Expressive Masks with Peter Sweet | 6 - 11 April, 2026

Applications Open 12 November.

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Schedule:

April 6–11, 2026 (Monday–Saturday)

Daily, 10:00–18:00

Location:

Circus Schatzinsel

May-Ayim-Ufer 4, 10997 Berlin

Overview:

The form, rhythm, and presence of a mask awaken movement, imagination, and story that might otherwise remain hidden. When we meet a mask with our full body and attention, something unexpected begins to play through us. The task is not to invent or perform something clever, but to listen, to follow, and to be played.

Over six days, we will work with three families of masks, each offering its own world, structure, and poetic logic. Moving from simplicity to complexity, from silence to voice, we train the clarity, generosity, and courage needed to bring these masks fully to life.

Note: This workshop can be taken on its own, or as a continuation of the Neutral Mask training. The Neutral Mask workshop takes place the week before and provides a powerful foundation for the mask work we explore here. → Learn more about the Neutral Mask workshop here.

Larval Masks

With their large, simple shapes, Larval Masks invite us into bold clarity. Without the detail of a human face, they call for clear physical dynamics and a strong, unified point of view in the body. In their simplicity, we find poetry: the dreamlike immediacy of a character discovering the world for the first time.This work strengthens the essential skills of mask play—articulation, clarity of gesture, and sharing presence with the audience.

Expressive Full Masks

Here the mask has a face, a viewpoint, and an emotional landscape. These masks do not represent characters we choose—they shape characters that move through us. The player must listen deeply: to the body, the breath, the impulse, and the image inside the mask. Working in silence, we explore inner worlds, dramatic tension, and the physical storytelling of emotion and relationship.

Half Masks (Commedia Humana)

With the mouth uncovered, the voice enters the play. Half masks call us into heightened human behavior—where desire, flaw, impulse, and humor are alive in the body. We develop the voice of the mask, discovering how sound and language arise from physical rhythm.We will explore lazzi (physical improvisational games), and learn to create canovaccio—dramatic structures that hold a scene while still leaving space for improvisation, surprise, and play with the audience.

Workshop Focus

• Clarity and articulation of movement

• Expanding physical imagination

• Playing with emotional dynamics and theatrical presence

• Bringing voice and breath into character

• Improvising with structure and freedom

• Creating scenes in relationship with partners

• Building worlds and stories through the body and the mask

  
  

About the teacher: 

Peter Sweet’s embodied approach to theater combines the madness of play with the rigour of technique. He shares the most effective tools that he has discovered and developed over 25 years of performing, teaching and directing. His unique pedagogy is grounded in his long practice of the Alexander Technique, Wu Tao breath work, and a wide range of somatic and martial arts.

Peter studied physical theatre at the Helikos School in Florence under Giovanni Fusetti and Matteo Destro, contemporary dance at SEAD in Salzburg, and circus at École du Cirque Zofy (CH). He certified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique at AZAT in Munich.

His solo and duo shows—including Meet Pete Sweet, Swinging High, BOOM!, and the current touring production Foolish Doom—have been performed in over 20 countries. He served as director of creation and performance in the circus department at Die Etage Berlin and is a thesis advisor and coach for the Master in Choreography at Fontys (NL). He has also taught at Stockholm University of the Arts, ZHdK in Zurich, and the Theaterakademie August Everding in Munich.

Peter is currently based in Berlin, where he directs professional companies, teaches workshops and throws his heart into every project that he dives into. In his free time he reads fantasy, plays the drums, and flies kites on the Tempelhofer Feld.

Workshop Logistics

Open to all levels 

No prior experience is required.

However, The Neutral Mask workshop held the previous week offers core physical training that will support your work in this workshop. (Details here)

Language: English

The workshop will be taught in English. A basic understanding of English is required to participate. The teacher also speaks German, French, and Indonesian, and can provide translation when needed.

Maximum Number of Participants: 12 participants

Once 12 students are confirmed, the workshop is full. Additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list.

Attendance Full-time attendance is required. The pedagogy is progressive, with each day building on the work of the previous days.

Location - Berlin

Venue details coming soon.

Sliding Scale Tuition: €360 – €780 

We want this workshop to be accessible to people with a range of economic means, so we offer a sliding scale.

Apply Here: Application coming soon!

Once your application has been reviewed by Peter, he will contact you to confirm if there is an open spot.

Payment 

Once you register for the workshop, your workshop fees are due within 5 days to confirm your spot. If this presents a challenge, please contact us — payment in installments is available upon request.

Please note that your fee includes a €140 non-refundable deposit (except in the case of workshop cancellation due to force majeure).

Tuition does not include food or lodging. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodations in Berlin.

Questions

• Wondering if this workshop is right for you, or have questions about participating? Contact Peter Sweet at info@petersweet.com

• Questions about registration, payment, or logistics? Contact Derya Yümüez at derya@petersweet.com

  
  

If you are interested in deepening the full arc of the work, consider joining The Neutral Mask workshop the week before.

We look forward to seeing you in the studio!