Mask Workshop, more.... Equally challenging, but in an entirely different creative direction, was the acting. When they began to rehearse, the realisation that, no matter what faces you make behind your mask it doesn’t tell the audience anything, was soon apparent! Well, that’s the point, isn’t it? Or certainly on the face of it (joke!) Whether a career on the stage is the goal or not, there is much to be gained by mask work. It’s not only fantastic fun and a great way to stretch the imagination, it teaches us the importance of non-verbal communication and helps to foster a greater awareness of body language – and not just on stage. If we are all more observant and sensitive to other people’s gestures, or lack of them, we can empathise more readily with those around us. After all, we have to try and get on with a lot of people in the course of a lifetime! What else? Well, wearing a mask really can help you save face (sorry!) long after you have taken it off. Mask work builds confidence, promotes team work, stimulates creative thinking and improves communication skills. So it’s no surprise that more and more businesses are using mask workshops in their training programmes. Wharfingers is sure to do more like this in the future.