Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EMBMIND (EMBODIED MINDFULNESS: Performance Training for Deaf and Hearing Actors)
Reporting period: 2021-12-01 to 2023-11-30
The action ‘Embodied Mindfulness: Performance Training for D/deaf and Hearing Actors’ looks at the role of the body in mindfulness and aims to develop an embodied mindfulness-based performer training practice that is accessible to both D/deaf and hearing performers. The project responds to: the untapped potential for a body-based mindfulness training schema for performers; the lack of professional performance training for D/deaf performers; and the opportunity to use performative modalities to create mindfulness training that is accessible to D/deaf participants.
The key societal significance of this project lies in its contribution to D/deaf performers and the wider D/deaf community. Currently, very few mindfulness practices are accessible to D/deaf participants, in either performance or general well-being contexts. This project addresses that lack.
Mindfulness is a cultivated state of awareness which has been shown to enhance psychological resilience, emotion regulation, and well-being. Mindfulness training entails the development of particular modes of awareness, attention, intention and presence - all of which are also foundational skills for the performer.
Embodied Mindfulness researchers have proposed that processes of embodiment are central to the effectiveness of mindfulness, and suggest 'embodied mindfulness' as the basis for future research (Khoury et al, 2017:1168). This is because a key aspect of mindfulness practice is found in its relationship with enhanced awareness of subtle body sensations (Davis and Thompson in Brown et al, 2015). Despite the centrality of body awareness in mindfulness training, there are few studies on the topic (Verhaeghen, 2017:105), and the nascent field of mindfulness-based performance training has not yet examined the implications and potentials of body-based mindfulness modalities. This project contributes to this aspect of mindfulness research, responding to the gap in the field.
By analysing the links between proprioception, interoception, awareness and mindfulness, the project aimed to contribute new knowledge on the role of the body in mindfulness practice, and to use this theoretical foundation to design an embodied mindfulness-based performer training practice that is accessible for both D/deaf and hearing performers, by working in close collaboration with an international team of Deaf Consultants/researchers from the Deaf and hearing theatre company Equal Voices Arts: Denise Armstrong (UK), Rāhera Turner (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Thora Hübner (Germany, Aotearoa New Zealand).
The key societal significance of this project lies in its contribution to D/deaf performers and the wider D/deaf community. Currently, very few mindfulness practices are accessible to D/deaf participants, in either performance or general well-being contexts. This project addresses that lack.
Mindfulness is a cultivated state of awareness which has been shown to enhance psychological resilience, emotion regulation, and well-being. Mindfulness training entails the development of particular modes of awareness, attention, intention and presence - all of which are also foundational skills for the performer.
Embodied Mindfulness researchers have proposed that processes of embodiment are central to the effectiveness of mindfulness, and suggest 'embodied mindfulness' as the basis for future research (Khoury et al, 2017:1168). This is because a key aspect of mindfulness practice is found in its relationship with enhanced awareness of subtle body sensations (Davis and Thompson in Brown et al, 2015). Despite the centrality of body awareness in mindfulness training, there are few studies on the topic (Verhaeghen, 2017:105), and the nascent field of mindfulness-based performance training has not yet examined the implications and potentials of body-based mindfulness modalities. This project contributes to this aspect of mindfulness research, responding to the gap in the field.
By analysing the links between proprioception, interoception, awareness and mindfulness, the project aimed to contribute new knowledge on the role of the body in mindfulness practice, and to use this theoretical foundation to design an embodied mindfulness-based performer training practice that is accessible for both D/deaf and hearing performers, by working in close collaboration with an international team of Deaf Consultants/researchers from the Deaf and hearing theatre company Equal Voices Arts: Denise Armstrong (UK), Rāhera Turner (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Thora Hübner (Germany, Aotearoa New Zealand).
This project advances research into mindfulness and performance training, relating to both D/deaf and hearing populations. Building on a new embodied Mindfulness Model by Khoury et al (2023), the fellow, in collaboration with Dr Deborah Middleton, developed a model for ‘Embodied Mindfulness for Performers’, which explains the role of physiological mechanisms which underpin awareness (interoception, proprioception and exteroception) in mindfulness and embodiment training. This journal article is forthcoming in 2024.
The fellow worked closely alongside an international team of Deaf consultants and research associates to develop an embodied mindfulness training programme consisting of a range of adapted mindfulness practices which are both culturally and linguistically accessible for Deaf communities in the UK, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. These practices were delivered and disseminated by workshops throughout the term of the fellowship, and have also been made fully available via a purpose-built website, housing a wide array of mini practices that Deaf communities can access and use in their own time.
The project focused on the Deaf experience of embodied mindfulness and developed both moving and static mindfulness practices that support cultivation of embodied awareness, embodied imagination, and scenic mastery and performance craft that could benefit both D/deaf and hearing performers.
The findings of this practice-led research project have been shared in four invited conference presentations, with an additional three public presentations due to be delivered post-fellowship, in 2024. Three journal articles have been completed with publication forthcoming:
1) ‘Embodied Mindfulness: Cultivation of Embodied Awareness’ (forthcoming).
This output, co-authored with Dr Deborah Middleton, shares a model for Embodied Mindfulness for Performers based on examination of physiological mechanisms of awareness;
2) ‘Embodied Mindfulness for D/deaf and hearing performers: developing an accessible training that supports embodied awareness, embodied imagination, scenic mastery and wellbeing’ (forthcoming).
This output, co-authored with Denise Armstrong (UK) and Rāhera Turner (Aotearoa New Zealand) examines the specific training contexts of performers working in Sign Language and in physical storytelling terrains (specifically those creating work for D/deaf and hearing audiences), and shares an embodied mindfulness training developed to respond to those contexts;
3) ‘Developing a mindfulness-based performance training practice for Deaf and hearing performers: sharing non-hierarchical research processes in action’ (forthcoming).
This output, co-authored with Denise Armstrong (UK), Rāhera Turner (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Thora Hübner (Germany, Aotearoa New Zealand), outlines the Deaf and hearing research team’s approach to non-hierarchical working processes.
Finally, a website housing the practices is live and openly accessible for D/deaf communities based in the UK, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Additional papers are also in progress, one of which is focused on developing an accessible embodied mindfulness scale for Deaf populations in the UK, Aotearoa NZ and Australia, and one of which focuses on the reported benefits to health and well-being that engagement with embodied mindfulness practices can provide.
The fellow worked closely alongside an international team of Deaf consultants and research associates to develop an embodied mindfulness training programme consisting of a range of adapted mindfulness practices which are both culturally and linguistically accessible for Deaf communities in the UK, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. These practices were delivered and disseminated by workshops throughout the term of the fellowship, and have also been made fully available via a purpose-built website, housing a wide array of mini practices that Deaf communities can access and use in their own time.
The project focused on the Deaf experience of embodied mindfulness and developed both moving and static mindfulness practices that support cultivation of embodied awareness, embodied imagination, and scenic mastery and performance craft that could benefit both D/deaf and hearing performers.
The findings of this practice-led research project have been shared in four invited conference presentations, with an additional three public presentations due to be delivered post-fellowship, in 2024. Three journal articles have been completed with publication forthcoming:
1) ‘Embodied Mindfulness: Cultivation of Embodied Awareness’ (forthcoming).
This output, co-authored with Dr Deborah Middleton, shares a model for Embodied Mindfulness for Performers based on examination of physiological mechanisms of awareness;
2) ‘Embodied Mindfulness for D/deaf and hearing performers: developing an accessible training that supports embodied awareness, embodied imagination, scenic mastery and wellbeing’ (forthcoming).
This output, co-authored with Denise Armstrong (UK) and Rāhera Turner (Aotearoa New Zealand) examines the specific training contexts of performers working in Sign Language and in physical storytelling terrains (specifically those creating work for D/deaf and hearing audiences), and shares an embodied mindfulness training developed to respond to those contexts;
3) ‘Developing a mindfulness-based performance training practice for Deaf and hearing performers: sharing non-hierarchical research processes in action’ (forthcoming).
This output, co-authored with Denise Armstrong (UK), Rāhera Turner (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Thora Hübner (Germany, Aotearoa New Zealand), outlines the Deaf and hearing research team’s approach to non-hierarchical working processes.
Finally, a website housing the practices is live and openly accessible for D/deaf communities based in the UK, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Additional papers are also in progress, one of which is focused on developing an accessible embodied mindfulness scale for Deaf populations in the UK, Aotearoa NZ and Australia, and one of which focuses on the reported benefits to health and well-being that engagement with embodied mindfulness practices can provide.
In addition to the expected outcomes, the project also pioneered non-hierarchical and radically accessible and equitable creative and research methods that could be of service to other projects that aim to work across languages and cultures.
Development of an accessible practice was not solely sought by providing translation from English into Sign Language (and thereby privileging one language over the other). Instead, the research process foregrounded the Deaf embodied experience and lived embodied expertise and knowledge to explore culturally equitable ways to develop a culturally and linguistically accessible training that takes into account Deaf world view and cultural expression. This research project centred Deaf embodied expertise at its heart, and the processes undertaken (lengthy consultation and co-creation with international Deaf colleagues) ensured all linguistic and cultural decisions on how practices were crafted, developed and delivered were made by the Deaf research team. Consequently, this research process has insight to offer other researchers working cross-culturally and cross-linguistically on non-hierarchical research methodologies, and the role of experiential and embodied research.
The project's impact includes dissemination beyond the initial beneficiaries. The fellow’s Deaf colleagues are now leading workshops on embodied mindfulness for Deaf communities in general contexts, as well as continuing to develop performance-specific embodied mindfulness training.
Development of an accessible practice was not solely sought by providing translation from English into Sign Language (and thereby privileging one language over the other). Instead, the research process foregrounded the Deaf embodied experience and lived embodied expertise and knowledge to explore culturally equitable ways to develop a culturally and linguistically accessible training that takes into account Deaf world view and cultural expression. This research project centred Deaf embodied expertise at its heart, and the processes undertaken (lengthy consultation and co-creation with international Deaf colleagues) ensured all linguistic and cultural decisions on how practices were crafted, developed and delivered were made by the Deaf research team. Consequently, this research process has insight to offer other researchers working cross-culturally and cross-linguistically on non-hierarchical research methodologies, and the role of experiential and embodied research.
The project's impact includes dissemination beyond the initial beneficiaries. The fellow’s Deaf colleagues are now leading workshops on embodied mindfulness for Deaf communities in general contexts, as well as continuing to develop performance-specific embodied mindfulness training.