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

As Arts-in-Action (AiA), the Applied Creative Arts, Outreach Unit of the Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA), UWI St. Augustine, celebrates its 25^th anniversary as an Applied Creative Arts Company, it will be expanding its vacation camp programme. This year, the three camps being offered are Discovery Camp, Discovery by Stage and Discovery by Design.

AiA Artistic Director Patrice Briggs said the decision to offer the three types of camp came about following last year’s experiment of working towards a Children’s Theatre Production which engaged the public with performances on two different show days and times. “Since then we have taken the time to reflect and re-strategise as to where we see ourselves in carving a niche within the children’s and young people’s theatre industry in the Caribbean. Based upon these reflections, the decision was made that Discovery Camp 2019, for five to 13-year-old children, will take place over a four week period instead of three weeks in order to facilitate this process, including sessions in dance, drama, music and art, performance work, playing games, mini-water sports, and theatre performances. We are also seeking to develop an arm of youth who can be trained in stage performance and theatre production skills through the Discovery by Stage programme, aimed at 15- to 20-year-olds who will take the lead in the performance/production elements of the theatre production that is offered to the public at the end of the camp period. Alongside these two programmes we will continue to offer our Discovery by Design programne which targets 16- to 30-year-olds who have an interest in learning about the Technical Theatre Arts areas such as lighting, sound, set and stage management. Participants from this program work towards being the Technical Crew for the Arts-in-Action Theatre Arts Production at the end of the four-week period.”

She said as part of the anniversary celebration, Discovery Camp 2019’s theme is ‘Arts-in-Action @ 25’, where major camp themes which have been done over the years will be highlighted and celebrated. “Some of these will include: 2018 – Jumbie Birds, dealing with violence against women; 2017- Memories – Narcino Gomez and Derek Walcott; 2016 – Ole Story Time: A Tribute to Ma Story; 2015- Mabreka – First People’s Greeting; 2013- Making Mas’ – Supporting A Culture of Peace; 2012- Hearts of Gold -T&T’s 50th Anniversary; 2011- Saraka – Thanksgiving; 2010- Icons – Celebrating Our Culture; 2009 – Yes We can…..Go Green!; 2008 – We Making Art Oui!; and, 2007- Tell me a Story- Discovering Literacy through Storytelling.”

Briggs said AiA sees the need to engage, develop, train and build a cadre of children and youth to use theatre and performance as a means of expressing themselves. “If the arts is to survive then one first has to know what the arts is about. Arts-in-Action seeks to meet that need for our young ones to know, explore and experience the arts in a meaningful way, hence the purpose of an arts based camp and vacation programmes which centres its participants on a mission to discover themselves in, with and through the arts.”

All three AiA vacation arts-based programs done during the July period will work in tandem with each other and will climax with a grand Theatre Production, ‘Arts-in-Action @25!’, which will be done for three shows at the DCFA Lecture Rm 3 Cheeseman Building for the public on August 2, 3 and 4, 2019. The three camps run from July 8 to August 4, with auditions for Discovery by Stage taking place on June 29 and 30. For more information or to register for any one of the programmes, call 289-4242/384-9565/9561 or email email@artsinaction.org.