Soundpainting was created in New York in 1974 by Walter Thompson himself and, like any language, it continues to evolve around the world today. New dialects, jargon, and gestures emerge, while various interdisciplinary groups of artists—both underground and professional—use it to create all kinds of real-time performances..

a universal language

SOUND PAINTING

According to Walter Thompson is a universal, multidisciplinary language of gestures for musicians, actors, dancers, and visual artists, used to compose live performances.

our credentials?

The only ones in Poland

soundpainting in Poland

Trajektoria Theater's journey with Soundpainting

In November 2024, as part of Trajektoria's launch, Mateusz Barczyk - leader and director of Trajektoria Theater - became the first in Poland to use the Soundpainting technique, using it to compose a live performance with an interdisciplinary group of actors, musicians, and a visual artist.

Soundpainting aligns with Trajektoria Theater’s aesthetic—theatrical performances using this language usually fall somewhere between improv theater and classical drama. Soundpainting leaves plenty of room for improvisation. For instance, when The soundpainter gives the performers the "minimalism" sign, they are simply signaling that they expect a short proposal: for actors, this might be a single, repeating line; for a musician, a rhythmic sequence of sounds; and for a visual artist, a sequence of images. However, the material itself is created by the performers of each discipline, while the Soundpainter is primarily responsible for the overall coherence of the composition.

However, unlike standard improv theater, improv theatrethe performer doesn't make all the decisions on their own, and their synchronization with the rest of the ensemble—or lack thereof—depends entirely on the Soundpainter. Furthermore, the performance draws on material that has been rehearsed and memorized in advancesuch as Pallets, universal pallets, defaults, configurations, etc.)

Mateusz Barczyk attended his first Soundpainting workshop in 2023 with Omar Galvan at the Improdrom festival in Bydgoszcz, where he took part in the show as a performer. However, his biggest revelation came from an interdisciplinary Soundpainting performance staged in 2024 at Flock Theatre in Amsterdam by David Moncada. That show featured two actors, two dancers, a visual artist, a violinist, and a percussionist.

Inspired by David, Mateusz began taking private lessons with the creator of Soundpainting, Walter Thompson. In 2026, he is completing his certification as a professional Soundpainter. In addition, Mateusz is participating in the Soundpainting Think Tank 2026 in New York, where Soundpainters from around the world gather to share their experiences.

Soundpainting is therefore an artistic language that can be used across almost any discipline - not only to create performances, but also for education, recreation, and performance art in the broadest sense. And every theater using this language treats it purely as a tool, crafting completely unique compositions.

Soundpainting performances by Trajektoria Theater have been presented at, among others:

30.11.2024 CSK Mrowisko, Gliwce (Premiere)
14.03.2025 CSK Mrowisko, Gliwce
12.09.2025 DK Witosa, Katowice
22.11.2025 Trajektorie Teatru, Katowice
10.04.2026 Wieczór Impro-Teatralny, Katowice

Soundpainter: Mateusz P. Barczyk

Live music:

Piano: Mateusz Wicher, Magdalena Baron, Wiktoria Faerber

Electric guitar / accordion: Wiktoria Faerber

Performing: Amelia Konieczka, Magdalena Baron, Karina Pieniążkowska, Magdalena Wylotek, Hanna Gaweł, Wiktoria Horba, Agata Fułat, Rafał Dubel, Maciej Nowobilski, Mateusz Wicher, Adam Kupiec, Arkadiusz Nadarzewski, Wojciech Owczarek, Wiktoria Frąckowiak, Magdalena Licznar.

Live visualization: Amelia Konieczka

Premiered: Gliwice, CKS Mrowisko, 30.11.2024

Photos: Jakub Karaś, Łukasz Sieworek