MASCARADE's launch under the Sicilian sun!

Mascarade Project Management Team

It’s official — Mascarade has taken its very first steps!

On the 9th and 10th of April, the four partner organisations gathered in Palermo, Sicily for the Kick-Off Meeting, hosted with great care by Sutta Scupa. Beneath the spring sun and the scent of lemon trees, ideas bloomed and conversations flowed.

The purpose of this first encounter?

To (re)shape the foundations of the project — together. To clarify roles and responsibilities, refine expectations, make sure to understand and comply with European prerequisites, and ensure that each voice around the table could feel both heard and held.

But beyond the spreadsheets and planning documents, it was also a time to meet as people — humans drawn together by a shared comittment to use arts and culture as tools for empowerment and intercultural understanding.

"From the face-to-face meeting we had I felt that all the partners are roughly on the same page, sharing a similar philosophy and willing of work."

Unmasking conversations, sharing visions

The informal moments proved just as essential as the formal ones. In between the working sessions, we discovered shared sensitivities — a mutual love for theatre, a fascination with abandoned places, and a unanimous appreciation for our partner’s legendary Greek biscuits (bravo!).

This also allowed us to reflect on a central question: what is a mask to each of us? A shield from judgement? A key to freedom? A way of seeing the world as we wish to see it? A question to carry forward — and one we look forward to asking our future audiences!

So, what’s next?

Each partner organisation will now begin local and national research phases in Greece, Lithuania, Italy and France. We’ll be exploring how the performing arts — and the mask in particular — can open doors to deeper mutual understanding and social inclusion. A shared reflection on multiple, plural, European identities.

The curtain has only just risen. Stay tuned — there’s more to come.