Protest as Intermodal Expression

Prompt:

“A group of protesters marching through a city, their voices visually represented as radiating waves of color, their footsteps forming rhythmic patterns in the streets, and their banners transforming into dynamic visual textures, merging text, image, and movement.”

Protest (Movement + Sound + Collective Expression)

• Movement: Marching, waving signs, and choreographed gestures merge into a powerful group dynamic.

• Sound: Chants, call-and-response slogans, and drumming generate an immersive sonic environment.

• Collective Expression: Symbolic banners, shared emotions, and spontaneous interactions unite participants in a communal performance.

Research Problem:

Protest is typically analyzed through political lenses. It functions as an intermodal performance, blending movement, sound, collective embodiment, and visual expression.

Research Questions:

• How do protest movements embody intermodal communication, combining movement, rhythm, and visual storytelling?

• In what ways can expressive arts therapy support communities in reclaiming voice and body through protest-based practices?

Myriam Dion: It is interesting to see how women have been documented in the media . . . especially at a time when newspapers were written by men for men . . . 

The Enclosure Movement and the Ramblers