Green Pastures is hosting the first of three performing arts camps this weekend. The Performing Arts Camps have been in operation for more than 3 decades.
The camp for the performing arts was the brainchild of the late Ken Bradbury and Chuck West.
Green Pastures, located just 16 miles west of Jacksonville on U.S. 67 on the way to Meredosia, the camp comes alive with the sounds of music, dancing, and theater for students between fifth grade and who are a senior in high school.
Hope Cherry, one of the organizers of this year’s camp, says there are many ways to get signed up for the remaining two weekends: “Go to our website greenpasturesretreatcenter.org. Click on the menu that says ‘Camps & Events’ and then you can see all the times and dates of the upcoming camps this summer, specifically the Performing Arts Camps, which are June 9th & 10th, June 16th & 17th, and June 23rd & 24th. The cost is only $50, which is very reasonable for a 2-day, overnight camp. Even if people can’t pay, we still want kids to be there so don’t let cost be an issue for you if you want your child to attend.”
Campers are housed overnight in a dormitory. They are allowed to explore their talents at several different stations, or learn new talents and skills from the seasoned instructors who also happen to be the counselors. Cherry says that students will also have a chance to go fishing or hike on the grounds during down times. She says there are a number of things to explore in the fast-paced environment: “We have got performance sessions all weekend long. There will be opportunities for campers to show off their talents. If you’re a singer, you have a chance to sing in front of everyone. You can play an instrument. You can do maybe a skit or a speech that you did for class or competition during the school year. There’s many opportunities to perform solo or in a group. There’s also a chance to learn about the performing arts, as well. We have 5 different performance areas that all the campers will have a chance to go to which include dance, mime, drama, music, and art. Campers will get to spend about an hour and a half in each session, learn new skills, and many times get to perform that skill in front of the camp with your group.”
The camps start with check-in at 7:30AM on Friday with sessions beginning at 8AM. Pick up of the campers occurs at 9:30PM the following Saturday night.
For more information about the Green Pastures Performing Arts Camps, call 217-584-1374 or email contact@greenpasturesretreatcenter.org.