VM Picks: Top 2017 Vancouver Summer Camps for Kids, Camp Monarch

April 20, 2017

Looking for a creative or active summer camp? One that keeps the kids brains or bodies engaged? Well our VM Picks: Top Vancouver Summer Camps list features some of our favourite camps for kids. We connected with Erin Deighton, Founder, Director, Music Instructor of Camp Monarch about their creative performance summer camp.

Give us a brief description of your Summer Camps

Camp Monarch is an annual two-week summer day camp intended for children with a genuine interest in music, art, dance and musical theatre. Campers of all abilities are welcome.Director, Erin Deighton, has been running arts camps for the past 14 years. Monarch Arts Education’s goal is to motivate children to achieve their true potential in the arts within a positive and encouraging environment.

Each day, campers have classes in fine art, music, dance and musical theatre, all taught by professionals in their field. Campers are divided into groups according to age and experience.

The second week of the summer camp finishes with a spirited performance for family and friends. The performance is followed by a reception and gallery showcasing the camper’s art projects!

Register for Monarch Summer Camp!

What makes your summer camps unique?

Campers are involved in every aspect of the camp show: they sing songs, accompany themselves on percussion instruments, create the sets, help with the choreography, and tell the story through dialogue and narration, all with a focus on highlighting and developing their strengths and challenging them to grow as young artists. Because students are so central to the creative process, they gain self-confidence to create and explore in the arts that extends far beyond the time we share together at the camp.

What are some of the highlights of your camps this summer?

The highlight of the camp is always the final show! Campers are so excited to share what they have learned with their friends and family.

What will kids learn at your camp?

This year we are exploring folk tales from Japan, Nigeria and the West Indies. Campers will immerse themselves in the stories, art, music and dance of these cultures.In art campers use paint, pencils, crayons, fabric, modelling clay, papier-mâché and found objects to create masterpieces through painting, drawing, weaving, collage, and printmaking. We also design and fabricate sets and instruments to play for the final Camp Monarch show.

A Q&A with Academie Duello Knight Camp

Each afternoon in musical theatre, campers explore movement and gestures to express feelings and ideas, participate in choral speaking, and use mime to depict an imaginary objects. Campers also play drama games and learn to project their voices on stage. It is amazing to see the campers’ self-confidence grow as the camp progresses!

Give us a quick tip(s) on how to prepare kids for Summer Camps?

Make sure your child is involved in selecting their summer camps. This way, you can be sure that they are going to be doing something of interested to them. However, if you know that they enjoy the arts but they haven’t tried dance before, encourage them to try something new, especially if it isn’t the only focus of the camp!