Fasnacht Carnival in Basel, Switzerland
Craig, Zann and Toby spent a month in Europe traveling, performing, offering mask and puppet workshops and, as one of the highlights of the adventure, attending the late night parade of wandering mask minstrels through the crooked streets of Basel.
There is a time honored, rich tradition in Europe of making fun of almost everything right at the beginning of Lent, in late February and/or early March. We loved the irony of the discordant 'mock military' drum and piccolo marching music. There was deep social comment to ponder as some of the illuminated sculptures graphically but tastefully depicted the difficulty of sex education in the public schools while other maskers fully dressed in plastic garbage scampered against the marching flow with large clothes pins plugging their large noses. Ultimately the otherworldly trance that the city of Basel cultivates through strange music, strange masks, strange humor and strange hours created a hypnotic and powerful festival.
We are inspired and have some special New Larval masks on for sale if you will click on the page and take a look. The 'Musicians' are particularly inspired by the Classic Basel masks. Check them out
