Audio-touch Snacks

as part of the Somatic Dance and Chronic Pain Network

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Research project led by Greta Gauhe

Greta is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Dance Research, UK. Her research is on touch and dance, and she wishes to engage with people living with chronic pain to support them in accessing movement and touch from home. 

Contact: gauheg@uni.coventry.ac.uk

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Remote touch experiences

 

Join us for a short remote experience that brings the experience of touch to your own location. Our multi-sensory experience will guide you through a series of activities that allow you to engage with your senses. Using pre-recorded audio recordings, you will follow the guidance of your performer. You can choose the performance that suits you most below. All of our experiences are site-specific and multi-sensory. This refers to the concept of site-specific performance, where the physical space in which the performance takes place is an important aspect of the overall experience. In this case, you are encouraged to embrace your surroundings and incorporate what you see, feel and hear around you into the experience. 

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The recordings have undergone further development in collaboration with individuals living with chronic pain. Their feedback and experiences have enabled us to tailor the recordings more closely to their specific needs. However, it's important to acknowledge that certain recordings may resonate more with some individuals than others.​ We have also invited people who experience different types of chronic pain to develop their own audio-recordings. Through a co-creative process they have created their own set of recordings. These will be included below and have been created by Ruth, Georgina and Jules. 

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In our efforts to enhance accessibility, we have strived to offer a diverse range of choices throughout the recordings. This approach aims to accommodate varying preferences and experiences, ensuring that each participant can find something that resonates with them. We encourage you to use either speakers or headphones in order to have the best audio experience, but sound via the phone or laptop can work as well.

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Below the recordings, you will find instructional videos suggesting how to reflect on your experience through creative means. Feel free to select one of these videos as a guide and a source of inspiration. Afterwards, we invite you to share your creative contributions, reflections, thoughts, experiences on a shared online whiteboard with us (The online whiteboard has now closed, however if you would like to add one of your artworks to the shared whiteboard please reach out to Greta Gauhe: greta.gauhe@yahoo.de). We encourage exchange and any contribution is valuable. ​

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Important: 

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To help you select the most suitable recording for your session, please review the brief notices provided beneath each recording. These notices contain essential details regarding the type of touch to be explored, the involved body parts, and the level of activity expected during the task.

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Adaptation recommendations:

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If engaging in self-touch on specific body parts or in general is not comfortable on certain days, we encourage you to imagine the touch being offered instead. This can be accomplished without any physical movements required. We recognise that this may require some practice, but it can be equally fulfilling over time. Our intention is not to highlight limitations, but rather to view imagination as a valuable skill to develop.

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Recommended guidelines:

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Guidelines for Physical Well-being:

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- Respect your body's mobility and physical boundaries. Work within your own range of motion and capabilities. Push yourself gently to your personal limit.
- All movements should be performed with gentleness and mindfulness.
- Allow the intention of each experience to guide what feels appropriate for you.

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Guidelines for Emotional Well-being:

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 - If you're feeling agitated, distressed, or hypervigilant, acknowledge these emotions as valid. Engage in the practice in a way that helps you feel safe, whether that means simply listening, participating partially or fully, adjusting the pace to suit your comfort level, or visualising the movements rather than physically touching yourself.
- Touch and bodywork practices may bring up emotions or increase awareness. If you feel that these practices aren't suitable for your current state or stress response, honour your needs and prioritise safety and comfort. Remember, the focus is on the practice, not achieving perfection.

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Adaptation and Self-Care:

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- Understand that certain invitations or movements may highlight what you're unable to do on a particular day, and this can be challenging to accept. Take care of yourself and adapt the practices as needed.
- Embrace what is available to you in the present moment.
- Remember, the goal is to deepen your practice, not to achieve perfection. Approach the experiences as you are, without judgment or expectation.

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CREDITS

 

Artists/Collaborators: Hannah Adams, Flavien Cornilleau, Deborah Di Meglio

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Co-creators living with chronic pain: Ruth, Georgina and Jules

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Creative Direction/ Research: Greta Gauhe

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Supervision: Rosa Cisneros and Emma Meehan

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Please listen to our introductory audio recording before engaging with the other audio recordings below.

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