A PhD that redefines performance through the somatic politics of touch and attention. In an era grappling with profound disconnection and global crises, this PhD Thesis offers a hopeful counter-narrative, proposing that our very modes of perception are powerful political agents. Through a unique somatic, touch-based artistic research, it redefines choreography as the art of attending, moving beyond traditional visual dominance to cultivate a deeper, multi-sensorial engagement. Structured in three parts, this thesis traces a journey from Context & Definitions to The Somatic Costume Dressing Room, and finally to the performance of Give Them Wings & We Shall See Their Faces. Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Somatic Costume Dressing Room serves as a core methodology—a haptic-focused process where costumes are co-designed in the moment based on the wearer's arising psychophysical needs. The final performance, Give Them Wings & We Shall See Their Faces, introduces Travellers (guided by touch with eyes closed) and Witnesses (engaging visually). Their experiences reveal how the primacy of touch reshapes our sense of time, place, and meaning-making through Poetic Material-ity. This approach challenges ocularcentrism, offering a modern eye remedy by integrating vision anew through tactile and auditory foundations. Woven throughout the entire thesis are Somatic Acts, poetic, embodied invitations for the reader. These acts are more than just exercises; they are integral to the research, bridging theory and practice with sensory experience to make the thesis a participatory, felt journey. Ultimately, this research advocates for a quiet yet profound political act: using somatic practice and costume to cultivate a more holistic way of being in the world. Costume, in this context, transcends mere adornment; it becomes a core choreographic practice, a `Somatic Costume Landscape´ that fosters intimacy, agency, and embodied connection. It offers a vital path to resilience and resistance, redefining what performance can be by returning to the body's felt experience and a non-striving form of attention.

Somatic Acts: Invitations into Embodied Experience

What Are Somatic Acts?

Somatic Acts – embodied invitations designed to deepen your engagement with the core concepts and methodologies of this artistic research. These acts are more than just exercises; they are integral to the very fabric of the research - weaving together theory, practice, and sensory experience.

Somatic Acts draw directly from Somatic Movement Practices, offering an embodied and sensory way of being with bodies and materials. Central to this approach is how we attend and what we are attending to – ourselves, others, and to the 'things' around us. These acts serve as:

Embodied Preparations: Practices for direct, sensory engagement with materials, costumes, others and one's own body, inviting you to include yourself in the research process.
Experiential Learning: A pathway to understanding concepts, theories, and practices through direct bodily experience, bridging intellectual comprehension and felt sensation.
A Medium for Touch: They facilitate a profound physical and psychological connection with the reader, addressing the often abstracting nature of purely verbal-visual academic discourse.
Poetic Integrations: Referred to as ´Somatic Poems´ (a term also used for the Somatic Costumes), these acts weave in a poetic approach. This method taps into deeper layers of consciousness, offering multi-interpretive, non-linear insights beyond analytical thought.

Purpose and Contribution

Somatic Acts contribute to the research by:

Fostering Direct Engagement: Inviting you to be ´touched by the work´ and participate actively rather than passively read.
Innovating Research Methodology: Demonstrating how somatic practices generate original knowledge and serve as a distinctive approach within artistic practice.
Providing Future Resources: Designed as valuable teaching tools for connecting bodies, touch, materials, and costumes in educational and artistic contexts.

Navigating the Somatic Acts

The Somatic Acts are structured for accessible and personalized engagement:

Visual & Tactile Identification: For easy navigation, all Somatic Acts are presented in a light yellow color and, in the printed version, on distinct tactile paper.
Placement & Flow: Typically appearing before chapters and interwoven throughout, is as an experiential introduction to upcoming concepts.
Flexible Access: Each act is numbered and titled, allowing readers to choose and experience them in any order, despite an intentional progression.
Pacing & Adaptation: They require and allow time. Approaching them by slowing down and creating gentle transitions is crucial, as is adapting the material to support your individual body and experience.

Accessing the Somatic Acts

Each Somatic Act includes multimedia and textual elements for multi-modal engagement:
Format: A combination of written guidance, audio and video components.
In-Document Access: Playable directly within the PDF document, often via pop-up, and within the printed document via QR code.
External Access: A QR code links to Research Catalogue, where all Somatic Acts are hosted and can be accessed externally.

Quick Reference Information

For easy navigation, a concise guide is provided next to each Somatic Act, detailing:

Duration: Estimated time (e.g. 20 minutes).
Participants: Number of people needed (S: Solo, D: Duet, G: Group; all possible options listed).
Materials: Specific objects or props (e.g. Coat, 3 Potatoes).
Setting: Recommended environment (e.g. Comfortable place to lay down).

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