Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama
The possibility of perceived structures being created through imitation in domains other than sound was acknowledged early on in the development of zygonic theory (Ockelford, 1993, 1999), and connections and correspondences between auditory stimuli and input from other sensory domains were subsequently acknowledged in the Sounds of Intent Framework. Elements Matrix DOC 1 Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 65 http://innersense.org.uk - which offered immersive, multisensory creative arts workshops for people with disabilities. Three new frameworks were sketched at Levels 1-4, pertaining to sight, touch and movement. [LINK TO Innersense Report in ‘Reports and Evaluations’] This preliminary thinking was developed further into frameworks with six Levels pertaining to the fine arts (painting, drawing and sculpture); movement, gesture, mime and dance; and language and drama. It was eventually published in an essay by Adam Ockelford (2020) ‘Extending the Sounds of Intent model of musical development to explore how people with learning difficulties engage in creative multisensory activities’. Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 66 Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 67 Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 68
Empirical work to test the efficacy and value of two of these frameworks - relating to dance and art - at Levels 1-4 with children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties was undertaken by Jenny Cooper at The Village School in London. [LINKS TO Jenny Cooper’s two papers in ‘Dissertations and Essays’] As a result, some modifications to the framework pertaining to art ‘Marks of Intent’, were suggested [LINK TO Marks of Intent Framework, suggested modifications, 2016] and preliminary work was undertaken on defining ‘elements’ A, B, C and D at Levels 1-3 in relation to art. [LINK TO Marks of Intent Elements, Levels 1-3, 2017]
The framework pertaining to art, is to be found here Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 66 Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 67 Sounds of Intent in Art, Dance and Drama DOC 68
Extending the Sounds of Intent principles through the generalisation of zygonic theory to perceptual domains beyond musical sound Level Acronym Zygonic implications Symbolic understanding Sounds of Intent description Core perceptual/cognitive ability 1 Confusion and C haos 2 Awareness and I ntentionality 3 Relationships, R epetition and Regularity 4 Notes Forming C lusters 5 Deeper Structural L inks 6 Mature Artistic E xpression C I R C L E None: no perceptual awareness in any sensory domain An emerging awareness of the perceived aspects of things - ‘qualia’ - and of the variety that is possible within the perceived present; a sense of agency, or No cognition of repetition (and therefore no understanding of imitation) No symbolic understanding A growing awareness of how qualia may relate to one another; a sense that one may replicate another The evolving notion of groups of qualia functioning as units of perception or ’chunks’, and of the relationships that are possible between them through ‘Gesalt’ principles The cognition of repetition within working memory; initially between qualia themselves (through ‘primary’ relationships), but also between relationships between these (through ’secondary’ relationships) The cognition of repetition using long-term, veridical memory; ‘chunks’ are defined internally and externally through imitation Early symbolic understanding - that one thing can represent another through imitation of one or more of its qualities, or through repeated association More advanced symoblic understanding, through compound imitation or association A growing understanding and appreciation of complete works of art (in any domain or domains), and the conventions of structure and content that underpin them The cognition of repetition within long-term, schematic memory (i): formal frames of reference; simple structural archetypes The notion of a symbolic narrative over time A growing understanding of the impact of artistic production on others; an evolving appreciation of culturally determined aesthetic values and the expressive nature of art; in the case of temporal art forms, an understanding of the ‘narrative metaphor’ that unfolds as works of art are perceived over time The cognition of repetition within long-term, schematic memory (ii): the imitation of expressive devices of creation or performance Awareness of the impact of a symbolic narrative on others within a known culture _ _
Figure 1: Download PDF Framework of artistic development using the Sounds of Intent model Genre Domain Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 C I R C L E Reactive Abstract Representational Abstract Representational The beginnings of Gestalt perception Abstract Representational Proactive Interactive Art (painting, drawing and sculpture) Is aware of simple visual and tactual patterns (eg repeated blobs of colour, balls of clay) Individual features of things are perceived together to form ‘wholes’ (eg dots forming a line; approximate shapes become ‘corrected’ in memory) Is aware of the composition of the whole of a work of art, abstract or representational, and basic conventions pertaining thereto (eg perspective), and the potential meaning of the artwork as a whole Is aware of styles of abstract or representative art (or both) and their social, cultural and historical contexts; shows mature aesthetic appreciation; understands the notion of conceptual art Creates works of art, with an awareness of their potential aesthetic and culture impact on others Engages with others to create works of art with a shared awareness of their potential aesthetic and cultural impact Creates artworks comprising several elements that are coherently composed and have a meaning as a whole Engages with others in creating artworks comprising several elements that are coherently composed and have a meaning as a whole Creates whole shapes from two or more simple elements (eg a square comprising four straight lines) Engages with another to create simple visual or tactual wholes from parts Engages with another to create representations of things visually and tactually Draws or sculpts entire objects (and can complete ‘teapot with parts missing’ puzzle and similar Is aware that whole objects can be represented (symbolically) Is aware of the imitation of simple features of an object in a representation of it (eg colour, shape) Creates simple patterns (eg repeated blobs of colour, lines that intentionally more or less straight Copies simple features of things (eg blob of appopriate colour for tree, circle for face) Engages with another to create simple visual patterns (through imitation) Engages with another to imitate simple visual features of things Shows an emerging awareness of visual images and tactual sensations Deliberately does things for others to see (eg scribbles on paper, moulds clay) Interacts with others using vision or touch (eg eye points to gain shared attention) Unknowingly does things and is unaware that others see or feel them Encounters things that could potentially be seen (but does not process visual or tactual information) Relates to other people unwittingly through vision or touch Figure 2: Download PDF Framework of dance development using the Sounds of Intent model Genre Domain Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 C I R C L E Reactive Proactive Interactive Dance (including movement, gesture and mime) Is aware of simple patterns of abstract movement in people (eg ‘to and fro’), that these movements can have meaning (as gestures), and how the simple movements made by a person can imitate the those made by other people, animals or things and thereby symbolise them Creates simple patterns of abstract movement intentionally (eg rocking to and fro); can use simple movements as gestures; and can imitate the simple movements of other people, animals or things, and is aware of their potentially symbolic import (ie, by moving like someone else, you may indicate that you are pretending to be them Understands how individual movements can combine to form short abstract sequences, which may be abstract, gestural or imitative of external combinations Understands and responds to short, simple, conventional routines of movement that may form mime or dance Appreciates extended and complex routines of mime or dance within cultural or stylistic contexts, and potentially as metaphorical narratives Creates or re-creates extended and complex routines of mime or dance within known cultural or stylistic contexts, and uses them to express metaphorical narratives Engages with others to create or re-create extended and complex routines of mime or dance within known cultural or stylistic contexts, and uses them to express metaphorical narratives Creates or re-creates short, simple, conventional routines of movement that may form mime or dance Creates or re-creates short, simple, conventional routines of movement with another or others that may form mime or dance Creates or re-creates short, simple, conventional routines of movement that may form mime or dance Engages with another to create or re-create short, coherent abstract sequences of movements that may be abstrat, gestural or imitative of external combinations; these may form fragments of mime or dance Engages with other through imitating simple patterns of abstract, gestural or imitative movement Is aware of being moved or of movement in the external environment Moves intentionally Interacts with others using movement Makes movements unwittingly (including reflexes) Is unaware of being moved or of movement in the external environment Relates to other unwittingly through movement Figure 3: Download PDF Framework of drama, poetry and prose development using the Sounds of Intent model Genre Domain Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 C I R C L E Reactive 3rd person narrative 1st person narrative 3rd person narrative 1st person narrative 3rd person narrative 1st person narrative Proactive Interactive Drama, Poetry and Prose Understands the meanings of some sounds (made by humans and non-humans) and some individual words Understands the meanings of some short combinations of words Uses combinations of words with meaning Engages in dialogues using short combinations of words Engages in imaginary play with another person using short combinations of words Uses combinations of words to pretend to be someone else Understands that one person can pretend to be another through imitating short combinations of words they use and vocal tone Understands that hearing someone imitate a sound or word made by another person, an object or an animal, they can potentially pretend to be it Uses some sounds and words to mean things Imitates the sounds and words made by other people, animals or objects, to pretend to be them Interacts through using sounds or words Engages in interactive pretend play using sounds or words Intutively understands syntax and form in simple speech, prose and poetry Understands the meanings of short plays or narratives in which people take parts, pretending to be others Speaks grammatically in sentences and connects these to create coherent meaning over time, factual or imagined Acts simple parts (improvised or learnt) in monologues Converses with others exchanging day-to-day ideas and feelings, and to tell or re-tell stories or poems Acts with others in short, simple dramatic scenarios Has mature understanding of prose (fiction or non-fiction) and poetry and the narratives they create; has an aesthetic appreciation in the cultural context in which materials were created Has a mature understanding of drama and the narratives it creates; has an aesthetic appreciation in the cultural context in which it was created or performed Creates mature prose (fiction or non-fiction) or poetry, with an understanding of the potential impact on audiences Performs or improvises drama in a mature way, with an increasing understanding of the potential impact on audiences Creates mature prose (fiction or non-fiction) or poetry with others, with an increasing understanding of the potential impact on audiences Acts maturely with others in plays, with an increasing understanding of the potential impact on audiences Shows an emerging awareness of vocal sound Makes vocal sounds intentionally Interacts with others using vocal sounds Makes vocal sounds unknowingly Encounters vocal sounds Relates unwittingly through vocal sounds Figure 4: Download PDF