‘Who You Are In Your Mask’ was our first major project. It was funded by Arts Council England and we worked across Northamptonshire with 6 schools and our Home-Ed group at Delapre Abbey. Working with foam clay, paint, textiles and mixed media, over 10 sessions, the participants designed their own masks to represent their inner worlds. Some beautiful, some funny, some terrifying! Jonathan shared a variety of techniques to create texture, form, surface decoration and narrative within the work.

 

The artists were aged 7-16, some with additional needs. Our home-ed group were predominantly neuro-divergent so we all really benefitted creatively from a calm space so close to nature and free-play with the sensory materials.

 

There were two showings of the work, one in the summer and one in December, at The Lawyer & The Nurse Community Cafe, at The Yards in Kettering. This was a perfect venue for us as they have a sensory room and the whole space is quirky and beautiful, allowing us to exhibit the work in the ‘salon’ style, reminiscent of a Victorian curiosity room, full of wonderful finds.