The Camouflage Unit –Imperial War Museum
Join the Camouflage Unit, a team of creative designers and illusionists with specialist skills in the art of deception and illusion, in this immersive family event. Get code-breaking, don desert disguises, witness some mirror ‘magic’ and help the team make models that were used to take part in a series of deception operations during the Battle of El-Alamein in Egypt, in 1942.
The Camouflage Unit Camp was produced with IWM for family audiences. Families agreed that taking part helped them make connections with the past and to consider the different ways war and conflict have impacted society. It also helped families to gain insight into real missions and feel more confident discussing war and conflict.
“‘The interactive live shows were truly fabulous! Never ever had an experience so hands on and personal for such a small group. The boys were mesmerised for the entire duration and loved getting involved. Great actors and accessible for young children (and adults!).’ (Visiting with children aged 3-5 and 5-7)
“One of the best family activities we have ever done at a museum. Original, engaging and extremely interesting”
“We really enjoyed the live show. The kids learnt a lot about war strategies around decoy and disguise. Made me think about war strategy differently, that it’s not all attack, it’s also retreat, red herring, putting people off the trail. Kids loved all the interactive, hands-on elements, making them use their brains and work together as you’d have to in the military or in the business of espionage and decoding!”
“The live show. It was absolutely brilliant, pitched at a perfect level and captured their imagination entirely.”
Curious Families’ Creative Producer Sally-Anne reflects on creating the show:
Writing the script for The Camouflage Unit Camp was tougher than I thought! War is serious, where many people lost their lives, so through this production we wanted to share a real story that wasn’t just about attack, but how decoys and deception as tactics can achieve mission success without so much bloodshed.
By a marvellous system of camouflage, complete tactical surprise was achieved in the desert by the Camouflage Unit, moving silently in the night and leaving an exact replica of its tanks where it had been. British Stage magician, turned Royal Engineers volunteer, Jasper Maskelyne, claimed: “We like to feel that much of our invention was to save life and not take it: every German bullet that hit one of our dummy men was one less to find a billet in shrinking flesh.” General Montgomery’s 8th army delivered a decisive victory at El Alamein in October 1942, aided by the ingenuity of the Camouflage Unit.”
Thanks to the incredibly talented and knowledgeable curators and producers at IWM, we’ve created one of our best pieces of interactive theatre yet.
“Curious Families UK are masters at their craft, who really understand the audience and how to create for them. Sally managed to take IWM’s difficult subject matter of war and conflict and created a visually appealing, fun and engaging live experience for families that managed to not only put learning and access at it’s core, but was grounded in IWM’s stories and collections. Sally worked collaboratively with various stakeholders in the museum and understood our editorial process. Thank you! I’d love to work with you again!”
Olivia Murphy, IWM Senior Producer
For further information on The Camouflage Unit Camp, or to discuss an immersive event for your museum or venue please contact Sally at sally@curiousfamilies.org.uk
The Camouflage Unit team:
Produced by Sally-Anne Donaldson
Soundscape and Film by Giacomo Sovrano
Designed by Nathanael Barbier and Steve Wilson
Performed by Lara Greenfield, Harriet Forgan, Abby Wain, Paul Rubenstein, Charlie Bevis, Maya Hicklin, Alexi Papadopoulos and Milo Waters
With special thanks to Olivia Murphy, Jacqueline Reich, Fiona Darling, Matthew Norman and the IWM teams in London and North for all your support and guidance.