Mask
The Faces We Present to the World
coup incorporates Mask work into their workshops to help people to increase their range of influence. We all wear masks - the face or faces we present to the world. These masks are developed over time, based on our life experiences and socialisation. The current masks provide a limited range of expression. There are parts of ourselves that we don’t show or express.
Mask work provides a medium through which people can extend their range of expression. They can try on new personas and are often surprised and delighted at how much capacity they have for expression. In essence, Mask work helps people externalise parts of their internal self. This is the connection with acting and theatre. It also means verbalising parts of themselves that are not palatable and have been hidden with the socialisation process.
In a business context, Mask work can help people extend their range of responses and develop a sense of themselves that isn’t so narrow. This helps in their ability to respond spontaneously in the moment, their ability to connect with others and their ability to be creative.
In a Mask workshop coup uses a variety of theatrical exercises to get people to identify and examine aspects of themselves that are hidden or not expressed. They then get people to experiment with actual theatrical masks and to have the experience of slipping into a different persona. What arises from this experience is often surprising and empowering.
