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What happens when the simplicity of the Larval Mask meets the playful vulnerability of the clown?In this two-day workshop, we will explore how the Larval Mask and Clown illuminate one another. The Larval Mask trains deep listening with the whole body. It develops physical awareness and gives shape to emotion through the body. From there, we'll gradually let the clown emerge as a playful state born from simplicity.
Larval Masks suggest characters, emotions, and worlds, but only in their larval state: full of potential, never fixed. Their simplicity encourages clarity rather than complexity, reminding us that less can reveal far more. Their scale calls for bold, generous physical play, reconnecting us with a fundamental theatrical impulse: to play together, to discover together, and to create meaning through relationship.
The themes we explore with these masks are simple and open-ended. They have no visible openings for the performer to see—yet the mask itself sees. This apparent limitation invites us to awaken our spatial awareness and discover new ways of perceiving, moving, and responding. The whole body becomes the instrument of listening.
From this foundation, we'll explore how these same qualities become the basis of clowning. Rather than treating Clown and Larval Mask as separate techniques, this workshop explores the dialogue between them, offering performers a deeper understanding of both.
WHO IS THIS FOR:
This workshop is open to performers, theatre-makers, clowns, and anyone curious about physical theatre.
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Dates & times:
Saturday 31 October & Sunday 1 November 2026
10am - 5pm
Venue:
The Spark Space
Redfield, Bristol, BS5 9HH
Investment:
£200 - Supporter/ High earner
£185 - Full Price
£170 - Concession (low/no income, student)
EARLYBIRD DEAL:
£160 if you pay before 30 September
"CLOWN AND..." WORKSHOP BUNDLE
All 3 workshops - £455 (save £145) *more info below *
Payment will be requested via BACs
BOOKING:
Email [email protected] to book a place
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ABOUT GONZALO VILLAREAL PORZIO:
Gonzalo is an Argentine theatre director, actor, pedagogue and mask maker based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He is the founder and artistic director of El Cuarto de Meme Teatro, an international theatre project dedicated to physical theatre, devising processes and actor training.
For over a decade, his artistic practice has explored the relationship between body, movement and poetic expression through performance, directing and pedagogy. He has led more than 60 workshops across Latin America and Europe, collaborating with institutions and programmes including CABUIA International School (Argentina), Embodied Poetics (Slovenia & Italy), Galgalhadas na Lua Festival (Portugal), Jallalla Theatre School (Bolivia), and the Summer Theatre Training in Lithuania, which he founded and directs.
His work draws on the pedagogical lineage of Jacques Lecoq, combining physical theatre, clown, absurdism, buffoon, mask work and devised performance to develop original theatrical languages centred on the actor's presence.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY:
★ "Just a huge thank you. For the precision, the care, the space you created, and the depth of the work. I truly appreciated every moment — from the structure to the spontaneity."
★ "This workshop reminded me what life is about— not taking things too seriously and allowing the energy to flow. I gained numerous insights that I plan to incorporate into my future work."
★ "I feel that the mask exercises opened up new ways of seeing for me, for the first time ever I felt like I am lucid dreaming in real life."
The CLOWN AND ... series
Welcome to our Clown and… series – where clowning meets other creative forms!
Discover new dimensions of your creative practice by exploring the intersection of clowning with different artistic disciplines. How does the spontaneity, playfulness, and vulnerability of clown transform other modalities and vice versa?
Through this series, you’ll:
★ Expand your creative range by blending clowning with unexpected forms
★ Deepen your expression by embracing risk, curiosity, and joy
★ Reimagine performance through the unique lens of the clown
Whether you're a performer, artist, or simply curious, join us to play, experiment, and uncover fresh ways to create. The clown is your guide - where will the journey take you?
Check out the full series:
Sat 31 October & Sun 1 November
Clown & Mask
2-day workshop with Gonzalo Villareal Porzio
Sat 14 & Sun 15 November
Clown & Shakespeare
2-day workshop with Peta Lily
Sat 5 & Sun 6 December
Clown & Tragic Chorus
2-day workshop with Judith Milligan & Robyn Hambrook
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Event venue
Redfield, Bristol, United Kingdom
Tickets
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