Marc Reck

Dramask were holding a mask workshop as part of the University of First Age held at the Symphony Hall, and Pyn had kindly offered me half a day assisting her. Our friend Jen did the first half, and they both had done such a sterling job, that by the time i had got there, the stall was swarming with kids and their parents!

There were two tables surrounded by the publicity of Pyn’s own masks, and various community and educational workshops she’s done over the last 12 years. One table was were you could learn, assist or have a mask made on your head, made with gum strip and tissue paper. You can then take it home, or decorate it on the other table, which consisted of lots of mask decorating materials similar to that at our first mr elephant events. There were also lots of card masks for those that wanted to decorate them, including mr elephant masks, when we ran out of the first batch. I mainly manned the second table, helping out with the first where required.

What i noticed about the second table, which is something that i noticed at Mr Elephant events, are that people sitting round a table doing simple craft stuff allows an easy way to talk to each other, regardless of age, background, or level of confidence. I met and spoke to people from all over the world and from all ages and background in my few hours in the symphony hall, and it cemented by belief that bringing this into our mr elephant events has and is, a great way of encouraging interaction within communities. Though it something that sounds too simple to be true, the nature of decorating a mask seems to a huge demograph, from young kids, old ladies, arty people, chavs, and everyone in between, and now that i’ve seen that first hand in a club, a pub, and now the symphony hall, i have great expectations for some of our other plans

What Dramask do is really important stuff, not just for educational and creative development, but also for the social and cultural benefits. Pyn late to show a couple of ladies from india how to make their own mask, so that they could go home and make them for/on the rest of the family. We were still working when everyone else had packed up and gone home, and while it was only half an hour extra or so, the reaction from the final small child that had be waiting to do one, was really heart warming.

After that it was a short break at home, before heading off to a dj booking for Subvert, playing after The Heels. If you not heard them, The Heels are a great band live, and this was their last free one, before going on tour with The Beat. Aside from my set (which consisted of Mr Elephant type stuff and ended with a some big breaks), we also got to enjoy the hilarious Dik Guru, and outside Christie was playing some choice reggae.

After that i went home to bed and slept for about 18 hours!