Action from GREEK CIOFF YOUTH COMMISSION
ΘΕΜΑ:
Greek CIOFF® Youth Commission’s action
An action entitled “The traditional Mask Prosopos and traditional Carnival Dances” was carried out by the Greek CIOFF® Youth Commission, in cooperation with the Educational and
Cultural Association in Kyparissia. The action is based on the CIOFF® Cultural Commission’s program “The Mask-Intangible Heritage”. The action took place in Kyparissia 24-26 February 2019. More specifically, a children’s workshop was organized, in order to Association’s children create traditional masks, which are based on the Greek traditional Mask “Prosopos” and traditional Greek Carnival dances that were danced by Association’s children dance group.
The first day of event, Greek CIOFF® Youth Commission present to the children folklore information about the mask “Prosopos” and details about the Greek custom “Boules”. Then children created the mask using gypsum. The second day, masks were decorated according the traditional “Prosopos’s” decoration and a small exhibition with the children’s handmade masks was set up in Cultural and Educational Association’s building. The last day of event, locals were visited the exhibition and the children’s dance group danced traditional dances which are danced during the Carnival period in Greece. After the event, a press conference was held, in which Mrs. Georgia Mpellogianni (Vice president of the Educational and Cultural Association of Kyparissia) and Maria Ioanna Gkogka (President of Greek CIOFF® Youth Commission) presented the action to the media.
“Prosopos” is a traditional mask which it is used for a custom named “Boules”, that takes place in Naousa (Greek town) during the period of Carnival. “Prosopos” is made of a thick cloth, on which gypsum enters and is painted white, symbolizing the lifelessness of nature and the lifelessness of enslaved Hellenism. But the cheeks are painted red, symbolizing the liveliness that will not be late. There is also a gold circle on the bottom symbolizing the end of the enslavement. Similar colors are also used in the ancient masks. There are two types of “Prosopos”. The male one and the other one that is worn by the “Nifi” (bride- a man with female costume). The difference is in the decoration of the “Prosopos”, where for the male
one whisked mustache made of horseshoe and trombone) is used, while the mask of “Nifi” is decorated with flowers and ribbons.
The link from Greek CIOFF® YouTube channel, in which there are the interview and the video from dances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ansXXLjNciw
