Beit Zatoun, the Toronto art space and cultural centre dedicated to Palestine, is a year old.
It opened its doors on January 30, 2010 for its first event, "Seven Days from a Gaza Diary," a performance for three female voices based on the diary kept by a young Palestinian woman during the invasion of Gaza, 12 months earlier in 2009. That night it was to be followed by piano improvisation by Toronto pianist, John Kameel Farah. And we -- the organizers -- held our breath, looking out our window mesmerized by the lights adorning our famous neighbour, Honest Ed's bargain store, wondering -- would anyone come to our evening? Could Beit Zatoun work?
I am typing this from the set of a small film version of “Riders to the Sea”, that rich Irish play by Synge written in 1904. As a result of this project, I have been spending a great deal of time lately thinking about Ireland, Irish history, and deeply held cultural beliefs and values... and realizing that despite my readings and visits and conversations, my deeper connections and understandings arise out of a mask project I did there, working with an artist/historian as a mentor, and spending a great deal of time trying to capture' the spirits of the beings in the stories in the masks I made. 
MASKS. I am often asked to teach classes, mentor, or give advice regarding mask making practices. Now that school is on the horizon, activists, artists and teachers are figuring out plans and budgets, and it seems like a good idea to address some of these questions. Towards this end, I am dedicating this blog to making masks with Papier Mache. Later blogs will outline making masks with Aquaplast and with Manilla Folders.