Summer 2024 Camps
TACAW 2024 Summer Camps
TACAW’s summer camp lineup gives Roaring Fork Valley youth meaningful exposure to the performing arts and will foster self-discovery through direct experience through artmaking. The performing arts and expression are powerful tools for building a resilient and well-rounded community. TACAW remains committed to the continued development of the next generation of artists and audiences.
Our offerings:
Please reach out to Anna Feiss at afeiss@tacaw.org if you have any questions.
Para descripciones en español, haga clic en “Select Language” arriba y seleccione “Spanish.”
Scholarships are available for summer camps on a rolling basis. We encourage prompt sign-up as awards are issued as funding allows. Please email afeiss@tacaw.org for scholarship inquiries if you need financial assistance to make camp possible.
We cannot guarantee scholarships will be awarded to all worthy applicants in the amounts requested.
Your Brain, Onstage!
- July 15 – 19
- Ages: 11 – 13
- Price: $375
- Location: The Arts Campus at Willits – 400 Robinson St Basalt, CO 81621
Brain Science takes center stage in this unique camp encompassing brain science and theater arts! The week-long camp for rising 4th – 6th graders culminates in a performance at TACAW for an invitation-only guest audience. Students will participate in experiential learning by putting neuroscience on its feet for an audience. This camp takes the concept ‘if you can explain it then you’ve really got it’ to a new level…if you can ACT it then you’ve REALLY got it! Participants will take away observable knowledge of brain function along with skills and tools to help them self-regulate, manage behavior, and thrive – on stage and off!
The week’s activities will consist of theater and acting classes, and rehearsing the FocusedKids “Brain Play” and will have opportunities for “non-performers” to participate in costume and set construction. Supplementary to the theater components of the camp students will learn about the brain, its parts, and their respective functions and also participate in engaging neuroscience lessons developed by the Aspen Science Center. This unique offering will engage students with an interest in science and the arts alike.
¡La ciencia del cerebro ocupa un lugar central en este campamento único que abarca la ciencia del cerebro y las artes teatrales! El campamento de una semana para estudiantes de 4º a 6º grado culmina con una actuación en TACAW para los invitados. Los estudiantes participarán en el aprendizaje experiencial poniendo la neurociencia en pie ante una audiencia. Este campamento lleva el concepto “si puedes explicarlo, entonces realmente lo tienes” a un nuevo nivel… si puedes ACTUAR, entonces ¡REALMENTE lo tienes! Los participantes obtendrán conocimientos observables sobre la función cerebral junto con habilidades y herramientas para ayudarles a autorregularse, gestionar el comportamiento y prosperar, ¡dentro y fuera del escenario!
Las actividades de la semana consistirán en clases de teatro y actuación, y ensayos del “Brain Play” de FocusedKids y tendrán oportunidades para que los “no artistas” participen en la construcción de vestuario y escenografía. Además de los componentes teatrales del campamento, los estudiantes aprenderán sobre el cerebro, sus partes y sus respectivas funciones y también participarán en interesantes lecciones de neurociencia desarrolladas por el Aspen Science Center. Esta oferta única atraerá a los estudiantes interesados tanto en las ciencias como en las artes.
Suzanne Vitullo is a teacher of 20+ years who is passionate about working with children and their parents. She is so excited to teach Your Brain On Stage with TACAW because of the creative blend of brain science and the theatre arts. She loves teaching kids social-emotional learning and helping them find their inner resources through mindfulness tools and practices. She has taught at Basalt Elementary, Crystal River Elementary, and Colorado Mountain College. Suzanne is a K-12 teacher, a yoga instructor, a Mindful Parenting coach, and the creator of Breathe Parenting, LLC, which teaches parents tools and practices to find calm in the chaos of family life.
Micha Schoepe studied Musical Theatre Performance in Leipzig, Germany. He played roles in a variety of theatre productions before touring internationally with a-cappella group, vocaldente. One tour led to Colorado, where he met his husband, Paul. Micha runs an Airbnb and is locally active as a singer, actor, and director. Micha also teaches private voice lessons: www.michaelschoepe.com
Teatro de Calle / Street Performance Camp
- July 22 – 26
- Ages: 7 – 11
- Price: $375
- Location: The Arts Campus at Willits – 400 Robinson St Basalt, CO 81621
This fully bi-lingual camp takes all of the joy of performing on the stage out into the streets for interactive and community-oriented fun. Students will learn, devise, and create their own performances and paper puppets and lean into embodied storytelling. Drawing from diverse traditions such as contemporary dance, mime, and physical theater, campers will immerse themselves in collaborative performance creation and share their works in performances for community members and parents in our surrounding parks.
Este campamento bilingüe lleva toda la alegría de actuar en el escenario a las calles para una diversión interactiva y orientada a la comunidad. Los estudiantes aprenderán, idearán y crearán sus propias actuaciones que se realizaran en la narración encarnada. A partir de diversas tradiciones como la danza contemporánea, el mimo y el teatro físico, los campistas se sumergirán en la creación colaborativa de espectáculos y compartirán sus trabajos en espectáculos para miembros de la comunidad y padres en nuestros parques circundantes.
Livier Cruz, a Mexican actress, puppet maker, entertainer, and children’s monitor. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and media arts. Her personal interests and passion focus on the Performing Arts and entertainment. She creates, produces, directs, and performs her own spectacles for her company “Brillantina”, theater and puppets for children.
Gabriela Alvarez Espinoza was born in Mexico City, where she studied theater at the National School of Theater; she specialized in Performing Arts Studies in Lyon, France, and in 2020 obtained a postgraduate degree in Theater and Education from the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona. Gabriela moved to the USA in 2016 and has collaborated with Dance Initiative, Alya Howe, VOICES & recently in the play Native Gardens for the Sopris Theatre Company. She directed Nuestras Voces Teatro En Español in 2021 and served as an Assistant Director during the 2022 Women’s VOICES Theater Project. She also works as a kindergarten teacher at BES, where she pursues her interests in community and education.
FILM CAMP WITH ASPEN FILM / SOLD OUT
- August 5 – 9
- Ages: 10 – 16
- Price: $450
- Location: The Arts Campus at Willits – 400 Robinson St Basalt, CO 81621
Make Movie Magic! Film Camp is a one-week, all-day immersive dive into the world of filmmaking. 10 to 16-year-olds will learn new ways to express themselves and gain valuable hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment while collaborating with their peers to produce their own short films and videos. During this weeklong adventure, each camper will become involved in every step of the process, from operating the camera to manning the boom mic, to editing the final cut. Students will explore fun new ways to channel their inner superpowers using green screen technology, props, and special effects. Bilingual instruction and a small student-to-teacher ratio ensure a memorable and entertaining experience.
¡Haz mágica tu propia película! Film Camp es un campamento de verano donde descubrirás el mundo del cine. Durante una semana, los niños de 10 a 16 años aprenderán nuevas formas de expresarse y obtendrán una valiosa experiencia práctica utilizando equipos modernos, trabajando con sus compañeros para producir sus propios cortometrajes y vídeos. Durante esta aventura, cada integrante participará en cada paso del proceso, desde operar la cámara hasta manejar el micrófono y editar el montaje final. Los estudiantes experimentarán nuevas y divertidas formas de explorar sus superpoderes internos utilizando tecnología de pantalla verde, accesorios y efectos especiales. Habrá guía bilingüe y grupos reducidos de estudiantes por maestro, que te aseguran una experiencia divertida que nunca olvidarás! ¡Acompáñanos!
MATT BAXTER
Matt is a Denver-based filmmaker who believes in the positive impact of quality original work. Specializing in post-production, Matt’s work has aired on Rocky Mountain PBS numerous times. Focused on fulfilling his clients’ creative vision, he has collaborated with the National Governors Association, Colorado Office of Economic Development and the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. Matt also serves as a post production instructor at the Colorado Film School, which has been nationally recognized as one of the top film programs in the country.
LIVIER CRUZ GUERRERO
Livier Cruz is a Mexican actress, puppet maker, entertainer, and child monitor. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Arts and has formal Theater training in Spain and Mexico City. Her personal interests and passions focus on the Performing Arts and entertainment. She is happy to be part of Aspen Film as the Education Coordinator.
Please reach out to Anna Feiss at afeiss@tacaw.org with any questions.
All program fees are due at the time of registration. No summer camp refunds will be processed after July 1, 2024. Scholarship applications will be live from February 10 until February 25 and will be accessible on this page. Please contact Anna Feiss if payment plans are needed.
workshops // Songwriting Workshop for Teens
- Age 13+
- June 11-13
- 9AM – 3PM
- Location: The Arts Campus at Willits – 400 Robinson St Basalt, CO 81621
Join us as we explore the creative side of music making. This workshop will cover the fundamentals of songwriting, how to craft melodies, lyrics and chords that work together, and tools for getting past writer’s block. Students are welcome to bring any songs they have been working on or can show up with a blank page and pencil ready to write.They will have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers in addition to receiving one-on-one support from songwriting mentors. Some prior music experience is helpful but not necessary, instruments are welcome. Scholarships are available.
Instructors: Natalie Spears and Eric Lamb
Local performer and music educator, Natalie Spears, is excited to dive into the songwriting process with the creative youth of the Roaring Fork Valley. Her education style weaves together a background in private music instruction, outdoor education, and performance. She loves songwriting as a vehicle for expression and collaboration.
Eric Lamb teaches English and French at Roaring Fork High School. He is an outdoor sports enthusiast, grateful to live in one of nature’s best playgrounds. Eric is a musician/founding member of local band, The Confluents (@confluentsband), and is proud to be dad to Elliot and partner to dynamic wife, Cassidy.