This Christmas, Sky Kids has partnered with award-winning singer-songwriter Paloma Faith and the Sky Kids Choir to release ‘Silent Night, Gentle Light’: a reimagining of the beloved Christmas carol which offers a new perspective on the sensory challenges faced by neurodivergent children at this time of year.
The heartfelt song highlights the experiences many children can find overwhelming during the festive season. From wearing itchy jumpers and navigating busy crowds, to bright decorations and noisy shops, the lyrics focus on how to reduce sensory overload, whilst embracing joy and familiarity to make Christmas as inclusive as possible.
The single coincides with the launch of the Christmas TV Special of Ready Eddie Go!, now available on Sky Kids, which captures the world of Eddie, a six-year-old autistic boy navigating everyday experiences for the first time. The show’s creator, Nikki Saunders, and lead writer Joseph Morpurgo co-wrote the lyrics.
Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content at Sky, said “Ready Eddie Go! is a really special show for us at Sky Kids. The series helps support neurodiverse children and their families and friends as they navigate the world. We know that Christmas can be particularly tricky for some children, so we’re delighted to have enlisted the iconic Paloma Faith and our Sky Kids choir to reimagine one of our favourite carols and help everyone enjoy the holidays in the ways that work for them.”
Calming
Recognising that one in seven people across the UK are neurodiverse, Nikki Saunders has also teamed up with the Caudwell Children’s Charity to share some tips for parents and guardians to make Christmas less overwhelming and more magical for all children. These include decorating the house slowly over a few days and maintaining calming routines amid this festive time.
Nikki Saunders, Creator of Ready Eddie Go!, said: “Thank you to everyone involved in this beautiful campaign, helping so many children feel supported. I created Eddie, a beautiful autistic character for my son to relate to, sharing his same experiences. The Christmas season brings changes in routine, sensory challenges, unexpected visitors and overwhelm at times. Therefore, our Christmas episode of Ready Eddie Go!, alongside this campaign, raises awareness about the build up to Christmas Day, encouraging everyone to do Christmas your way.”
All proceeds from ‘Silent Night, Gentle Light’ will be donated to the Caudwell Children’s Charity, who support children in need and further the mission of inclusivity and accessibility for all.
The Caudwell Children’s Charity said: “When Sky Kids approached us with the idea for this campaign, we couldn’t wait to get involved. Their reimagined version of Silent Night delivers a powerful and inclusive message that it’s okay to celebrate Christmas in your own way. Christmas is a very exciting time for a lot of families but for some families, especially those with neurodivergent children, Christmas can be a very unpredictable and daunting time. Our aim is to remind everyone that you don’t have to follow traditional norms; you can create your own rules to make Christmas enjoyable for your family. The campaign also reminds people to be mindful of others and makes people aware of things you wouldn’t necessarily think about. Simple things, like bright lights or loud sounds, can be overwhelming for neurodivergent individuals.”
Silent Night, Gentle Light is available from the 12th December on Amazon Music, Apple Music and iTunes, and Spotify
Ready Eddie Christmas! is out now on Sky Kids.
