b'T3 Journal - Student Writing in Drama, University of Exeter 2018-19This perverse example alienates dyspraxics andparticularly useful when working with dyspraxics. In my stigmatises them, using a technique known in philosophydirect correspondence with Roy, he told me: Their label and phenomenology as othering. Othering is labellingdisappeared when using masks. (Roy 2018:np). According and defining a person in a socially subordinate category.to Roy, by wearing a mask, the student could be someone It is identifying someone as a subaltern, a person who iselse, forget their differences and be more confident. seen as being outside of a hegemonic power structure, socially, geographically and politically. Fortunately,Having personally participated in a mask workshop perceptions of dyspraxia have improved since the 1980sled by a student of the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School, although aspects of this stigmatisation and othering stillI found mask work improved my spatial awareness as I exist today and this is due to the lack of understandingwas more able to focus on individual parts of my body. of dyspraxia. In their journal article dyspraxia inIndividual mask exercises encourage visualisation, for clinical education: a review, Walker et al argue that evenexample when roleplaying the task of finding a rock and clinical educators and medical professionals have littlethrowing it out to sea, I focused more accurately on my understanding of these specific learning differences:individual movements. Lecoq developed his work from Anecdotal evidence suggests that clinical educators mayJacques Copeaus (1879-1949) noble masks, which were have limited understanding of dyslexia, and even lessprimarily used as training devices. Copeau first discovered understanding of dyspraxia. (Walker E, Shaw SC, Price J,the benefits of mask work when visiting English modern Reed M and Anderson J 2017:99). This may explaintheatre practitioner Edward Gordon Craig. Copeau was why theatre workshop facilitators seldom considerworking with an actress with poor spatial awareness, dyspraxia in the creation of workshops. who was continually blocked by others, Copeau took his handkerchief and covered her face, noting that her body As a dyspraxic teenager, one area that particularly helpedwas immediately released as an expressive instrument. me was drama and theatre. Joining weekly group sessionsIt was her face which had been making all the effort. of drama, dance and singing was initially scary and I(Hodge 2010:57). The use of masks helps to free the would only watch, but gradually I participated more andbody by taking the focus away from facial expressions. found I really enjoyed it. It was a useful escapism thatMask work helps to improve co-ordination, as it allows helped me develop creativity, teamwork and social skills.all the effort to go into the body and how it is positioned. I decided to study drama at school, my confidenceConsequently, I became more aware of how my body was improved and, with practice, so did my co-ordination.balanced and precisely moved.This enabled me to participate more fully in both my academic and social life. For this reason, I want to exploreRoy argues that Drama offers opportunities to develop how drama and the way it is taught could be used morebalance and other gross motor skills from an early age, widely to aid dyspraxic young adults. and it can be a key intervention strategy for dyspraxia. (Roy 2014:371). I have participated in drama workshops The first case study I am going to investigate are thefrom the age of ten and, in line with Roys argument, workshops of David Roy. David Roy has dyspraxia andI have found that it aided my co-ordination and also my lectures in drama at Newcastle University, Australia. It isconfidence and social skills. Roy states that through mask important to be aware of the educational and culturalwork, communication was more reliant on physicality. differences between the UK and Australia when discussingIt encouraged students to be very aware of movements this case study. Politically correct language can differand motor skills (supporting those with motor skill depending on cultural contexts, for example, the UKchallenges) and most importantly students stated a sense mainly uses the term dyspraxia but other countries such asof freedom to try ideas without judgement (Roy 2014:2). Australia, are shifting to use Developmental CoordinationAs this statement explains, mask workshops are safe, Disorder (DCD) instead. Roy has run multiple workshopsnon competitive environments for dyspraxics to practice within school settings and led workshops with boththeir co-ordination skills without judgement. Other teachers and parents. He believes strongly that drama canenvironments, such as physical education classes, be extremely useful for dyspraxics in developing copingdo not allow for this due to their competitive nature.strategies for life. In his article co-authored with CarolineMask theatre helped my confidence because I felt less self-Dock; Dyspraxia, Drama and Masks: Applying the Schoolconscious due to the sense of anonymity the mask gives. Curriculum as Therapy., he notes that mask work isThere is an external transformation of students 12'