A major discovery I have made by the Feedback Sessions is the variation in meaning and stories individuals apply to messages and experiences.
For example, in inviting different peers to listen to some of my soundscapes, without giving an initial back-story or context, each listener has an entirely unique and independent experience of the work. As described by iconic, dedicated sound practitioner Pauline Oliveros, the act of listening on my behalf in this method moves from being deep within the space, to being present with the spectator:
"People’s experiences are all different, and you don’t know what the person experienced. They know, but you don’t, so I think it’s important to listen carefully to what a person has to say. And not to force them into any direction at all, but simply to model what you’ve experienced, model it and also be what I call a Listening Presence. If you’re really listening, then some of the barriers can dissolve or change” – (interviewed by Brian Andrews & Patricia Moloney for ‘Bad at Sports’, 2015)
This discovery informs the way I work as a Scenographer. I wish to leave space in my works for the spectator to use their imagination, to draw their own conclusions, while guiding them in the shared experience.
The qualitative feedback has formed as a method of creating dialogue in my works.
• Questions Arising
In considering the spectator in my research, questions arise about the movement and navigation of the spectator in space, sparking curiosity in the spectator and initiating technology to innovate in a space.
Questions then arise about the freedom available to the spectator in my works, I discover the onus upon me as a Scenographer to build a level of trust with the spectator. This is to further the spectator’s trust of the Scenography to be open, curious and explorative in the space.
Do you trust me?
Do you trust the space?
Do you trust yourself?