Australian soprano Claire Lyon knows all about wearing masks. Currently based in Seoul where she is playing Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera – one of the few live productions that has continued to run during the COVID-19 pandemic – she has been wearing a mask since the start of this year.

Claire Lyon with one of the masks available through The Masque Co.

Now, as mask-wearing becomes mandatory in Victoria and is recommended in New South Wales, Lyon has launched a business called The Masque Co. which is manufacturing bright, fun, eco-friendly masks. What’s more, $1 from every mask sold is donated to the Arts Wellbeing Collective, an Arts Centre Melbourne initiative that offers mental health support to workers in the performing arts industry.

The Phantom of the Opera has remained on the boards in Seoul because of the Korean’s government’s quick response to the coronavirus and the various containment, tracing and tracking methods it has put in place. Mask wearing is an essential part of that, so masks are worn everywhere, including in the theatre.

After finding that a mask was a part of her daily wardrobe, Lyon decided to start...