Mapping the empty space: Spatial experience and relationship in drama therapy practice

This clinical commentary takes up Peter Brook's (1968) notion of the empty space as the precondition for theatre, exploring the distinct nature of the empty spaces of digital and in-person drama therapy practice in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Spatial experience in drama therapy is explored through considerations of relationship, body memory and the effects of digital therapy on clinical practice. The commentary describes a sense of dislocation in experience, memory and relationship when bodies are not together in space, proposing a series of strategies to acknowledge and mitigate these effects.

Automated summary

This clinical commentary examines the distinct nature of empty spaces in digital and in-person drama therapy practices during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on Peter Brook's concept of empty space. It explores the spatial experience in drama therapy through the consideration of relationships, body memory, and the impact of digital therapy on clinical practice. The commentary highlights the sense of dislocation in experience, memory, and relationship when bodies are not physically together, and suggests strategies to acknowledge and mitigate these effects.