The Camp...
By Julie & Craig Hartley (Directors)
Centauri
started out as a dream! Born and raised in the North of England, we both
fell in love with
Canada after working holidays in Ontario during our
student days. Our dream was to open a special place here in Canada where
artistic youth could come together to create a unique community,
united by their love of the arts. We wanted our summer arts camp to be
nurturing and to link young people from all over the world. While most camps emphasised sports and outdoor activities, ours would invite young people to
grow through the arts.
In 1994 our dream became a reality! After years of preparation, we emigrated to Ontario, armed with combined skills that included teaching, management, summer camps and child care as well professional experience in theatre arts and creative writing. The following summer, ‘Centauri Summer Arts Camp’ opened its doors for the first time with just 54 campers and 12 staff in a single session. Fourteen years later, we welcome almost 500 young people from 14 different countries, over four sessions each summer. We have a talented staff of 46 arts professionals and counsellors. Some of our counsellors now were campers with us during our first years!
Sometimes our campers tell us it’s inspiring for them to see that hard
work and passion can make dreams come true. We tell them that every new
session at Centauri, with its exciting opportunities and new campers and
staff, represents the beginning of a brand new dream for us all.
Check out Julie's web site here
Click here to read about our staff