Highland County Arts Council to Offer Summer Drama Camp with The Wayne Theatre

School is officially out for the summer… now what are you going to do with those kids? 

The Highland County Arts Council has answered the call with a youth drama camp to be held June 17-21 from 10am-1pm at the Highland Center in Monterey. Students will learn the behind the scenes of theater acting, with the help of the Wayne Theatre, culminating in a performance for the community on Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 10 a.m. in the Highland Center pavilion. This camp is free to youth ages 8-18, but they must register in advance.

The Highland County Arts Council has partnered with The Wayne Theatre before, hosting monthly classes that cover improv, stage blocking, makeup techniques, stage blood making, stage combat, and public speaking and projection. Thanks to a local donor and grant funds provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Educational Impact Grant, both the camp and all previous classes have been offered for free. 

According to the Educational Resources Information Center, Theater education benefits are numerous and powerful and exist across student populations, age levels and learning environments. Theater education can help young people develop a strong sense of self and identity, build empathy and learning among peers and broaden the ways they make meaning of the world around them.

Jaxson Will, a Highland 4th Grader, has participated in several of the theater classes and workshops offered by The Highland County Arts Council and The Wayne Theatre. Here’s why these experiences are important to him:

To register your child, go to highlandcountyartscouncil.org. Click on upcoming events and choose Youth Drama Camp 2024. Accomodations can be provided for those with special needs, if requested in advance. Space is limited to 20 participants, with two teaching artists from The Wayne Theatre teaching and an assistant from The Highland County Arts Council.