Soundpainting is an avant-garde performance form that combines elements of dramatic theater, dance, music, and visual arts.
It is a language that allows the conductor to communicate with the performers in real time to create a multisensory performance.
Used for live improvisation, it brings together musicians, actors, dancers, and visual artists in real time. It was created by Walter Thompson in the 1970s and continues to be developed around the world to this day.
It’s something between conducting and creating a “here and now” performance — the soundpainter (i.e., the leader) uses a set of codified hand and body gestures to direct the actions of the performers. Each gesture means something specific: a sound, an emotion, a rhythm, a type of movement, or an interaction between the performers.
Improvisation takes place within set boundaries — it’s not chaos, but a creative game based on a shared language.
Each group creates its own unique piece — there are no two identical performances.
Teatr Trajektoria uses this technique as one of the first theaters in Poland. The premiere of the format took place on November 30, 2024, and since then, it has been staged multiple times on the Silesian stage.
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