Sensing differently, creating inclusive atmospheres as sensory­friendly zones and their evaluation with immersive sound technologies

Principal investigator:
Florian Grond, Design and Computation Arts, Concordia University

Co-Investigators:
Mattew Unger, Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University
David Howes, Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University
Melissa Park, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, and Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation (CIRR)

Project description

For purposes of this research program, “atmospheres” are defined as a product of the co­presence of subject and environment with marked cultural and temporal as well as spatial, meteorological and affective dimensions. The “Sensing Differently” project has four main objectives: 1) to explore the concept ofatmosphere that comes out of the German philosophical tradition (most notably the work of Gernot Böhme)and operationalize it for purposes of social scientific research into processes of inclusion and exclusion through examining it from multiple disciplinary angles – sonic interaction design and media arts (PI Grond), sociology (Co­I Unger), anthropology (Co­I Howes) and occupational science (Co­I Park); 2) to enrich the practice of sensory ethnography through the incorporation of assisted listening technologies(binaural microphone arrays, and volumetric audio) that capture 1st person experiential perspectives in unobtrusive and potentially highly revelatory ways; 3) to tap into the experience of neurodivergent subjects as they navigate everyday situations that they find challenging due to their heightened sensory acuities and sensitivities and alternative sensory­processing patterns (Axis 1) and the experience of musicians engaged in the production of challenging musical environments that incorporate noise, sound art (foundsounds), improvisatory and experimental compositions during a series of curated jam sessions or residencies (Axis 2); and, 4) to work our findings from the sorties in the company of neurodivergent co­researchers and the residencies with musicians into “performative sensory environments” (PSEs). The latterconsist of two events: three evenings of challenging musical performances (venue to be determined) and a five­day exhibition at the Concordia 4th Space gallery designed to sensitize visitors to the PSE to the boundaries and challenges that neurodivergent subjects confront in their everyday life and to envision and implement “sensory friendly zones” where non­neurotypical and neurotypical individuals can discover a common ground. Our overarching aim is twofold: to demarginalize Montreal’s extreme music communityand to demarginalize the heightened acuities and sensitivities and alternate sensory­processing patterns of the neurodivergent community and thereby pluralize the concepts of “sensory integration” and “socialparticipation” that come out of the rehabilitation science literature.

This project is generously funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Insight Development Grant) for the period 2023-2025