One of the key ingredients that makes Centauri Arts Camp incredible is the camp’s warm sense of community. At the end of a session campers may leave, some may stay, while others are just arriving, but the spirit of cohesive kinship is a constant. Of course, the feeling of camp shifts based on the campers on site – but the presence of the signature Centauri community is constant.
My name is Maia and I was a camper at Centauri for six years before joining the counsellor team. 2018 will be my second year on staff. Throughout my time at camp, as both a camper and counsellor, my appreciation for the community has only grown. There is something unique about the Centauri community that is hard to grasp until you have experienced it. At Centauri, people gather for a common cause – a passion for the arts. Common interests are a uniting force in itself, yet the way in which these passions manifest at camp creates a bond seldom experienced elsewhere. The dedicated program directors produce a safe space devoted to learning and cultivating skill and passion. When a group of creative people work together to achieve an artistic goal, it is impossible not to grow as a unit and make incredible friends.
The Centauri community extends further than just the programs. From becoming like family in dorm groups, to having a blast in workshops, to meeting someone new in the ‘Play in a Day’ festival, to bonding in spirit suppers and evening programs: before you know it, the whole camp is a community made up of friends. This community-building starts on day one. Whether it is a camper’s first day at camp in their first year, or their first day at camp in their eighth year, the experience is the same. The sight of the counsellors smiling a welcome, wearing their silly yellow hats and waving warmly – right then, even the most nervous camper begins to feel excited, and at ease.
From then on, the counsellor team’s infinite capacity for creating fun and inciting connections makes every camper feel at home. The dorm groups at Centauri are just like families – campers spark fun together, but they also lean on one another for support. The opportunities for new and dynamic communities outside of programs and dorms are everywhere, as well. Festivals and workshops give campers the chance to interact with new people – and these interactions can develop into powerful friendships.
Centauri is made up of many pocket communities – but it is also its own community, created as we dance on chairs to Bohemian Rhapsody in the dining hall, or play Doop Ball together in free time. Even more importantly, the Centauri community is not only a strong one, it’s a really good one, too. Both staff and campers help create a nurturing and supportive space, tending the creative flame in each individual, and forming memories together that will be cherished all our lives.
The unique Centauri community can be summed up in one simple word – magic.
Centauri – The Magic of Community
By Maia Harris, Centauri Arts Camp Staff.
Maia Harris is a first year Political Science and Literary Studies student at the University of Toronto. 2018 will be her eighth summer at Centauri, and her second summer as part of the camp counsellor team.