Tucked away in a modest, little corner of the vast expanse of green that is Clapham Common is another green space; and a blue one, and a red one, and a yellow one, and a purple one… I think you get the picture by now, the headline is basically– there were many colours.
Don’t let my generality hoodwink you though, it was genuinely a lot of fun, and I managed to spend a whole hour there without getting bored, which, for a grown man surrounded by parents and toddlers, was pretty astonishing.
You rock up to what looks like an enormous patchwork quilt, are asked to remove your shoes and pick a coloured cape to wear (For the record, I picked yellow). After hopping through the entrance, you are immediately immersed in a new world; it genuinely does take a nanosecond to adjust to being surrounded by elastic-y cave walls, bouncing and stumbling around the assorted technicolour corridors. The feeling of being immersed is what you are paying six pounds for I’d say; to feel as if you have fallen down the rabbit hole, listen to the din of London dissolve into nothing against your eardrums.
Of course that is soon replaced by the sound of children screaming. Joking aside, though, as long as you are able to put up with an obstacle course of crawling kids at your feet, you’ll have a blast. Watching blistering crimson soak into a navy corner and then finding yourself alone in a magenta strip puts a smile on your face before you skip off to find your next stop in a kaleidoscopic tour of sound and vision. Just as there are endless combinations and hues of colours, so too was there reasons to explore this vibrant network of grottos.
There are opportunities for adults to relax against makeshift stalagmites, a refreshing and generous helping of white at the tail end of the Colourscape maze while the kids are busy exploring the shady end. Makeshift woodwind and string instruments littered the floors, with gatherings of artists and musicians playing softly in their own little nooks. It was a gentle way to spend my midday, that’s for sure.
The concept behind Colourscape is to experiment with sight and sound to create an experience that is thought-provoking but tranquil at the same time. It’s timing during the 12-1pm slot on weekdays makes it perfect for those that want to take an early lunch break. It’s a stimulating way to spend your downtime if you want an alternative to the meal-deal-at-the-desk routine that has become the standard for office life.
Lunch breaks are the way to rejuvenate oneself after a morning of hard work; the problem is a lot of them are anything but refreshing. Ordinarily you wouldn’t think to spend the only hour you get free in the working week toddling around a giant inflatable labyrinth, staring at colours and listening to bongos. Honestly though, don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it. Colour-Scape the daily grind!
It’s all about changing your environment, spending time doing things you wouldn’t normally do; this can be the best way to ingeniously escape the yolk of the workplace. It’s authentic, cool, a bit silly, and I can’t recommend it enough. Go see it while you still have the chance.
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