MetaWORKSHOP:
WITH THE EYES OF THE BOUFFON (60h)
22.7.–2.8.2024
KEY WORDS
Bouffon workshop, physical theatre, satire, body masks, topical themes in society
TO WHOM
Professionals, students and advanced amateurs in the wide field of performing arts.
DESCRIPTION
In the ten-day intensive course, we will learn some essential techniques of physical theater and dive into the crazy and grotesque world of bouffons.
Bouffons have their roots in ancient Greek satyr plays and their jesters. More recent connections are with the French tradition of physical theatre; The bouffon term was launched by theater educator Jacques Lecoq (1921-1999) and bouffons developed into one of the cornerstones of Lecoq's pedagogy.
The essence of the genre is mockery. Bouffons look at social issues and make their observations visible in an exaggerated and grotesque way. Bouffons' most important assets are omniscience and playfulness.
Bouffons' mockery never touches directly on individuals or private subjects, but on large collective themes, in which the essence and complexity of society usually crystallizes. Bouffons enjoy topics such as politics, religion, economy, power, money, morality, war, science, sex, race, ecology, family, education, institutions...
Bouffons don't side with anyone (even if we do). Bouffons don't have opinions, but make their exact observations visible without sparing anyone. Bouffons do not invent anything, not the text they use or their imitations, but all the material arises from the existing reality where we live.
Course content:
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Learning physical theater techniques which help to find the exaggerated level of expression characteristic of the genre.
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Building body masks for bouffon characters
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Creating a grotesque essence for the characters, including movement language, voice and mindset.
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Forming bouffon gangs and studying choral movements, rituals and rhythms in small groups
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Treating current, social topics in the bouffon genre through improvisation and group work.
TEACHER
Soile Mäkelä (MA) is a founding member of Teatteri Metamorfoosi and a theater teacher who graduated from University of the Arts Helsinki, Theatre Academy in 2008. She is approaching theater from the physical point of view, highly influenced by the French Lecoq pedagogy.
äkelä has been teaching physical theater, with different masks, for twenty years.
Soile studied bouffon style at the beginning of the millennium in Italy as a student of Giovanni Fusetti. After that she continued exploring bouffons with her own theater group in the MetaLAB -movement laboratory. In the spring of 2023, Mäkelä visited Canada, Masq' Alors! -mask theater festival and gave a bouffon workshop in French.
LANGUAGE
Finnish or English depending of the need
TIMETABLE
Mon-Fri 22.–26.7. 10-17:00 (includes 1 hour lunch break/day)
Sat and Sun free
Mon-Fri 29.7.–2.8. 10-17:00 (includes 1 hour lunch break/day)
PARTICIPANTS
Min. 8 person
Max 14 person
PRICE
Early Birds €539 (offer valid until June 23rd)
Normal price €600 (to be paid no later than July 7th)
VENUE
Teatteri Metamorfoosi / Point Fixe
Suvilahdenkatu 10 A 4th floor
00500 Helsinki
Metro: Kalasatama or Sörnäinen
(All the rights reserved for the changes for Teatteri Metamorfoosi)