Campers will work together to develop their own skit and then create everything needed for the show, from props to costumes. At the end of camp, they will present a full-costumed performance!
Campers are encouraged to be creative, work as a team and take responsibility for the outcome of their efforts. The day will start with a circle where the kids get to know one another. The camp staff introduces the framework for the skit and then the kids give input on what they would like to include to fit the theme.
The director, Carl Brush, and the music director, Anna Orias, find songs to be the recurring theme in the skit. The kids are then assigned lines and actions to fit the plot.
Campers give their input on the costumes and how they can be created out of the supplies on-hand. They can also add their own ideas and develop them through problem-solving methods that are fun and creative.
This format allows for kids to set their own pace and work in both small and large teams. It is amazing to see how kids group together in different ways to produce the final show–little kids work with big kids, all supporting each other! New friendships form and kids learn how to troubleshoot and manage their emotions through the creative process. Kids, counselors and teachers go through the creative process; which is simultaneously challenging, exciting, slow and fast; to come up with the exhilarating final show.
These camps are great fun; both parents and kids often say they are “impressed” and that it is “their favorite camp”.
When kids are given the opportunity to be taken seriously with their art, they go through the growth process which leaves them feeling stronger and more confident. When we spend the day on a huge to-do list, the kids often go home and say they spent the entire day having “free time” at camp.
This is because the ability to choose their own projects and pace gives them a sense of freedom with their schedules and their outcomes. Some kids work on every project and become 100% involved in the camp process while others pace themselves, observe and take it more slowly.
These different approaches are all part of the creative process and team collaboration that is necessary to create great art, which is our goal for these mini camps!