Date of Award

Spring 5-3-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Expressive Therapies

Major

Expressive Therapies

First Advisor

Meg Chang

Second Advisor

Pauline Avery

Abstract

This project investigated the role of touch within a performative context and its potential as a creative intervention within Expressive Arts Therapy. Grounded in phenomenology and intersubjectivity, the study draws on Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) and Performance Art frameworks that position meaning as emerging through embodied, co-created experience. Existing literature identifies touch as a primary mode of perception and communication, essential to both physical and emotional well-being, while also noting its increasing absence and regulation within contemporary Western culture. Performance art literature further highlights the body as both medium and site of relational exchange, often dissolving boundaries between performer and audience. To explore these intersections, a live, community-based performance was conducted in a small public art space. Adult participants of varied genders and backgrounds were invited to engage in consensual, performative touch within a structured yet improvisational framework emphasizing consent, communication, and agency. Participation was voluntary and ranged from observation to direct engagement. Data was collected through observation, participant reflection, and post-performance artmaking and dialogue. Findings indicated that performative touch transformed the event into a co-created, embodied experience that increased participants’ awareness of their bodies, emotional states, and relational needs. Many participants reported feelings of connection, comfort, and curiosity, while others experienced tension and vulnerability, underscoring the complexity of touch. The performative frame appeared to reduce pressure associated with therapeutic outcomes, allowing for exploratory engagement. These findings suggest that performance-based approaches to touch may offer valuable applications within the practice of Expressive Arts Therapy.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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