Trestle Theatre Company, a pioneer in Mask and physical theatre for over four decades,
has unveiled a brand-new Mask set: Mini Masks designed specifically for children aged
5-11. This groundbreaking product aims to enhance drama education and foster
creativity among young learners across the UK and beyond.
Four Decades of Theatrical Innovation
Founded in 1981 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, Trestle Theatre Company has grown from a
local experimental theatre group to an internationally recognised leader in Mask theatre
and education. Their journey reflects the evolution of British theatre in the late 20th and
early 21st centuries.
In their early years, Trestle gained national attention for their original Masked
performances, which blended physical theatre, visual storytelling, and innovative Mask
design. Their productions toured extensively throughout the UK, bringing a unique form of
theatre to audiences across the nation.
The 1990s marked a significant shift for Trestle as they expanded their focus to include
education. Recognizing the potential of Masks as powerful teaching tools, the company
developed workshops and resources that have since been used in schools, universities,
and theatre groups nationwide.
2002 saw the establishment of Trestle Arts Base in a repurposed chapel in St Albans. This
venue has become not just a local creative hub, but a national centre for Mask work,
physical theatre training, and arts education.
Throughout their history, Trestle has been at the forefront of making theatre more
accessible and inclusive. Their Masks, used from Brazil to Singapore, Canada to Australia,
have become a universal language in Mask theatre and performance, breaking down
barriers of language and culture.
The launch of the Mini Masks represents the latest chapter in Trestle’s ongoing mission to
innovate in theatre education, building on a legacy of creativity and inclusivity that
spans over 40 years.
Bridging Education and Theatre
The research and development phase of the Mini Masks was made possible through
generous funding from Arts Council England and was developed in collaboration with UK
schools. The Mini Masks align with the national curriculum while offering versatility for
various educational settings. They come with a comprehensive educational pack,
providing teachers and drama facilitators with structured exercises and activities. The
exercises and activities included in the pack support curriculum areas around oracy and
vocabulary, the promotion of social values and emotional resilience and wellbeing.
Spencer Hinton, Director of Drama, Merchant Taylors’ Prep commented, “The Trestle Mini
Masks have revolutionised our drama classes. They provide a unique way for our
younger students to explore character and emotion, boosting their confidence and
creativity.”
Promoting Inclusivity
The Mini Masks have been designed alongside Trestle Theatre’s Create, Speak, Thrive
project exploring the use of drama and storytelling techniques to find universal
approaches to supporting speech, language and communication. The Mini Mask set and
accompanying resources can be used to focus on those key communication skills in a
creative and exciting way that engages everyone.
Helen Barnett, Trestle’s Creative Director, stated, “Our goal is to provide tools that allow
every child to see themselves represented in the characters they create. The Masks
represent emotions that everyone will feel and can be used to facilitate a wide range of
conversations with young people around empathy and inclusion whilst promoting
emotional resilience and developing their communication skills. We have seen the
Impact practical, creative approaches to learning can have on young people this age
and we’re passionate about enabling more creative opportunities for every child”
Preorder Details and Educational Resources
The Mini Masks are now available for pre-order at £200 per set. Each set contains eight
hand-crafted Masks and has an accompanying resource pack meticulously crafted to
maximise their effectiveness. This comprehensive package ensures that educators have
all the tools they need to integrate the Masks seamlessly into their teaching practices.
Delivery is scheduled for January 2025, allowing educational institutions ample time to
incorporate these innovative tools into their planning for the upcoming academic year.
Endorsements for Trestle Mini Masks:
“The children were excited about wearing them and to choose the emotion that they
wanted to explore. The children quickly understood that they should use the emotion
portrayed by the Mask to help motivate their character during the game playing part of
the workshop, too. They did this without much direction and adapted the narrative of
their character to suit, giving it extra meaning.”
“I was particularly impressed to see how transformative these Masks were, making it
actually incredibly difficult to tell which child was wearing which one! I was also very
surprised to see how much the Mask allowed even the most inhibited and introvertive
children to come out of their shell during these dramatic activities, with the knowledge
that they could literally hide behind their Mask.”
“All in all, I thought this was a really interesting and valuable exercise for the children,
and one that might be particularly valuable for those with special educational needs.’” –
Year 5 Class Teacher
“It was lovely to see some of the shy children join in with the activity. As they were
wearing a Mask, there was a barrier between them and the audience which
encouraged them to portray their emotions with different body actions with less
hesitation.” – Arts Coordinator Ferrars Academy
For more information about Trestle’s Mini Masks, to request a sample for review, or to
place a preorder, please contact takingpart@trestle.org.uk
