We (Image Nation) have always believed that education is very important... and education through carnival is one method to get information out and across... earlier this year, one of the members of image nation and a good friend of mine, Kenwyn Murray, held a mas design workshop as his final year project at the University of the West Indies... (he has since graduated and is furthering his education in cultural studies at UWI)
"Masked Agenda, in simple terms was a ‘Mas’ design workshop. “Mas” in this case referred to the visual art of the Trinidad Carnival festival. It could easily have been called a costume design workshop but this label did not represent the historical or social context or the peculiar aesthetics that are attached to Trinidad’s ‘Mas’. ‘Mas’ design is a special skill that has never been taught in a formal setting. The primary aim of the workshop therefore was to create a model for the aesthetics of Carnival design to be taught in a structured environment.
The project had four specific aims:-
1. To educate young visual artists in the aesthetics of carnival Design
2. To create links between young artists and established carnival artists
3. to construct a social infrastructure for sustainable growth and creative development
4. To produce a carnival product that is highly marketable outside of the carnival context.
Whilst the main aim was “To educate young visual artists in the aesthetics of carnival design” the hidden agenda was to build an infrastructure of educated individuals. The “masked” purpose of the project was to inculcate an interest and respect for the carnival process in the participants that they will take into their individual endeavors. This is based on the idea that the industry grows through the strength of the people who patronize it. All of the participants will not all become Carnival designers but it was intended for each of them to value the process enough to support it. This was why it was not identified as a costume design workshop. It dealt more with the value of the ethos behind this cultural phenomenon of Trinidad than it did with costumes. The costumes, as in the festival itself were a byproduct."
so basically, he took a group of young visual arts.. who had little or mostly no pryor knowledge of mas making and put them into a mas environment and encouraged them to create.. to guide them... Kenwyn invited recognised and sucessful mas designers... Stephen Derek, Patrick Roberts, Randal Halfide, Geraldo Viera Jr. Lisa Molleneau, Sean Leonard and Marlon Griffith. Peter Minshall was approached.. but could not make it due to overburdened schedule.
this was a great programme i thought.. because it taught them that makin mas wasn't about "prettyin up" a bath suit... they had to come up with a theme... do research... do sketches and follow a design process... decide what materials to use in the costume's construction... then build the costume... (suddenly makin mas doh sound so easy eh) with guidance and help from the designers.. the end results were amazing... especially for a bunch of first timers
(now what de hell i goin an do fuh my final year project??? steups!!!!!)
"Masked Agenda, in simple terms was a ‘Mas’ design workshop. “Mas” in this case referred to the visual art of the Trinidad Carnival festival. It could easily have been called a costume design workshop but this label did not represent the historical or social context or the peculiar aesthetics that are attached to Trinidad’s ‘Mas’. ‘Mas’ design is a special skill that has never been taught in a formal setting. The primary aim of the workshop therefore was to create a model for the aesthetics of Carnival design to be taught in a structured environment.
The project had four specific aims:-
1. To educate young visual artists in the aesthetics of carnival Design
2. To create links between young artists and established carnival artists
3. to construct a social infrastructure for sustainable growth and creative development
4. To produce a carnival product that is highly marketable outside of the carnival context.
Whilst the main aim was “To educate young visual artists in the aesthetics of carnival design” the hidden agenda was to build an infrastructure of educated individuals. The “masked” purpose of the project was to inculcate an interest and respect for the carnival process in the participants that they will take into their individual endeavors. This is based on the idea that the industry grows through the strength of the people who patronize it. All of the participants will not all become Carnival designers but it was intended for each of them to value the process enough to support it. This was why it was not identified as a costume design workshop. It dealt more with the value of the ethos behind this cultural phenomenon of Trinidad than it did with costumes. The costumes, as in the festival itself were a byproduct."
so basically, he took a group of young visual arts.. who had little or mostly no pryor knowledge of mas making and put them into a mas environment and encouraged them to create.. to guide them... Kenwyn invited recognised and sucessful mas designers... Stephen Derek, Patrick Roberts, Randal Halfide, Geraldo Viera Jr. Lisa Molleneau, Sean Leonard and Marlon Griffith. Peter Minshall was approached.. but could not make it due to overburdened schedule.
this was a great programme i thought.. because it taught them that makin mas wasn't about "prettyin up" a bath suit... they had to come up with a theme... do research... do sketches and follow a design process... decide what materials to use in the costume's construction... then build the costume... (suddenly makin mas doh sound so easy eh) with guidance and help from the designers.. the end results were amazing... especially for a bunch of first timers
(now what de hell i goin an do fuh my final year project??? steups!!!!!)
posted by strongy at 5:15 AM
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