Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

This year’s Arts-in-Action Summer Camp is themed Memories, in honour of recently deceased cultural icons Narcenio ‘Señor’ Gomez, Samuel ‘Brigo’ Abraham and Sir Derek Walcott. The title is also taken from a classic calypso of the same name by the Mighty Sparrow where he sings into memory the names, lives and work of important cultural icons. Camp coordinator Taaliba Quashie said the decision was made to focus on these icons because “it is important to bring the children back to or at least help them remember some of these people and the work that they’ve done.”

Artistic director Patrice Briggs said “Arts-in- Action felt it timely to find ways of memorializing these important contributions to Caribbean cultural life and civilization, especially for a young generation who run the risk of (perhaps) never hearing these names. They will learn more about the past icons through the arts disciplines in which they will participate. We have developed a ritual where at the end of camp children get an opportunity to showcase their talents and discoveries in performance that they present to their parents, their aunts, their uncles, their grandparents, etc., and they feel proud because they made it happen.”
The camp, which is in its 26th year, enables children ages five to 12 to participate in costume making, drama, storytelling, drumming workshops and performance. Camp coordinator Taaliba Quashie said this year the camp will include water activities, memory days with activities such as hula hoop and hopscotch and aerobic sessions for health and fitness. “Our drama tutor this year will be doing Ti Jean and His Brothers and we will see how well we can incorporate the different aspects of the play and bring it together for our final presentation.”
Camp founder Dr. Dani Lyndersay said the purpose of the camp is two-fold. “It all has to do with audiences and building the creative arts thinking and mentality in our young children, giving them the opportunities to express themselves in a multitude of ways and giving the older ones, the tutors and the counsellors to share what they know because once they know something and they share it, then they also begin learning.”
Over the years, participants have grown up to become junior counsellors, senior counsellors and coordinators, and some have gone on to careers in the Arts. Briggs said resource persons are welcome and they learn how to engage with young children and develop leadership skills. “It’s an opportunity for students of our campuses to get opportunities to explore how to work with young children, especially if this is the field they want to get into in terms of studies.”
“Essentially, we are introducing our campers to treating with art production in the same way we do at Arts-in-Action; creating art with a social consciousness. In developing the annual Discovery Camp arts curricula, Arts-in-Action consciously draws on broader educational themes or domestic and international observances of relevance to our own cultural space.”
The two cycles of the camp will run July 10 – 29 and August 7 – 19. For more information, telephone 289-4242 and email email@artsinaction.org.