A growing number of individuals live with medical conditions and injuries that render them minimally communicative. Assessing their level of consciousness and awareness is a major challenge that has profound implications for care decisions and their relationships. Resonance: a novel brain-computer interface assemblage, is designed to detect and augment expressions of consciousness in minimally communicative individuals. Resonance consists of (1) high-density EEG features that vary with states of consciousness; (2) sound; and (3) therapeutic clowns. Seven EEG features of consciousness are calculated in real time and mapped to sonic output. Therapeutic clowns use multisensory improvisational play to interact with these sonified brain features to create interpersonal connections with minimally communicative individuals. Resonance has the potential to reveal real-time variations in an individual’s level of consciousness, which may create an entirely new form of interpersonal interaction with minimally communicative persons.

Many of the important research advances in understanding and treating Parkinson’s disease never leave the academic sphere, as communication barriers limit accessibility for, and engagement with, broader audiences. To increase meaningful dialogue between academic researchers and community stakeholders, Piece of Mind: Parkinson’s brought together neuroscientists, people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and artists to co-create a knowledge translation performance based on scientific research and lived experience. The filmed, feature-length performance engages the viewer emotionally and intellectually using circus, dance, music, poetry, and patient testimonials. We provide an overview of our participatory process and a scene-by-scene description of the performance.

While peer-reviewed articles and conferences are appropriate for disseminating research findings within academia, they are less effective for translating scientific knowledge into meaningful and practical applications. Moreover, exchanging knowledge with nonacademic stakeholders is a crucial yet often overlooked step in ensuring that research aligns with the needs and reality of knowledge users. This is particularly problematic in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease research, where social stigma and the reliance on quantitative and self-report methods hamper meaningful dialogue between academic researchers, nonacademic stakeholders, and the broader community. The authors’ project Piece of Mind uses performing arts to create common ground for knowledge exchange, facilitate empathy through creative collaboration, and improve public awareness of dementia.