Using the vehicle of Masked
Theatre and related skills, and where appropriate Combined and Applied Arts,
it is the primary aim of Mask Matters to explore, define and express
the multiple roles and ‘faces’ of the human condition.
The purpose of this aim is
for entertainment, social inclusion, education, self development and the betterment
of both human interactions and inclusive Community ideals.
And for FUN!!
About Sally:
Sally Elsbury is Mask Matters. She is a mask maker, drama teacher and actress.
Sally first began sculpting and creating masks in 1993 as an
employed trainee of ‘Trading Faces’ mask Theatre Company, Oxford, UK. The Company is now, unfortunately closed, but took its inspiration and development from the early days of Trestle theatre, UK.
Trained initially at Bretton Hall College of
Higher Education in West Yorkshire, UK, Sally obtained a B.A Degree in Creative
Arts in 1986, followed by a PGCE (Secondary School teacher Training in English
and Drama in 1988.) for which
she achieved a commendation.
For ten years from 1989 onwards Sally worked for
Theatre in Education Companies across the UK, including:
Harrogate TIE (Yorks)
Breakout TIE (Reading)
Gazebo
TIE (Birmingham)
Avon Touring Theatre Co. (Bristol)
Trading Faces (Oxford)
During this time Sally worked in a wide range of Schools,
Colleges, Young Offenders Institutes, in In-Service Teacher Training for the
DOE, and in Youth and Community settings.
In 2002, Sally moved to Ireland, where she trained in Clowning with the Galli Theatre Group in the Galli
Method. This Method has evolved around the use of 7 Archetypal characters.
Sally worked as an actress and facilitator in theatres and Schools
across Germany with the Galli Group from 2005 to 2007. She also performed in
business theatre during this time.
In 2007 Sally began making masks again in her
back kitchen, and developed a range of her own mask designs, experimenting with
using a mixture of papier mache, cloth and a rubber-based glue. This is the
material she currently uses, instead of the ‘celastic’ originally worked with. She began selling sets of these archetypal
caricature masks to Educational and Arts Institutions, accompanied by mask
theatre workshops.
Workshops are tailor made by Sally with a combination of Archetypal physical theatre skills and specific mask work stuff. She uses Galli Clowning and Kellerkinder archetypes, as well as common garden Drama tools. Her love of Movement and Dance influences her teaching also.
Clients of mask work and workshops include:
The Arden School of Acting in Manchester UK
Oslo Prison Drama Department, Norway
Belfast Metropolitan College, NI
Prison Arts Foundation, NI.
Queens College University, Belfast
CETEC (theatre in Prison) Milan, Italy
Cork Prison, Cork Ireland
Kinsale Further Education College, Cork, Ireland
The School of Movement Medicine, UK
Ballinroe Musical Society, County Mayo
JULY Psychedelic Rock Band
The School of Movement Medicine, UK
Various Private Commissions
Mask Matters was launched officially in February
2010.
