Skip to main content

Hunter Heartbeat Courses | 2025

A diverse group of participants from the theatre company sit in a circle on the floor at Centre d’Educació Especial Montserrat Montero in Granollers, Catalunya, during an inclusive workshop in 2025.

Catalunya

Kelly Hunter directed The Tempest for autistic people in Catalan at Teatre Lliure in Barcelona in 2017 and returned there in 2018 to direct A Midsummer Night's Dream for autistic people. Flute Theatre continue to work with students from Escuela Especial Montserrat Montera for autistic people.

"When the show ended I was crying so much. My two handkerchiefs were soaked. I perfectly remember what I said to the actors and actresses at the end of the show - I said 'if you ever wondered why you are doing this job, its precisely for moments like this."

– Alex Casanovas

April 2021

Alvarro performing expressive gestures during an inclusive theatre workshop in Granollers, Catalunya, 2019, with an engaged audience in the background
Anna takes part in an interactive sensory theatre session in Granollers, Catalunya, 2019, surrounded by other participants.
Pep and Anna playfully mimic animal gestures during a theatre performance in Granollers, Catalunya, 2019, as the audience smiles and watches.
A young boy wearing glasses smiles and raises his arms in movement during an inclusive performance or workshop in Granollers, 2019, while others around him watch with joy and encouragement.
Two young people share a playful moment, one with a thoughtful gesture touching his face, the other smiling brightly, in a warm inclusive setting at Montserrat Montero Special Education Centre in Granollers.
A young woman in a colorful striped sweater laughs joyfully with two other girls, enjoying an engaging and inclusive activity at Montserrat Montero Special Education Centre in Granollers.
Actor and autistic participant laughing and clapping during a Flute Theatre session at Centre d’Educació Especial Montserrat Montero in Granollers, Catalunya. They sit barefoot on the gym floor alongside friends, sharing a moment of connection through Shakespeare-inspired play.

"I'm a theatre artist, and yoga teacher living in Kent. I've been invited to Goldwyn Secondary School to work with their autistic and excluded students exploring Romeo and Juliet through performance. I heard a little bit about Flute Theatre and their approach to working with young and old people with autism and so not having much experience in this area, was curious to learn more. I participated in their 6 day workshop led by Kelly Hunter and Natasha Hayward with the students of Montserrat School in Barcelona and it was one of the most expansive and affirming learning experiences I’ve ever had. The first day we were immersed in the Hunter Heartbeat Method. Through play and conversation Kelly deepened our understanding of what it means to experience life as someone with (profound) autism and the disorientating nature of living with vestibular and proprioceptive challenges - how connecting with the heartbeat of Shakespeare’s language through word, sound & the animated body, soothes the nervous system and acts as a bridge to profound connection and joy. Then we met the students, and for the remaining 5 days we were thrown in, as a supported member of the company to participate fully guiding and working with different groups each day to perform THE TEMPEST. Kelly, who has developed this method over 25 years led with complete trust. A trust that beckons workshop participants to operate purely from their heart, to keep reaching for connection even when students respond in unexpected ways. A trust in us to find a common language of the soul. By the end of each performance students often times would appear transformed, they would be happy, playful, more affectionate. On one occasion, we finished the show with the students sitting in the actors laps, nestled down, relaxed, everyone breathing together."

– Edith Tankus

A girl rests comfortably on another person’s lap, both smiling warmly in a relaxed and caring environment at Montserrat Montero Special Education Centre in Granollers.
A young girl in a purple top is gently embraced from behind by another participant, both smiling softly, during a supportive session at Montserrat Montero Special Education Centre in Granollers.
Catalan families at Arsènic, Espai de Creació in Granollers, 2025. A joyful group of autistic children, their families, and Flute Theatre facilitators pose together outdoors against a mosaic wall, celebrating an inclusive Shakespeare workshop experience in Catalunya.