Bookings▼
You can book an individual session at any time. Please note that the studio is located in Brussels, in the Jette district, close to Simonis metro station. The fee for a one-to-one session is €40.
You can also take part in a group session. A booking form is available, based on our tour calendar, both in Belgium and abroad.
Finally, you can contact us to organise a group session in your home, depending on the possibilities offered by your location, whether indoors or outdoors.
Booking instructions▼
Individual booking
To take part in an acousmatic massage session, we would like each person to book to book their place individually. In the case of collective booking, each person must read the instructions and and adhere fully to them. In the interests of our collective goodwill, we would ask you to pay particular attention to this.
Dress code
On the day of the session, we recommend that you wear comfortable clothing: cotton jogging bottoms and a T-shirt, for example.
Arrival of the public
A small cloakroom and toilets are available to the public. When you arrive, we ask you to leave your shoes in the cloakroom and to put your telephone on silent mode.
Tactile sensations
During the session, in order to elicit various tactile sensations such as heat, weight or texture, the members of Irmã Ensemble gradually place different objects on the body, such as textiles, small objects or various weights.
These objects are sometimes moved to other parts of the body before being gradually removed.
Blindfold
Shortly after the start of the session, a small square of cloth is placed over your eyes to to reduce luminosity and light variations. If you find this blindfold uncomfortable, you can remove it at any time.
Warning
Acousmatic massage aims to provide an experience of relaxation and introspection, without any therapeutic objective. Under no circumstances can it replace medical or paramedical treatment. Acousmatic massage is not recommended in the following cases: auditory and/or tactile hypersensitivity, pacemakers, psychiatric history, psychosis, dissociative disorders.
Before booking, please assess your own hearing and tactile sensitivities as well as your physical and mental health to avoid any discomfort or harm to yourself and the members of Irmã Ensemble.
To make this assessment easier, here's a question to guide you:
"Am I ready for a sensory experience involving touch, given that I don't usually feel very comfortable with tactile sensations? "
Charter▼
This charter sets out the instructions and operating procedure for the acousmatic massage, as well as the commitment of the members of the Irmã Ensemble and the public. This charter has been drawn up for the comfort and well-being of everyone.
1. Definition
Acousmatic massage is a practice of sensory immersion through musical listening and the sense of touch, without recourse to vision. It is practised consciously.
2. Avertissement
2.1 Acousmatic massage is intended to provide a relaxing experience and an introspective journey. Under no circumstances can Acousmatic Massage replace medical or paramedical treatment.
2.2 Acousmatic massage is a unique artistic practice.
2.3 Acousmatic massage is not recommended in certain cases:
Auditory and/or tactile hypersensitivity
Pacemaker
Psychiatric history, psychosis, dissociative disorders, etc.
2.4 Before making any reservation, you should assess your auditory and tactile sensitivity, as well as your physical and mental state of health, in order to rule out any inconvenience or harm to yourself and the members of Irmã Ensemble.
To make this assessment easier, here is a suggested question for a better personal orientation:
"Am I ready for a sensory experience involving touch knowing that I don't usually feel very comfortable with tactile sensations?"
2.5 Commitment of the members of the Irmã Ensemble
The members of Irmã Ensemble undertake to practice acousmatic massage within the limits of their competence and its application in the field of sound and artistic performance. The members of Irmã Ensemble undertake to welcome each participant with respect and kindness, while offering a setting conducive to relaxation. The members of Irmã Ensembleundertake not to divulge any confidential information concerning their clientele. Irmã members undertake not to give medical advice.
2.6 Behaviour
In the event of behaviour and/or practices that do not comply with current legislation, in the event of misconduct towards Irmã members or any member of the public (insults, threats, violence, harassment, inappropriate requests), Irmã members reserve the right to immediately dismiss the person concerned. Any dismissal will not entitle the person concerned to any reimbursement or compensation.
3. How to make a reservation?
3.1 Booking
To attend an acousmatic massage, you must book your place individually, online via the ensemble-irma.be/agenda page or at the venue providing the service. In the case of multiple bookings, each person must be able to read and fully accept the charter.
3.2 Terms and conditions
At the time of booking, the public acknowledges the charter and accepts all the conditions for the implementation of the acousmatic massage, as described in this charter.
3.3 Attire
On the day of the session, we recommend that you wear comfortable clothing and, if possible, bring thick socks. During the session, please avoid wearing clothes that are too short to minimise any discomfort caused by contact with sound and tactile objects on the skin, such as the sensation of cold or the roughness of certain materials.
4. Welcoming the public
4.1 Cloakroom
Coats, bags and shoes must be left in the cloakroom. However, Irmã Ensemble cannot be held responsible for any damage or theft. We recommend that you do not bring valuables or jewellery.
- Please note that the cloakroom does not include a changing room, but does have toilets.
Audiences are required to wear socks throughout the performance. It is not compulsory to remove your shoes, but the experience is much more pleasant without them, for both the audience and the members of Irmã Ensemble.
4.2 Telephone
To ensure that the show runs smoothly, you must switch off your mobile phone or put it on silent/airplane mode. The "vibration" function is also not authorised, for the same reasons of noise pollution. You will be reminded of this on the day.
4.3 Presentation and support
The members of Irmã Ensemble are responsible for presenting the content of the session, the different instructions, the notions of consent linked to the practice as well as a re-evaluation of the auditory and tactile sensitivity of all the participants.
4.4 Movement and body position
Each session begins with the audience in a standing position at the entrance. Participants are then asked to close their eyes until the end of the session.
The members of Irmã Ensemble then take it in turns to accompany each person into the room, sometimes walking dozens of metres through the space. The participants are guided by the arm to the place where the mattress or massage table is located. Each person is then invited to lie down as comfortably as possible, on their back, with their arms by their sides and their head resting on the pillow, avoiding crossing their legs or arms or tilting their head to one side. It is best to remain in this position until the end, but it is perfectly possible to move your body at any time if necessary.
5. Session sequence
5.1 Improvisation
The Irmã Ensemble performs on several levels, sometimes simultaneously and synchronously, sometimes in a completely different way. The members of Irmã Ensemble play improvisationally using a rich and eclectic instrumentarium: custom-made instruments, household objects, utensils, salvaged items, and so on.
5.2 Sound creation
A set of eight loudspeakers broadcast a sound atmosphere made up of a multitude of sounds, sound effects and atmospheric layers, propagating from one loudspeaker to the next. These recordings are the result of editing, synthetic sound effects and natural sound recordings. These compositions bring together numerous individual sound tracks, programmed for spatial diffusion.
5.3 Tactile sensations
Throughout the session, the members of Irmã Ensemble gradually or unexpectedly place objects of various shapes and compositions on the stage: textiles, small objects, weights, etc. These objects can be moved over a large area of the stage. These objects may be moved to another part of the body, sometimes while still remaining in contact with the body, or they may be removed and placed back down, with the utmost decency and kindness.
All these movements can be felt in different ways: hot/cold, light/heavy, imperceptible/plush, abrupt/sensual, etc. Generally speaking, the members of the Irmã Ensemble operate these movements with extreme delicacy.
5.4 Blindfolds
Very soon after the start of the session, Irmã members place a piece of cloth over each participant's eyes to reduce any unpleasant light sensations: ceiling lights and shadows when moving around. If you feel uncomfortable, you can of course remove the cloth yourself.
5.5 Consent
For whatever reason, participants may at any time order the manipulation of objects on their body to be stopped. To make this easier and to avoid having to speak in the middle of a session, the participant is invited to simply raise his or her forearm, regardless of the moment chosen: beginning, middle or end. To indicate that the instruction has been heard, the person's arm is then gently lowered by a member of Irmã Ensemble. A beacon is then placed next to the person, so that other members of the group who may have had their backs turned are aware of this decision.
6. Hygiene
6.1 Textiles
The textiles used are systematically washed after each performance. This applies to pillowcases, headbands and sheets on mattresses.
6.2 Cleaning the floor
The floor is also cleaned before the start of each performance to ensure that everyone is comfortable and can move around freely in their socks. Irmã members also wear socks when setting up and spinning.
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