A silent access aesthetics? Examining the elements of a non-verbal participatory performance through participants’ experiences

Despite growing attention to access aesthetics in disability studies, its development for non-verbal communication preferences, particularly for learning-disabled audiences, remains underexplored. This study examines non-verbal access aesthetics in Tactile Talk (2022), a non-disabled participatory performance by Katrien Oosterlinck. Through interviews and observations of all participants, five elements are identified: challenging able-bodied performer norms, highlighting embodied knowledge, elevating sensory objects, mirroring crip communication, and prioritising interaction over narrative. By establishing these elements, Tactile Talk’s silent access aesthetics, in turn, excludes certain movements, senses, and interpretations, highlighting the need for future research into diverse sensory and dramaturgical approaches for learning-disabled audiences.