Intersensory communication in a deaf-blind theater: ethnography of sensory diversity

This essay examines “intersensory communication” in a deaf-blind theater, exploring both the potentials and limitations of negotiating sensory diversity to achieve socio-political change within Disability Culture. Based on an anthropological study of a multi-sensory cultural center in Jaffa, Israel–including a sign-language coffee shop, a pitch-dark restaurant, and a theater–this essay delves into how deaf, blind, deafblind, hearing, and seeing individuals interact through shared social, cultural, and educational experiences. Drawing from intercultural performance studies, sensory anthropology, and Disability Culture, I investigate how individuals with diverse and sometimes conflicting methods of sensory communication can “sense differently together.” The discussion centers on three aspects: 1) The theater’s synesthetic artistic techniques, 2) The rich sensory interactions among the center’s members, and 3) The sensory diversity in workshops for external visitors. Findings suggest that these intersensory engagements not only expand participants’ sensory experiences but also have the power to bridge divides between ability and disability, integrating sight, hearing, touch, and movement in ways that challenge conventional sensory boundaries.