The mask and its body – Summer lab 2026
Vom 10 bis 19. Juli 2026 findet wieder unser 10-tägiger Theater und Maskenbau Kurs statt.
Diesmal nicht auf dem GutAlaune, sondern im Theater Expedition Metropolis in Berlin
Der Kurs wird hauptsächlich in englischer Sprache gehalten.
Mehr Infos und Anmeldung unter https://www.concretotheatre.eu/the-mask-and-its-body/
When we wear a mask, our body and the way we shape it, already say a lot about the character we are playing. The relationship between this character and life, their age, their reaction speed, their posture and their relationship to the theatrical space, can be enough to tell a story. When we cover our face with a mask, we can express ourselves outside the conventions of words and language. The body and the projection of the mask are powerful tools for letting the poetry of our story emerge.
The course is aimed at beginners (with no previous theatre experience) and professionals who want to dive deeper into physical theatrical play and mask making.
Whether you are an actor, artist, circus performer, dancer, mover of any kind or interested in becoming that, you are very welcome to join.
During these 10 days we will give you the base for mask making as well as mask playing.
We will explore the theatrical principles of how to play a mask and how to move your body in service of the shape you are playing.
Each participant will have the chance to build one halfmask, sculpted in clay and finalized in papier–mâché.
The workshop will be held in English. With German (and other languages) floating around us. A basic understanding of the English language is required.
Movement and theater
The physical part of the training will be about the use of half-masks.
Through theater exercises of mask technique and improvisations, we will explore the world of silence, shapes and the voice to better understand how to embody a sentiment and how “to play” it.
The main topics we will touch are:
– The concept of dramatic space and dramatic relationship
– The masked body: Shapes and undulation in movement
– The projection of the mask and its articulation
– Playing the game of theatre: Improvisation and storytelling
The summer lab concludes with showing our work to a small audience.
Mask making
Starting from simple structures we will learn to see the projection of the mask in the clay before we sculpt it.
In a process based on intuition and trial and error, we will come closer and closer to the shape of the mask, respecting the dynamics between the different features that all together define how we perceive the mask as a face.
We will talk a lot about planes, volumes and lines, projections and expressivity, which are concepts you’ll be introduced to during the workshop.
If you have never touched clay before and consider yourself rather not as a talented craftsperson, don’t be afraid. Your natural human perception is much more helpful in creating a good mask than the hands of a trained sculptor.
Teachers
Francesco Procopio is a circus artist, teacher, actor, and director based in Berlin.
His artistic education is a mix of different influences, circus and theater are his main passions. After graduating from circus school (CAU – Granada) and the Atelier Mask Movement of Matteo Destro (S.Miniato-Italia) he performed in several shows, mostly self-produced, from street to stage performances in theaters and circus. In the last years he regularly taught movement theater, masks and circus in various organizations and projects around Europe.
Nikos Wölfl is a sculptor, pedagogue, actor and mask maker based on Gut Alaune.
After an apprenticeship in classical wood sculpting in the Alps, he worked as a scenographer and puppet maker in a small puppet theater. He studied sculpturing in Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, mask making and – playing at the Atelier Mask Movement of Matteo Destro (S.Miniato-Italy).
Since 2016 he is part of the Alaune project and building up the community and the place
Besides his own research on theatrical masks, he is a youth worker and gives sculpting workshops for kids and adults.
More info about us and our company Concreto Theatre
