If you have not sat and listened to a six year old little kid, you haven’t lived yet. Even Bill Cosby paid homage to the creativity of a child’s mind with his TV program: “Kids Say the Darndest Things.”
Earlier this month I had the privilege to visit New Brunswick’s George Street Playhouse Summer Theatre Academy, an artistic twist to summer camps. I won’t boggle you with details of the camp; visit http://www.georgestreetplayhouse.org/theatreclass/summertheatreacademy to learn more about it.
But I do want to go into great detail of my gratifying afternoon. My first pleasure was to be entertained and inspired at the Academy sharings. Breathtaking! There are so many outrageous adjectives that would still fall short of the powerful impact a child in the arts has on any audience. The first group was the 5-8 year old students’, “Songs as Stories”, followed by the brave at heart 9-12 year olds and concluded with the magnificent 13-18 year old students. This was just a private academy sharing to mark progress in the process of their artistic development. But you’re in LUCK!
Performances (Free and Open to the Public) on the Main Stage at GSP:
Original Play by Rising Company (Ages 9 -12) – Friday, July 30th at 2 pm
Original Musical by Teens (Ages 13-17, Young M Company) – Friday, July 30th at 3 pm
Original Play by Teens (Ages 13-17, Young Company) – Friday August 6th at 3 pm
My deepest pleasure was the one on one interaction with some campers and staff. With a brief interview I received insight on the structure of the camp, but most importantly, the magic. The biggest thing they desired to share were the outstanding talents of Jim Jack. Not of his artistic talents, however I am sure they are superb, but as the Educational Director of the camp, they spoke highly of his expectations. Director Jack, according to his team, exceedingly expects excellence from his students, and with loving support pushes them to not only reach a high level of distinction, but surpass it.
The arts for these kids mean so much more than finger-paint and chaotic movement; this academy builds character and confidence. It allows for one to discover the self. A 7 year-old student, Nyssa, defined art as,” expressing emotional feeling.” A first year intern summed up the vast existence of art, in one simple phrase, “life’s release valve.”
Regardless of the vast definitions of art, one thing was agreed upon: the importance of art in a child’s development. Artistic exploration develops skills to build upon for future success: team work, problem solving, innovation and more. Unquestionably, this camp is a venue for exploration and discovery.
Discovering more…
