The costumes, masks and musical instruments that are part of
these performances reflect long-held traditions but also reveal how
contemporary makers, musicians and performers reinterpret
traditions for their own times.
Click on any of the images of objects below to see a larger
version of the object and find out more about it.
Almost every culture around the world has a tradition of
masquerades and masks. Entertainment or inspiration, instruction or
healing – masquerades are organised in many settings. The energy
created between a masked performer and an audience can transform
any space into a stage.
On display are masks from around the world, including Japan,
Spain, Papua New Guinea, the Ivory Coast and Sri Lanka. Worn at
funerals, religious festivals, coming of age ceremonies and
community celebrations, each mask has its own unique
characteristics.
Sacred performance
Across the world, people bring spiritual thoughts and teachings
to life through dance, costume, music and song. Sacred performances
are meant to transform both the participant and the
observer.
In Tibetan Buddhism, ritual dances know as Cham are enacted
by monks to bring blessings on the whole community. You can see
costumes from these dances in the gallery.
People and performance
Many people have a time when they set aside their daily life to
gather together for a large community performance. Everyone plays a
part – making and repairing costumes, preparing food, rehearsing
dances or clearing a space for the performance.
Elaborate masks and costumes from Ghana’s Fancy Dress Parades
take pride of place in the gallery. Only men and boys wear the
costumes and must pay to be members of their local Fancy Dress
organisation and for the right to participate.
Above: Masks in the Performance and Lives gallery.
Music making
Music is brought to life through the contributions of many
people – those who pass down knowledge, makers that create musical
instruments, composers who write tunes and the audience which hears
and responds to the energy of the performance. Each person adds
their voice to the mix, adapting the song or instrument to create a
performance to stir you to action, bring you to tears, or fill you
with a sense of belonging.
This gallery contains over 100 musical instruments, many of
which were collected by Jean Jenkins (1922-1990), a renowned
broadcaster and museum curator whose passion was capturing and
sharing music traditions from across the world. You can learn more
about Jenkins’ travels around the world, listen to recordings, and
even mix your own global music track using our World Music
Composer.
Don’t miss…
Don’t miss the exciting new acquisitions that will be on display
in the Performance and Lives gallery, including a beautiful violin
made by Shetland fiddle-maker Ewen Thomson and a harmonica from
Brazil.
You can test your musical abilities on four original instruments
created by Victor Gama, a Portuguese-Angolan artist and composer.
These unique instruments are designed to be communal, sounding more
harmonious when played by more than one person.