The mask and its body – Summer Lab 2026
10. – 19. July 2026
Expedition Metropolis Theatre – Berlin
When we wear a mask, our body and the way we shape it is already telling a lot about the character we are playing. The relationship between this character and life, its age, the speed of reaction to an event, the way it stands and the way it relates to the theatrical space, can be enough to tell a story.
Covering our face with a mask helps us to express outside the convention of words and language. The body and the projection of the mask are powerful tools to let the poetry of our story emerge.
Our workshop is intended for beginners (with no previous theatre experience) and professionals that would like to dive deeper in physical theatrical play.
Whether you are an actor, artist, circus performer, dancer, mover of any kind or interested in becoming that, you are very welcome to join.
During these 10 days we will give you the base for mask making as well as mask playing.
We will explore the theatrical principles of how to play a mask and how to move your body in service of the shape you are playing.
Each participant will have the chance to build one half-mask, sculpted in clay and finalized in papier–mâché.
The workshop will be held in English. With German (and other languages) floating around us. A basic understanding of the English language is required.
Movement and theater
The physical part of the training will be about the use of half-masks.
Through theater exercises of mask technique and improvisations, we will explore the world of silence, shapes and the voice to better understand how to embody a sentiment and how “to play” it.
The main topics we will touch are:
- The concept of dramatic space and dramatic relationship
- The masked body: Shapes and undulation in movement.
- The projection of the mask and its articulation
- Playing the game of theatre: Improvisation and storytelling
- Organic creation & writing: From improvisation to staging
The Summer Lab concludes with showing our work to a small audience.
The masks used in the training are created by us, Francesco Procopio & Nikos Wölfl and/or from other mask makers in the frame of the Atelier Mask Movement where we studied with Matteo Destro & Alay Arzelus Makazaga.
Mask making
Starting from simple structures we will learn to see the projection of the mask in the clay before we sculpt it.
In a process based on intuition and trial and error, we will come closer and closer to the shape of the mask, respecting the dynamics between the different features that all together define how we perceive the mask as a face.
We will talk a lot about planes, volumes and lines, projections and expressivity, which are concepts you’ll be introduced to during the workshop.
If you have never touched clay before and consider yourself rather not as a talented crafts-person, don’t be afraid. Your natural human perception is much more helpful in building a good mask than trained sculptor hands.
Teachers
Francesco Procopio is an actor, teacher, (sometimes) circus artist and director based in Berlin.
His artistic education is a mix of different influences, circus and theater are his main passions. After graduating from circus school (CAU – Granada) and the Atelier Mask Movement of Matteo Destro (S.Miniato-Italia) he performed in several shows, mostly self-produced, from street to stage performances in theaters and circuses around Europe. In the last years he regularly taught movement theater, masks and circus in various organizations and projects. Latest productions are “Now what?” with Nikos Wölfl, “Letters from Chiran” with Tomoya Kawamura and “Comodini” with Carlotta Risitano.
Nikos Wölfl is a sculptor, pedagogue, actor and mask maker based on Gut Alaune (Halle-Saale).
After an apprenticeship in classical wood sculpting in the Alps, he worked as a scenographer and puppet maker in a small puppet theater. He studied sculpturing in Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, mask making and mask playing at the Atelier Mask Movement of Matteo Destro (S.Miniato-Italy).
Since 2016 he is part of the Gut Alaune e.V. project, building up the community and as well as the co-living and workshop spaces.
Besides his own research on theatrical masks, he is a youth worker and gives sculpting workshops for kids and adults.
PRICE, REGISTRATION AND CONTACT
The Summer Lab is open to 12 participants and spots usually fill up quiet fast.
It cost, using a sliding scale solidarity system, 550€-850€. For more information about the sliding scale system, you can find guidelines here.
Registrations are open from the 24.01.2026 until the 15.03.2026.
If the course does not fill up, we will open a second round of applications between the 15.03. 2026 and the 30.04. 2026.
For registrations and questions, please write us an email at info(at)concretotheatre.eu.
This event is organized in cooperation with Theatre Expedition Metropolis – Berlin