Unmask their Talent

Educator Tip - the Brief
Educators can help students learn how to generate original ideas, designs, and composition by giving them a clear brief before they start their mask project...

It is not enough to tell students “Just be creative” as few have the initiative, thinking skills and confidence to turn ideas into products from the get-go. Often students may be tempted to borrow ideas from others. Jonathan Milne, Creative Director of the learning connexion suggests copying and uniqueness can go hand in hand. He says: "Just as your copied genes [from your parents] come out as something unique, so does art". His free advice for learners is: "When copying, be yourself" [make it your own].

Another important tip “just being creative” is not a mandate to make 'dark' stuff that scares people. As artist Juliet Novena Sorrel says: "The NEW risk is to make something beautiful". The best imaginative thinking begins within clear guidelines. Especially in a situation like mask making - where anything is possible - remember to brief the learner so they can unmask their creativity safely. Young people love boundaries.

The Mask Made Me Do It!

Did you know…the history of masks and vice in Venice is incredible. Centuries ago the Venetians devised an extreme example of liberty using a special mask called La Gnaga.

Made of light papier mache, the Gnaga mask covered half of the face, leaving the mouth free. La Gnaga wearers openly provoked townsfolk on the street with a multitude of obscenities spoken in a gruff voice. This harsh voice made them sound like cats, which in Venetian is ‘gnau’ which explains the name of this mask.

With their mask La Gnaga on, the wearer could not be arrested however strange or disorderly his/her behavior (unless really violent or dangerous), because he/she became a “masked person”, and officially any mask was acting out a role, or playacting. If apprehended for infringing the law, the exuberant mischief-maker could simply retort: “The Mask made me do it” and get away with it!

A nice trick, but don’t expect it to work in today’s world. Nowadays, it’s not the mask itself that liberates. It's the act of making masks that switches on valuable new ways of seeing and thinking to liberate the creative process. There is something liberating about making your own stuff.