Theatre Jacksonville
Media Release
May 8, 2020
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 8, 2020) – Registration is now open for Theatre Jacksonville’s summer theater arts camps, which are returning in a new virtual format called Creative Connectivity for Kids. In partnership with Magic Box Productions of New York, Theatre Jacksonville is offering four week-long interactive sessions that combine technology and entertainment to explore behind-the-scenes aspects of the theater and its processes.
“Taking full advantage of the fact that we are not limited geographically and thinking outside the box due to these unusual times, we are very excited to meet our youngest patrons where they are – at home – and offer our popular summer camps in a new format this year. Partnering with Magic Box Productions allows us to reach a broader audience and also bring in national guest teachers and artists from the wider world of theater,” said Education Director Ron Shreve.
The four weeks of Creative Connectivity for Kids will be offered in two consecutive sessions, with Session A running from June 8 through July 3 and Session B running from July 6 through July 31. Each session will focus on a unique “between the lines” aspect of theater and will utilize accessible and user-friendly virtual platforms.
The camps are open to children ages 7 to 14, and each four-week session costs $550. Individual weekly sessions can also be purchased separately for $150 each. Specific sessions include:
Week 1 – Stop Motion (Session A: June 8-12/Session B: July 6-10)
Students will learn the detailed art of stop motion, utilizing technology and materials found at home. The week will begin with an introduction to animation, developing the basic tools and culminating in a finished stop-motion short of students’ own making.
Week 2 – Radio Play (Session A: June 15-19/Session B: July 13-17)
Students will develop a unique story and from there be instructed how to utilize the materials in their home to create the soundscape of their tale. This session is an introduction to Foley Artists, who provided the sound during old radio plays, as well as the movies of today.
Week 3 – Newsroom (Session A: June 22-26/Session B: July 20-24)
There is no shortage of news in our current climate, but we often forget about the voices of those who are smaller than us. Since students navigate this world each day just like everyone else, they will create their own bustling newsroom with stories that mean something to them personally. The session will include how to perform in front of a green screen and keep the energy of a cohesive news report, all achieved with technology from the comforts of students’ own homes.
Week 4 – Virtual Museum (Session A: June 29-July 3/Session B: July 27-31)
With an introduction to photography, students will learn about composition, lighting, and story as they create their own gallery of moments captured through the eyes of another (photos taken from a bird’s eye or a bug’s eye view). The week will include an education about the ins and outs of curating an exhibit, which will culminate with the creation of a virtual tour of art from area museums.
“While Creative Connectivity programming is centered around virtual technology, each session is also designed to tap into creative engagement with many interactive tactile activities,” said Boone. “We have been able to combine the best in distance learning with an innovative immersion in the crucial components of the theater – both seeing and doing.”
To register for Creative Connectivity, visit www.theatrejax.com or call (904) 396-4425.
Photography/Artwork:
Theatre Jacksonville has opened registration for its popular summer camp, now a virtual learning experience called Creative Connectivity for Kids.
Summer theatre camps at Theatre Jacksonville for 2020 will be enhanced through a partnership with Magic Box Productions of New York to combine the best in virtual technology and interactive tactile activities, focusing on behind-the-scenes aspects of theater arts such as animation, sound and photography.
About Theatre Jacksonville
Theatre Jacksonville was founded in 1919 as The Little Theatre of Jacksonville, with the capital for the 1938 construction of the historic facility donated by Carl S. Swisher. It was reincorporated as Theatre Jacksonville in 1969 and named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Theatre Jacksonville has provided 100 years of uninterrupted community theater in Jacksonville.
Theatre Jacksonville’s mission is to enrich lives and broaden cultural understanding through community participation in theater arts. In addition to providing more than 100 performances each season of outstanding community theater featuring a regional cast of exceptionally talented playwrights, musicians, actors, designers and stagehands, Theatre Jacksonville reaches hundreds of students each year through summer camps, classes, field trips and in-school presentations.
Theatre Jacksonville also uses art to advance issues of local concern. From supporting veterans to nurturing arts and recreation, it fosters community partnerships to advance the culture, health, and well-being of Jacksonville. As Theatre Jacksonville anticipates its future, it also seeks to build a strong operational foundation to ensure that, just as endowed funds support the theater building, endowed funds will support theater operations. For more information or to donate, visit www.theatrejax.com.
About Magic Box Productions
Founded in 2006 by documentary filmmaker and Executive Director Nelle Stokes, Magic Box Productions is an award-winning nonprofit that provides exemplary media arts workshops that help students bridge the digital divide. Magic Box teaching artists help students create photography, video, animation, audio, and web-based projects, while building critical 21st century skills. Magic Box has provided more than 20,000 students, teachers, and parents with opportunities for creative expression, community and cultural connections, and access to new technologies. In a variety of hands-on media arts workshops, student participants have explored their lives and community, chronicled school and community events, and told their own original stories. Magic Box workshops also foster creativity and enhance academic success, harnessing the power of media arts and technology to heighten students’ engagement, ultimately making them more active learners. For more information, visit www.magicboxproductions.org.