Session 1, 2010 new photos available!
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 16, 2010
We have just uploaded the final photos from session 1, 2010 at Centauri Arts Camp. There are some great photos of the Stage combat camps, Musical Theatre, Dance, Fine Art, Theatre, Playwriting and Performance, and many more!
The photos are available at http://www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2010/
There are also a few video clips on our youtube video page at www.youtube.com/centauricamp
Our First Banquet of the summer…
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 10, 2010
Cultural Banquet Day is a big event at Centauri… and yesterday was ‘it’! We celebrated China. Campers learned Chinese watercolour technique, and took a workshop on how to make Chinese dumplings (many of our campers have the recipe and want to try it again at home!). We learned Mandarin, and played games to discover how to use chopsticks. Campers also helped with the construction of a giant Chinese dragon!
Then, the banquet. With the dining hall decorated as a Chinese banqueting hall, we wore red for good luck, and ate lemon chicken, ginger beef, sesame tofu, rice noodles, Asian soup and much more. We had a parade of famous figures from Chinese history, and learned a song in Mandarin. Once dinner was eaten, campers took cultural ‘experiences’ such as Tai Chi and ‘making Chinese candy’.
Then, the Grand Finale. In our big theatre, campers waited in anticipation in mysterious red light, while others entered underneath our spectacular Chinese dragon. We banged drums while the dragon danced. It looked amazing! Finally, the evening ended with the telling of a traditional Chinese folk story, accompanied by traditional folk music.
A terrific day was had by all.
The mood here is fantastic right now. So positive and upbeat. The campers are leaping onto their chairs and singing in the dining hall whenever we play a song they know. ALL the dorms are harmonious. It’s wonderful. Everything we love about camp. Happy kids learning new skills, making new friends and discovering more about themselves, in an environment where they can be inspired, excited and creative. It doesn’t get more perfect than that!
Julie
Centauri Arts Camp – THE BATMAN EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
Posted by centauri in Camp Events, Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 9, 2010
Over the past couple of days we’ve celebrated one of the biggest festivals of the summer, and the ‘big’ festival of session one! Camp became Gotham City… And we began with a spectacular mass-breakout of the villains in Arkam, while the campers cheered and hooted. Then, they turned around to see Batman waiting for the villains on the dorm porch… With the sun setting behind him! GASP!!! Hard to believe it was Evan in costume!
The Batman Festival was a day-long role-playing adventure in which every single camper became a citizen of Gotham, and got to pit themselves against the villains… The Riddler, Poison Ivy, The Joker, and more. We banded together in an attempt to prevent the ‘villains’ from stealing parts of a powerful ancient artifact hidden all over Gotham City. It was pretty hot, so we broke in the middle of the aftenoon for water games… Then proceeded with a ‘formal’ meal in Wayne Mansion, and a final face-off between the villains and Batman! In an awesome ’staged’ combat sequence, the villains were finally defeated and good was restored to the world.
After a day of cheering, plotting, creating characters and living in an exciting imaginary world full of villains and heroes, everyone was tired. The day ended differently for each dorm group, with a relaxing, extended bedtime program. Some groups went stargazing. Others watched a movie together. A fabulous time was had by all.
Julie
Centauri Arts Camp – Batman Festival Photos !
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps on July 7, 2010
Bat Man Festival Photos are now up at
http://www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2010/
Day 2, Session 1, 2010 at Centauri Arts Camp
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 6, 2010
Okay… It’s HOT! And since many families have emailed to enquire how we cope with the heat here at Centauri we thought it might be worth a blog!
Day two of the session began with workshop announcements, a singing of the camp song, and the first extended period of time in program. Every camper was carrying a full waterbottle. After all, most of the problems people experience with heat are from lack of fluids. We have water fountains, large coolers of iced water and plentiful water and juice in the dining hall. And the staff make sure everyone remembers to drink.
We have water games stations set up on both sides of the dorms for use in all free times – including large wading pools filled with cups and sponges, a slip-and-slide, garden hoses, giant water soakers, sprinklers and other things. As our small, above ground pool is out of action for this week, we’re also offering all campers a chance to visit the water park at Byng Provincial Park, 10 minutes away.
We have an advantage many camps don’t: air-conditioning. Our theatre, dance studio, film studios and clown room are all air-conditioned. Other rooms have air circulation systems, and most buildings are stone, which means they always feel several degrees cooler when you walk in from outside. Most dorms chose to spend their dorm hour enjoying activities in air-conditioned spaces. But with all this to offer, the most important way to cope with the fun is simply to stay enthusiastic and positive – something our campers and staff seem to do very well indeed. In our experience, if we all drink a lot and wear hats, and we inspire our campers to love what they are doing, then the heat is nothing more than a minor inconvenience!
We had a ‘March of the Penguins’ spirit supper tonight. There was a lot of cheering – so much that it was hard at times to tell what was going on! Dorms had penguin eggs to ‘protect’, and fun games to compete in. Tonight’s evening program involves filming little musical theatre pieces – and at an arts camp, that’s usually very popular.
More blogging after our much-anticipated “Batman Festival” in two days’ time!!
Julie
Summer 2010 is underway at Centauri Arts Camp!
Posted by centauri in Centauri Arts Camp, Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 6, 2010
Unlike several arrival days over the past couple of years, the weather was fantastic – glorious sunshine and a light breeze. Returning campers said again and again “I’ve been waiting all year for this moment!” as they hauled their bags into their dorms. Meeting the bus from Toronto was a fantastic moment. Several staff members ran out, laughing and cheering and waving to the campers on the bus as it pulled into camp. Many of them were new, and looked nervous and unsure at first. It was wonderful to see their uncertainty turn to smiles as we helped them carry their bags to the dorms, and introduced them to their counsellors. One camper was joining us on the advice of a friend now too old to come to camp. “I can see why my friend liked it here,” she said within moments of arriving.
Our first evening program of the summer was the ‘4th July Celebrations’. The Founding Fathers had – in our backstory – lost the colonies in a food fight with the British (I got to play the British, of course!!). The dorm groups had to undertake bizarre team challenges set by the founding fathers, in an effect to amass points, to see which dorm would get to challenge the Brits to a rematch. At the end of an evening in which dorms laughed together and got to know each other, the victors were B5. While I gave a pompous speech, in character on stage, about why the British would always be better in food fights, the campers sneaked up behind me with TWELVE plates of chocolate pudding. While the campers howled with laughter in the audience, I got sauce poured in my hair, all over my clothes and even in my shoes! Of course, the goal was to show everyone we’re not the kind of directors who sit in the camp office all summer… we’re active all the time around camp, and very approachable. Unfortunately, B1 – our youngest boys – were sitting a little too close to the stage, and got a bit splattered with pudding, too. They’ve suggested I should band with them to play a prank on B5 as payback!
It was a wonderful first day of the summer. After hot chocolate, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset. Campers sat on the porches strumming guitars, laughing with new friends and playing games before wandering in for bedtime program.
So, Centauri 2010 is underway!
Julie
The International Tour for 2011!
Posted by centauri in International Arts Tour on June 15, 2010
We then spend a day in Oxford, before travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon. The Royal Shakespeare Company has spend the past 5 years building a fantastic new theatre – and we’ll see at least 2 productions there. It’s a chance to see, live and up close, some of the world’s greatest classical actors and teachers.New Online Film Contest for Youth
Posted by centauri in Acting Camp, Arts Camps, Arts and Culture, Film Camps on May 17, 2010
We were notified today of a new Online Video Contest for Kids and Teens. Here are the details:
On June 17th 2010 Filmpossible will be launching, an online video contest in which youth are challenged to create videos under two minutes in length that bring visibility to disability. Videos can tell someone’s story, illustrate changes we can make or dispel myths surrounding disability. Winners will be determined by a panel of celebrity judges and online public voting. There are some terrific prizes to be won, including a cash prize of $5000 for the winner, but more importantly, youth will play a role in creating a world where children with disabilities can live as full participants. The website is www.filmpossible.ca
Calling all High School Writers!
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps, Writing Camp, Writing Camps on May 11, 2010
Did you know there is a creative writing magazine based in New York that has a section specifically for high school writers? They welcome submissions of poetry and short stories, and appear to be very encouraging to new writers as well. You may want to check them out if you are a writer – but don’t forget to read the submissions guidelines carefully, before sending anything off! The magazine is ‘Hanging Loose’ , and you can find out more about them at www.hangingloosepress.com
Don’t forget Centauri also offers some amazing writing camps for teens! Our writing camps include writer’s workshops, poetry, play-writing and more!
A Summary of our 2010 Writing Summer Camps!
Session 1 Writing Camp: Play Writing & Performance (ages 14-18)
Session 2 Writing Camp: Creative Writing: Rock, Paper, Scissors! (ages 9-14)
Session 3 Writing Camp: Forms and Formlessness: A Poet’s Odyssey (ages 13-18)
Session 4 Writing Camp: Stop Making Sense! A Writer’s Workshop (ages 14-18)
Session 4 Writing Camp: Words in Action: POP Theatre! (ages 14-18)
Check out the full descriptions of the writing workshops at
http://www.centauriartscamp.com/summer-camps/writing-camp-programs.htm
Toronto Student Film Festival Screening
Posted by centauri in Arts and Culture, Film Camp, Film Festival, Film festivals on April 26, 2010
On Saturday night, I attended the Toronto Student Film Festival, at the Regal Theatre in Toronto. Two of Centauri’s campers helped run the event this year (Spencer and Andrew) and it was great! The showcase of the films was an excellent mix of music videos, short films, documentaries and animation from young filmmakers under the age of 20. The judges included Deepa Mehta, Paul Gross and Niv Fichman.
Centauri was proud to sponsor one of the awards for “Best Overall Second Place” and our congratulations go to Jared Pelletier for the film “Haunted Soldier”!
You can check out the details of the festival at www.tsff.ca
Can’t wait for next year!
Craig