We had good research and workshop in Tokyo and Iwate in June 2015.
We went to interview with noh master Nobu Nagacho and held a workshop on noh movement and dance with him. We discussed about noh, idea of acting and how masks and actors are related with each other during the performances. Then we went to see take Kagura in Hayachine mountain. Here we found the relationship of masks and ritual combination to performances and how the villagers joined together in group and practiced and conseved this heritage. It was so powerful and expressive, reflected their belief and expressed their respect to gods. We found a possibility of using masks as a medium of rituals and a function for mask of human society.
We had a workshop and collaboration in lab and improvised a performance, and presented it to the public at Tokyo metropolitan theatre. Then we discussed with the audience and collect some feedback to develop our work in the future. In August, we held a workshop, did a research and improvised a story for mask in contemporary world. We tried to find new masks for through workshops. Then we presented some of our stories to public three times different space. Eachtime we had different groups of audience and had a discussion with them later.

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Related Countries

Japan, Thailand