Mask Training with Peta Lily
Screenshot from film taken by Peta Lily
A couple of weeks ago, I spent an incredible couple of days one-to-one with amazing performer/clown/ theatre maker/ facilitator Peta Lily as she mentored me on mask work and physical theatre as part of my DYCP. It absolutely blew my mind! I met Peta for the first time in 2012 when I attended one of her Dark Clown workshops, and again in 2018 when I did her “Alchemy of Archetypes” workshop. She is such an incredible facilitator, that I asked her to be my one-to-one mentor for this part of my project. I asked her to help me with my physical theatre skills - mainly, helping me acquire skills to feel more “embodied” on stage, and with mask performance skills.
Over the two days, we did SO many things… Peta has so many techniques up her sleeve that I filled an entire notebook with my notes! I learnt some basic mime skills, grounding skills, how to express certain emotions through the body; we worked with the Trickster archetype… we also did some vocal training… we explored haiku… we worked with masks she had brought along to the workshop, and then she directed and guided me as I explored character through the cardboard masks I had made. It was just amazing! I felt sort of high the day after, then an emotional wreck the following day… It felt like powerful stuff and I think released a lot of pent up emotion!
I’m feeling very renewed and excited following this time spent with Peta. Working in this progress-led way opened up so many possibilities. Peta encouraged me to do so many things I would hardly have dared allowed myself to do otherwise, and I’m feeling so inspired from her delightfully macabre and devilish humour. Here are some photos from our time together, and a short video with some highlights from the mask work.
