Lauantai 26.9.

11am to 12:15pm

RICHARD WEIHE: PARADOX OF THE MASK

The face can be a mask and the mask a face. The ancient Greek word prósopon has a double meaning as “mask“ and “face“. The artificial face of the actor as well as the natural face of the spectator were both prósopa. In 18th-century Venice masked Commedia dell’arte actors could be facing spectators wearing various forms of social masks. According to Diderot, the best image of an actor is a child laughing behind a mask and the frightened child running away is the best image of the spectator. The Latin word for “mask“ (persona) became our word “person“. How could the object become a subject and how does this relate to theatre and acting? The lecture discusses ways in which the mask could be used as an epistemological tool.

Kasvot voi olla naamio ja naamio voi olla kasvot. Muinaiskreikkalainen sana prósopon tarkoittaa sekä naamiota että kasvoja. Latinaksi naamio on persona, josta myöhemmin kehittyi kansankielelle sana persoona. Miten objektiiivisesta asiasta, esineestä, tuli subjektiivinen ja kuinka se liittyy teatteriin ja näyttelemiseen? Luento käsittelee tapoja, joilla naamiota voidaan käyttää tietoteorian välineenä.

Richard Weihe, born in Bern/CH, lives in Bonn/GERMANY, university lecturer, writer and researcher. Studied acting at the Zurich Theatre Academy, comparative literature and philosophy at the Universities of Zurich, Oxford and Bonn. PhD in drama studies. Postdoc research at the University of Bergen/NORWAY and King’s College Cambridge. ‚Habilitation’ at the Private University of Witten/Herdecke with a study on the mask (published as „Die Paradoxie der Maske. Geschichte einer Form“, 2004). In 2005/06 Senior Fellow at the International Research Centre for Cultural Studies, Vienna and Fellow of the Academy Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart. Currently completing a novel about a researcher on masks.

1pm to 3pm

MASKED FINLAND: Four perspectives and challenges.

Even though it seems that masks in Finland are barely present, it is possible to note lately a voracious increase of interest for it. Often used as a pedagogical tool, the mask contributes to expand the awareness and presence of the actor. But not only, it raises the mystery of the covered identity and puzzles the spectator.

Vaikka näyttääkin siltä, että naamiot ovat Suomessa harvinaisempi ilmiö, on kuitenkin huomattavissa kiinnostuksen kyltymätöntä kasvua. Usein pedagogisena välineenä käytetty naamio edistää esiintyjän tietoisuuden ja ulkoisen olemuksen laajenemista sekä hämmentää katsojaa peitellyn henkilöllisyyden salaperäisyydellä.

AT

1pm Carsten Bregenhoj: Presence of masks in the Finnish folk tradition

1:30pm Mia Pätsi: The East influence; Noh theatre in Finland.

2pm Anna Ivanova: Masks, puppets and human; the mask used in the puppet pedagogy

2:30pm Taina Mäki-Iso: The Clown. The smallest mask in the pedagogy

Mia Pätsi graduated from the Finnish Theatre Academy in 2002 and from Danish Nordic Theatre school in 1994. She is the japanese noh-theatre expert in Finland. She has directed four Noh-plays and taught Noh-theatre. Pätsi wrote 2008 a book of Japanese theatre, which included Noh-theory and many rehearsals. Noh-mask has a significant role in the Noh-theatre. Pätsi concentrates in her speech in three aspects: Noh-mask as a door in to a supernatural world, Noh-mask helps actor to concentrate in the present moment and it gives a possibility to use the whole body in acting.

Taina Mäki-Iso (MA) is a freelance theatre director, teacher and performer. She has specialized in physical theatre and her main interests are mask theatre and clowning. She has studied clowning with Philippe Gaulier, Pierre Byland, Angela de Castro and Giovanni Fusetti among others. As the smallest mask in the world, the Red Nose is a great tool in clowning. It reveals one´s unique stupidity and vulnerability. Red Nose is a call for laughter. It is an access to the playful, free and imaginative world of the clown. Taina Mäki-Iso will present her thoughts and experiences about clowning.

3:30pm to 4:30pm

ROUND TABLE: The mask allowing to meet the other.

The concept of cultural barrier sets invisible walls precluding any attempt of change. However, when an element concentrating the attention on archetypical features is used, such as the mask, it is then possible to meet the other from another culture, even without speaking his or her own language. As for example, when the Théâtre du Soleil was invited to lead a theatre workshop in Kaboul, it appeared clearly that the mask was the only instrument, which permitted the French actors and the Afghan actors to come across; the mask thus allowed to meet the other culture. At the round table will take part some of the international speakers invited for the mask festival: Richard Weihe (Germany), Torbjörn Ahlström (Sweden), Mia Pätsi (Finland).

Naamio kommunikoinnin välineenä eri kulttuurien kohdatessa kun yhteistä kieltä ei ole. Mukana kansainvälisiä puhujia kuten Richard Weihe (Saksa), Torbjörn Alström (Ruotsi) sekä Mia Pätsi (Suomi).