CURIOUS young minds will step back in time at Smithills Hall in an innovative project designed to help children with special educational needs experience cultural activities.

The week long project — A House Through Time — gets underway on Friday, with activities and games, food and drink, and performances by actors depicting the various people who might have lived and worked in the hall since its construction in the early 1300s.

The history will be explored through drama workshops led by the Octagon Theatre’s Associate Director Lisa O’Neill-Rogan.

Piped smells of baking bread, carbolic soap and coal fires — as well as sign language and symbols — will be used to make the experience more accessible for the children.

The initiative is led by Curious Minds SLiCE — Specialist Leaders in Cultural Education — and the group will use the project to research how educational access to cultural sites can be improved for students with additional needs.

It will be working with year six pupils Ladywood Primary School, who will team up with year seven pupils from Rumworth School.

The week will end with a performance of what they have learned for family and friends on Friday, July 10, at Smithills Hall.

Ladywood Primary School's head of performing arts Yvonne Heywood said: “Access to cultural education for children with additional needs continues to be of huge concern.

"It isn’t simply a case of providing physical access to cultural sites, but also providing a supportive environment for those individuals who find new environments, loud noises, or crowds particularly difficult, and we aim to combat some of those challenges throughout this project, using it as an example other cultural sites can perhaps follow."

Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Young People and Sport, Cllr John Byrne, said: “Smithills Hall is a fascinating museum and we are very pleased to be able to facilitate such a worthwhile and innovative project, and make the museum more accessible to a wider audience. The transition from primary to secondary school can be daunting and this interactive week of activities will hopefully assist pupils from both schools. It’s a great opportunity for them to work alongside professionals from The Octagon and then perform what they’ve learned to an audience.

“As well as taking part in fun dance and drama sessions, the young people will also get the chance to receive an official qualification – the Arts Award Discover, which is accredited to Trinity College, London. Participants will be given an Arts Award log to complete and will be presented with a certificate to mark their commitment and skills achieved.”