouse Tent is a homespun interactive installation that has toured between London and Manchester 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?

All adults at the Royal Geographical Society conference are welcome to visit. Please sign up to a slot – it is the arrival time that matters (you aren't limited to a 15 minute stay). There is an audio element to the installation which means the start time helps us stagger visitors so you can have the opportunity to listen. 

What will you experience?

Your journey through The Playhouse Tent in the adult sessions unfolds across two connected spaces:

Tent 1: Sensory realities

Here, you will encounter the daily sensory experiences of families living in TA. Through soundscapes, visual storytelling, tactile installations, and artifacts contributed by families themselves, you will begin to sense what it feels like to live in a space that does not feel like home. You will hear voices, real stories from children and parents. You will see objects that carry meaning: a drawing, a toy, a photograph, a word that convey the realities of homeless families on the move.

Adult visitors will be asked to step closer to understanding, to experience for a short time the sensory realities that families navigate every day.

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.

How can we make your visit more comfortable?

We provide sensory aids at the entrance: ear defenders, sunglasses, fidget toys. 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 we will facilitate a short debriefing discussion to capture immediate reflections – and with your verbal consent, this will be recorded and transcribed anonymously. We will contact you via email after the event to ask if you have any further reflections or plans.