The Mapiko Mask: between identities and alterities

Abstract

The present paper is offering a deepening of the study of the traditional knowledge of the Mapiko masks, a cultural manifestation of Mozambique. This work wishes to widen the questions about the liminality and perceptions of the actor/dancer/performer by investigating the use of masks in the Mapiko tradition. Through the intercultural exchange, this project is offering the production of a viable resource about the Mapiko tradition, encouraging the contact with an intangible cultural heritage.It is intended to produce such research sources based on primary data (pictures, videos, and interviews) collected on fieldwork performed in Mozambique, in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Maputo. It will also consider main bibliographic sources, and a selection and analysis of other resources produced and collected in these two places.For such a fieldwork, a formal connection with the University Eduardo Mondlane, in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, will be established. This is the largest university in the country where the Centre of African Studies and Natural History Museum are available besides the local history archives. At the university, it is intended to establish exchanges with students and teachers of the Arts School (ECA) through lessons and the offering of workshops.The research internship will be supervised by professor Evaristo Abreu, actor and theatre director with knowledge and experience with the use of Mapiko in the theatrical scene of Maputo.The forecast for the completion of the internship is between the months of October and November 2018.