The Somatics of Sound: Course for Artists & Makers

What if sound is not outside of ourselves but perceived through our organisation of our body and how available we are?  What if it is affected by the perception of our mental processes in relation to our body, and our capacity to feel our intentions and motivations in our body? Listening as an active process?

We could think of ‘hearing’ as the physiological process that happens first in our ears, and ‘listening’ as our subjective interpretation of this process using various ways including our memories, life experiences and how we learnt to trust and play with our senses. What if listening has a time delay- what if listening might happen seconds after, or years later, or perhaps never ever?  This kind of listening could be impacted not only by our physiological abilities but also by our capacity to imagine and to empathise. 

I want to explore different ways that music and dance are held and released in the same space of the body and imagination. We can start with organising our body to be open to vibrations as it contacts another surface (or in the meeting points of sensation) – a space where both listening and expressing might seep into each other.

The possibilities might evolve into tools for working, performing, generating more personal material or as performative scores in themselves. It might bring more intentional collaborations with artists working with sound. It might bring more awareness to the relationship of listening between audience and performers, potentially influencing the set-up of the performance itself.

Currently running in February – March 2020 at University of Bedfordshire, open to graduates and professionals in dance and performing arts.

More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/511265446301114/

Photo Boris Austin