Examining masks using slow looking

This activity has been inspired by the theory of ‘slow looking’ which is most commonly used in museums and art galleries to support visitors to engage with pieces of art more meaningfully. The Tate Museum offers some very helpful top tips on how to facilitate and encourage slow looking.

The six images in this activity have been specifically selected to represent the numerous ways in which masks are used and how different masks look depending on their purpose and use. They encourage learners to think more holistically about masks before and after the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to interrogate some of the ways that masks dominated public discussions between 2020-22.

This is the first activity in a series of resources designed around masks. See the others below:

• Masks within performance
• Masks as a means of self expression
• Masks as a symbol of protest
• Masks as a means of protection

SHAPE is a collective name for social sciences, humanities and the arts. SHAPE subjects play a vital role within our communities and in shaping our lives – past, present and future. SHAPE skills give us the tools to enact change and allow us to better understand the world by providing a myriad of ways to express, analyse and interpret our global world and human experiences.

For more information about the underpinning principles of the resources, visit our website.