Vocational School of Justice
COLOURFUL THEATER MASKS BY YOUTH WITH DOWN SYNDROME
Youth with Down syndrome displayed their fine motor skills and created theater masks, and painted them. Under the guidance of Asst. Prof. Duygu Ebru Öngen Corsini, Faculty Member of Department of Fashion and Textile Design, Faculty of Arts and Design, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), the youth used waste and recycled paper and made masks that are used in performance arts.
Corsini participated in the In-Orchestra - Project Erasmus Plus of Uşak University, coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Meral Özçınar, and got together youth with Down syndrome who are members of Izmir Down Syndrome Association, working at ‘İyilik Atölyesi’ (Down Cafe) located at Mavibahçe Shopping Mall. The youth created theater masks, and then painted them with colors of their imagination as part of the two-phased project.
Corsini said, “We wanted the youth to become acquainted with the masks that are used in performance arts. In the first phase of the project, we used the La cartapesta technique. With this technique, they used waste and recycled paper, displayed their fine motor skills, and created theater masks. In the second phase, they painted the masks they created. They worked diligently and enjoyed getting involved in such an activity”. “You should have seen the excitement on their faces. They worked together and created a total of 7 masks,” said Corsini.