Mask Making Workshop in Florence, Italy

Mask Making Workshop in Florence, Italy

Design Your Mask And Watch It Come To Life.

Workshop Description

This 2-week Mask Making workshop takes you deep into the Mask-Making world. You will learn Mask Design which includes sculpture for leather masks, mold making, leather molding, cutting and trimming, and coloring and finishing. You will also learn the history of the mask and about some Commedia dell’Arte character types.

This Mask Making workshop includes basic supplies such as clay, sculpture tools, master mold making material and some finishing materials though some other materials you may need to purchase. You will finish this class with two masks and the knowledge of the process and experience to create more masks.

Two weeks of the Mask Making workshop include:

• History of the mask
  • Physiognomy
  • Commedia characters types: Zanni, Pantalone, Capitano, Brighella, Arlecchino, Dottore and Pulcinella
  • Relation with animal shapes
• Design of the mask
  • The first plaster mold from the face
  • The creation of the character mold in clay or plastiline
  • The negative mold in plaster
  • Positive mold…
  • The work with the leather on the positive mold
  • Cutting the border and the eyes of the leather mask
  • Coloring the mask
  • Working with the masks: some points of acting mask techniques

Possibility of covering:

• History of the costumes of Commedia characters
• Theatre make up lesson for the Commedia theatre

It’s all about the experience

The Mask Making workshop will be around 4 hours per day depending on the number of participants. Participants will have the late afternoon, evening and weekend free to explore Florence and Tuscany. The course will take place in Florence, Italy. Participants can combine this course with the Commedia dell’Arte workshop which takes places before this course.

*Group Rates Available. Please contact us for discounts. 

What Is Included

• Course schedule: 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday (This may vary depending on size of course.)
• Accommodation: Participants will stay in furnished apartments in Florence with wi-fi and air conditioning. Apartments will be available the day before the course starts until the day after it finishes
• Welcome reception and drink
• 24-hour access to our representative
• Participant keeps mask(s)
• Local in-country coordinators: All coordination teams are English speaking. Aside from the local support from your in-country team you’ll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you’re overseas

What Is Not Included

• Health insurance. Each participant must show proof of medical coverage throughout stay in Florence, Italy
• Flights are not included but Go Inspired can assist you in making your travel arrangements. We will meet you when you arrive in Florence
• Food

Excursions

Participants will have the option of participating in various excursions (some are at an additional cost).

• Piazza Michelangelo at sunset
• Visit to the Tuscan hot springs
• Half day trip to Fiesole for spectacular views of Florence
• Possibility of a weekend/day trip to Cinque Terre

Additional Information

• Bring light and comfortable clothing for the workshop
• Visas: If coming from outside Europe, please check to see visa requirements of your country. If coming from the United States/Canada, it is not necessary to have a visa if you will be studying less than 90 days

Meet The Instructor

Roberto Andrioli is a leather masks maker, actor, director, play-writer, trainer and set designer. Graduated in 1996 at the Drama Academy of Piccolo Teatro in Milan directed by Giorgio Strehler, Master in Theatrical Pedagogy at the Brescia University in 1997, Internship at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in New York in 1998.He began to study Commedia dell’arte with the Master Ferrucio Soleri at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan using leather masks made by Sartori Workshop.

He spent a period of artistic collaboration at La Mama experimental Theatre club in New York City in 1999 and 2000. In that period he began to make leather masks by himself and lead his own  international Commedia workshops.

He makes masks for the traditional Florence theatre makeup bottega Filistrucchi,  Teatro di Pontedera, Teatro stabile toscano Metastasio in Prato,  French theatre company J.F.Duroure and other professional Commedia Actors and teachers. Roberto uses his own Commedia masks in his international Commedia workshops done for Vignale Danza teatro Festival, Teatro Piccolo  in Rome, various American universities and the Art Conservatoire of Strasbourg.

He has worked in many productions and cultural projects in Italy and abroad: Piccolo Teatro in Milan, La Mama E.T.C. New York, The Jean Francois Duroure Theatre-dance Company in France and East Europe, The Baltinsky Dom in San Petersburg, Teatro Stabile della Toscana, La Corte Ospitale of Rubiera, Teatro Moderno of Rome and many others.

Gallery

Participants Love It

I absolutely LOVED the teachers and each class was so full of learning and challenges. Thank you for running such a beautiful program and allowing us the opportunity to spend some lovely time in Florence!