KidsOut visit to assess Sensory Space

KidsOut visited today to have a look at the Portable Sensory Space that we are putting together for them. This is a prototype which they are hoping to put into a school before the end of the year.

Due to the size we built it at the lighting company premises, which also meant we could try out different lighting effects. The structure turned out to be a lot larger than it looked on paper and it was immediately decided to only build half the structure as the final unit. The basic premise worked well, but we now need to develop some of the ideas further for a second assessment visit in July.

The unit will incorporate a number of key effects including colour change lighting, a gobo projector, a bubble tube, a mirror ball and soft play elements.

Building a fountain

Today was spent in sunny Bristol building and playing with a mock-up of the fountain at Luckwell School.

Together with Graham and Tash from Futurelab, we built a full-scale mock-up of the fountain using anything we could find. This generally consisted of tables, chairs, coloured paper and plastic tubing.

I worked with each year group to then make decisions about the fountain and ensure that it was still going to be enthusiastically received by the school.

You can track the overall progress of the fountain on the Fountaineers Blog.

News: GSPK Design launch Apollo

GSPK Design Ltd has today announced the launch of a new division; Apollo Creative, which has been set up to specialise in the innovative design, development and manufacture of interactive light and sound products.

Apollo Creative, named after the Greek and Roman God of Light, Sound and Healing, is aimed at the sensory and architectural markets; interior design, exhibitions, artistic projects and museums. This new division is benefiting from the skills and expertise of Mark Hildred who has recently been appointed to head up this initiative.

Creative Director Mark Hildred looking into an Apollo Bubble Tube

Mark has worked extensively within the special needs sector for over ten years including four years investigating the latest technologies at the University of York. He also brings with him a wealth of experience in interactive audio applied across a wide range of projects from touring exhibitions to museum installations.

Apollo Creative, based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, has been working to develop upon its existing range of bubble tubes, bubble walls and LED fibre optic light sources. These are predominantly sold for inclusion in multisensory rooms for use by children and adults with special needs, but increasingly Apollo is finding outlets as diverse as hair salons and exhibition stands.

Benefiting from such experience, and supported by the electronic design capabilities offered by GSPK Design Ltd, Apollo Creative is developing a leading reputation for providing revolutionary new products into the market place. Apollo also provide consultancy for project work from initial ideas, through project management to technical support and training. This service enables their customers to access the company’s unique skill base. Current projects include interactive fountains, light and sound rooms, sensory environments, digital play areas and museum interactives.

Mark Hildred, Creative Director for Apollo Creative said – “The next twelve months promise to be very exciting as we build upon the solid foundation already provided by our UK and International distributors. We are engaged in a range of exciting development projects that will help establish Apollo as the leading company within this sector.”

For further information, please contact Mark Hildred on 01423 865641 or e-mail sales@apollocreative.co.uk

Getting wet

Today I was back at Luckwell Primary School to work with the children with some interactive water jets. I built a basic fountain using a paddling pool, some Oase Nautilus pumps, a DMX dimmer pack and a prototype of the Apollo Controller. This meant that we could have a number of different sensors controlling the height of the water jets.

The children played with the different sensors to help establish a final list of what sensors we might want on the fountain. Another major area of discussion was whether to have a mobile or fixed fountain. The amount of water falling on the floor convinced most that a fixed fountain outside might be better, although their were some imaginative solutions for keeping the water contained.

After working with each year group, they returned to their rooms to vote on the best sensors and whether to have the fixed or mobile fountain. At the end of the day we had an assembly so that each year group could see the voting. Lots of cheering and booing went on!

New role as Fountain Expert

Today I visited Bristol to join the Fountaineers Project as their 'Fountain' expert. Fountaineers is a Futurelab Project to design and build an interactive fountain - a collaboration with the children and staff at the school. Over the next nine months the school will be designing their own fountain to be built somewhere on site. My job is to help guide them!


Today was an introductory session where I went over some of the interactive fountains I have build before. We looked at the progression from initial ideas through technical drawings to the final fountain. I think this was the first time the children had seen that interactive foutains can actually be built.

To get over the idea of control I used some sensors and a prototype of the Apollo Controller. The sensors were linked to simple sounds, MIDI scales and lights. This enabled me to demonstrate simple cause and effect.

I've got to admit that the original plan was to work with small groups, but I ended up doing an assembly for the whole school. Great fun!

The idea is for me to act as a consultant for the project, visiting throughout the year and carrying out a number of workshops.

New Project - Portable Sensory Space

Today saw Apollo kicking off a new project to develop a portable sensory room for an organisation called KidsOut. KidsOut exists to "transform the lives of disadvantaged children and young people by providing fun opportunities and positive experiences that work to significantly enhance their wellbeing and outlook for a happier future."

I'll be designing a portable sensory space that can be built as a temporary structure in a school or village hall and left for a few months. It will incorporate Apollo bubble tubes and sensory equipment, as well as lighting and sound equipment.

Creative Projects

This is the blog for Apollo Creative. Here I'll be updating readers with the latest projects that we are undertaking.