Vamos Theatres’ Mask Performing Residency Workshop

Students are guided in how to devise work, creating a series of scenes that will become a short theatre performance at the end of the residency. All participants are involved in the creative devising process and the final showing. Residencies can explore a specific theme, and a special feature is the chance to work with a professional theatre musician, who provides a live musical accompaniment.

The residency will:
• give students a solid grounding in full mask performance and an understanding of it as a genre
• develop students’ detailed knowledge of specific performance elements such as movement, gesture and pace, and how these practically help in creating character and communicating intention
• give students practical devising skills, building confidence in the devising process, and encourage them to think creatively and clearly
• teach students important mask techniques such as internal monologue, clocking, punctuated movement and stillness
• encourage students to consider, and be able to critique, the importance of the performer/audience relationship
• encourage teamwork and group trust
• teach the importance of music and sound in mask performance
• encourage shy or under confident students to shine within the protection of a mask