Year 7 Performance Arts Week – A masked anthropology

From Monday 11^th March to Friday 15^th March, Year 7 took part in the annual Performance Arts Week.  The week-intensive project culminated in two different performances, each of which was well attended by parents.

This year the chosen genre was Mask Theatre which supported Year 7’s exploration of the style in the Commedia Dell’Arte workshop early in the summer term.  For the project, the year group was split into eleven small groups, each one being given a piece of music and a scenario for inspiration.  Each group then had approximately 6 hours to create the storyline for their piece and its characters and block, rehearse and polish the work.  Music ranged from “When We Were Young” by Adele to “I Want To Break Free” by Queen and scenarios took us on a journey from the doctor’s waiting room, to the trenches of First World War, on a blind date and on a day out to the beach to name but a few.

This emotive mix of music, movement, context and eerie masks supplied by Trestle Theatre Company created an evening of powerful drama (and amusing highlights such as the factory workers with their alter egos!) never to be forgotten by pupils and audiences alike.