Senior theatre arts major Cody Watkins shares his knowledge of theatre with a group of young students during the 2016 Cre8tive Drama Day Camp. During the camp, students learn drama structures and theatre standards. Photo by Lynn Willis
BOONE, N.C.—The Department of Theatre and Dance at Appalachian State University and Cre8tive Drama once again will present Cre8tive Drama Day Camp, a weeklong summer day camp filled with theatre activities for students 6-16 years of age. The camp costs $150 per student and runs Monday, June 26, through Friday, June 30, in the Valborg Theatre on the university campus.
Gordon Hensley, professor and theatre education and academic program director, will facilitate the camp along with trained teaching assistants. The Cre8tive Drama program focuses on eight drama structures: pantomime, drama games, storytelling, story drama, social drama, improvisation, process drama and puppetry. These structures help young students foster collaboration, communication and creative skills through self-expression and storytelling.
“The teaching assistants are students of our theatre education program who have taken the pedagogy courses for the grades with which they will be working,” says Hensley. “Our students get a real-world experience teaching drama before they reach the public school system.”
Theatre arts senior Grace Goldston works with students doing the 2016 Cre8tive Drama Day Camp. This year’s camp is offered for students ages 6-16 on Appalachian’s campus June 26-30. Photo by Lynn Willis
The mission of Cre8tive Drama is to “transform young people through drama and theatre arts. The camp uses process-style drama activities led by trained theatre teachers to develop and strengthen language and communication, problem-solving skills and an understanding of the art of theatre while encouraging a positive self-concept, social awareness, empathy, values and attitudes.”
“Drama and theatre are the primary ways children learn about life, about actions and consequences, about customs and beliefs, about others and themselves,” Hensley said. “This camp is unique because it focuses on the process instead of trying to produce a play in a week.”
The workshops are offered in age-appropriate blocks when possible. Block one is for ages 6-8, block two for ages 9-12 and block three for teens 13-16 years of age. Camp pre-registration is required by June 15. For a registration form and more information, visit http://theatreanddance.appstate.edu. All students must bring their own packed lunch and a refillable bottle of water. Light snacks are provided. Early drop-off and late pick-up are not available. For additional information, contact Gordon Hensley at hensleyg@appstate.edu.
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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