Creating Atmosphere through Sound

Overview

This 60-minute session is lesson 4 in the unit "Exploring Artaud's Theatre" for Year 9 students (ages 13-14). It focuses on using soundscapes and music to create emotional atmosphere in drama, reflecting Antonin Artaud’s belief in the visceral power of sound to evoke feelings and unsettle audiences.

This lesson directly supports the National Curriculum for England requirements in KS3 Drama by developing students’ ability to create and communicate meaning through performance (Drama Programmes of Study, Key Stage 3).

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National Curriculum Links

• Drama Key Stage 3 Programmes of Study:

  • Developing ideas and performance skills; working in role.
  • Pupils should be taught to:
    • Experiment with ways of using voice, movement and space to create and sustain different roles, emotions and atmospheres (ref: Drama PoS KS3).
    • Improvise and devise drama to explore a range of themes and issues (including voice and sound as narrative tools).
    • Understand performance styles and the impact of technical elements, including sound, to shape audience response.

• Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC):

  • Engage with complex feelings and collective moods created through sound and atmosphere.
  • Explore creative expression and emotional communication.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define and explain how soundscapes can create atmosphere and emotional impact in drama.
2. Experiment with vocalisation, body percussion, found sounds and simple instruments to construct a collaborative soundscape.
3. Analyse how different sounds can evoke specific feelings (e.g. tension, fear, calm) in an audience.
4. Apply Artaud’s theory of sound as a force to evoke visceral emotional responses in performance.

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Resources

• Audio playback device (speakers or headphones)
• Selection of percussion instruments (drums, tambourines, shakers, metallophones etc.)
• Everyday objects for sound-making (paper, plastic cups, wooden sticks)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed Artaud quotes on sound and theatre (for inspiration)
• Performance space cleared for movement and sound experimentation

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Structure & Activities

1. Introduction & Context (10 mins)

• Brief reminder of Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty and emphasis on sensory experience over dialogue.
• Read and discuss 2-3 key Artaud quotes about sound’s role in evoking primal feelings.
• Show short excerpt of atmospheric soundscape from a professional theatre production or film clip (without dialogue) and ask students to note down feelings and images it evokes.

Teacher Tip: Use evocative language to build student excitement for auditory exploration.

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2. Group Warm-Up: Vocal and Body Percussion Exploration (10 mins)

• Lead the class in warm-up exercises focused on rhythm, tone, volume, and layering sound.
• Students experiment individually and in pairs with creating simple sounds using their voices and bodies (e.g. tapping, clapping, snapping) identifying sounds that suggest emotions like anxiety, joy, or foreboding.
• Encourage noticing how even small changes in articulation or tempo influence atmosphere.

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3. Creating Collaborative Soundscape (25 mins)

• Divide class into groups of 5. Each group chooses an emotional atmosphere to evoke (e.g. suspense, chaos, serenity).
• Groups brainstorm what real or abstract sounds reflect their chosen mood.
• Using percussion instruments, found objects, and voices, groups create layered soundscapes lasting 2-3 minutes.
• Groups rehearse manipulating volume, rhythm, and texture to enhance emotional impact, testing variations.

Note: Circulate to prompt deeper experimentation: “What if you slow the tempo? Add a sudden sharp sound? Remove all sound briefly?”

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4. Performance and Feedback (10 mins)

• Each group performs their soundscape without words to the class.
• After each, peers share what emotions or images the soundscape communicated and the effectiveness of sound choices.
• Teacher links observations back to Artaud’s ideas and highlights creative risk-taking.

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5. Plenary & Reflection (5 mins)

• Class discussion on how sound can manipulate audience mood more powerfully than words.
• Individually, students write a quick exit ticket: “One way I can use sound to create atmosphere in my own work...”
• Teacher collects responses to inform differentiation in future lessons.

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Assessment

Formative:

• Observation of participation and creativity in group soundscape work, noting ability to generate and sustain atmospheric sound.
• Peer verbal feedback identifying emotional impact of soundscapes.
• Exit ticket writing to check individual understanding of sound’s dramatic potential.

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Differentiation & Inclusion

• Provide a range of instruments and sound options to accommodate different physical abilities.
• Encourage quieter students to contribute sounds or ideas in small groups.
• Allow advanced students to experiment with sound layering software or digital sound recording if available.
• Support EAL learners with key vocabulary (soundscape, atmosphere, mood, tone) displayed visually.

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Extension Ideas

• Students choreograph physical movement synced with their soundscape to deepen atmosphere creation.
• Explore Artaud’s “Theatre of Cruelty” further through devising short performance pieces integrating sound, movement, and imagery.
• Use recording equipment to capture soundscapes and reflect on editing tools to enhance emotional effect.

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Creating and controlling emotional response through sound introduces students to multi-sensory aspects of performance and deepens understanding of how Artaud’s bold ideas continue to shape contemporary theatre practice.