CREATIVITY AT CAMP
Summer camp is not just about sports and outdoor activity; the arts and a youngster’s imagination play a big role, too
Creativity is defined as the ability to generate ideas that can be useful in problem solving, communicating with others, and more. As such, there are as many camps for creative kids as there are ways of being creative. Here are just a few:
Brila Creativity Campencourages children to think critically and be philosophical through the production of digital magazines as well as photography, theatre, film, and more. It’s based on a pedagogy that revolves around inquiry-based teaching, dialogue and multi-dimensional thinking.
“What makes our program a little unusual is that we actually do philosophy with children,” said Natalie Fletcher, an endorsed practitioneroftheInstituteforthe Advancement of Philosophy for Children as well as the founding director of Brila Youth Projects. “We had a camp on identity where kids were asking what it means to have a self, and whether free will exists. To explore the issue, they worked with a slam poet, wrote identity raps, and made mobiles to represent all the major aspects that they think define them.”
Creativity Camp sessions take place on Concordia University’s Loyola campus in N.D.G. from July 2 to 27. For more information, visit www.brila.org/camps_ en.html#top
Offered by Dawson College’s Centre for Training & Development (CTD), f/Start Photo Camp and Video Game Design Camp were developed based on pre-existing programs at the college, with top-of-the-line resource people. The f/Start camp offers digital photography at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, while the video game camp is for anyone who loves gaming and wants to learn about the design process.
“For the game design camp, teamwork is a huge part of it and I think that’s really important,” said Maeve Muldowney, CTD’s manager. “It’s a real collective experience, because every camper is tasked with creating a certain part of the game.
“It’s great for teenagers who might not necessarily be the most expressive.”
The Visual Arts Centre Summer Campis a nine-week fine arts camp with access to the McClure Gallery at 350 Victoria Ave. in Westmount. A different theme is explored every summer; last year’s was Montreal’s 375th anniversary and resulted in a collaborative installation that expressed the many ways in which we exist within our city.
The camp explores mediums like pottery, painting, drawing, textile art, and more.
“We recently added yoga to the program, so once a week the campers have a session in the gallery space. They also go to the Westmount swimming pool, so it’s a very well-rounded program,” said Tracy Grosvenor, who is director of the youth and teen program. “They’re not only being creative, but also physically active.”
The McGill Conservatory Day Camp offers a variety — 25, to be exact — of different programs such as music, stage performance, visual arts and media in a bilingual environment.
“Our philosophy is to offer an occasion for every camper to live a challenge and succeed in that challenge,” said Jennifer Pelletier, the camp’s supervisor. “Yes, it can be music or art, but it can also be for someone who’s shy, and has a hard time making friends — or for someone who wants to learn about being a camp counsellor, because we have a training program for teenagers.”
The show that campers put on at the end of camp is an opportunity for them to express their ideas and create. “When you’re creative, you’re actually working on your resilience, which is key,” Pelletier said.
At the Segal Centre Academy Camp, kids are trained in the art of performance — in singing, acting and dancing — and they work toward presenting a musical at the end of the two-week camp.
Past productions have included Newsies, The Lion King and The Wizard of Oz. “Talent is not a requirement; a great attitude and excitement are all we need,” said Liana Wiener, the director of the academy.
Participants also learn about costume, props and set design while working on skills like public speaking, self-confidence and teamwork.
“Yes we’re about putting on a play, but underneath it all it’ s about teaching kids to feel comfortable within themselves and to work together.”
Camp Musical Tutti, which has been operating for 24 years, is a sleepaway camp at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville. Founded by Esfir Dyachkov, who is a concert pianist as well as the musical director of the camp, Tutti stands out because of its trilingualism — instruction is in English, French and Russian — as well as the variety of courses offered, including choir, chamber music, orchestra, and more.
“What’s different about our camp is that it’s for any level, any instrument, any age,” Dyachkov said. “We also have access to one of the best concert halls in Quebec: Bandeen Hall.” Dyachkov’s main goal is to encourage students to love music, but what she enjoys most is seeing the impact it has on them.
Camp Amy Molson is a sleepaway camp for underprivileged kids who are referred by various community organizations whose mission is to provide a quality experience to kids who perhaps would not otherwise have the opportunity to benefit from summer camp, said Shauna Joyce, the camp’s executive director.
“The camp is an opportunity to be exposed to new things; it might be the first time that the kids are engaging in creative or artistic expression in a meaningful way,” Joyce said.
“The goal is to help them figure out what they’re interested in and find an outlet for some of their more challenging emotions.”
Founded in 1944 thanks to a land legacy left by Amy Molson for kids who came from orphanages, the camp is funded by Centraide.
Rock Camp for Girls & Gender Nonconforming Youth Montreal is a place where girls can get together to learn and make music in the name of empowerment and community building.
“It’s a week-long summer camp that fosters feminist ideology and activism among the kids that attend,” said Taharima Habib, the camp’s outreach and media director.
“The goal is for girls to rock in all aspects of life.”
The camp — which also offers a year-long program that addresses issues of identity, oppression, poverty and race — is an opportunity for participants to create bands, engage in intensive instrument instruction, write and record their own songs, and rock out on stage.
This year’s sessions run from July 30 to Aug .5; for more information, please visit http://girlsrock montreal.com online.
The Dollard Centre for the Arts Fine Arts Camp offers kids a creative learning experience in the visual arts as well as theatre and music, among other outdoor games and activities.
“It’ s a specialized camp where we nurture creativity, the imagination and culture,” said Megan Bradley, one of the camp’s supervisors. “Art is quite important in the world that we live in and, unfortunately, it’s not given the precedence that it should be. “It’s nice that we can say to the kids: “This is a place to create, be yourself and be safe.”
The camp (http://centreartdollard.com) uses the Dollard Civic Centre’s facilities and spacious grounds, and for the first time this year will be offering a new program for counsellors in training who want to learn first aid and receive a certification in babysitting.