Arts camp closes with performance

It’s getting on to that time of the year when all those summer camps that opened with such a bang are now winding down. For those attending sessions at the Institute of Creative Arts, what better way to graduate than with a performance. News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports.

Tanya Carter, Camp Coordinator
?We had three camps. We had singing, steel band at House of Culture and we had dance back in the studio. And the three camps consisted of seventy-five kids.?

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
And after two weeks of lessons, today those kids showed off their newly acquired skills on stage at the Bliss.

Kendra Griffith
?Did it take long for you to learn the song??

Kursha Pollard, Steel Pan
?No ma?am. Just one day and I learn it. I?m a person who?s easy to learn.?

Kendra Griffith
?You plan to continue playing the steel pan??

Kursha Pollard
?Yes ma?am.?

Dyllan Lawrence, Steel Pan Student
?I learnt a lot, I didn?t even know how to play a steel pan. It was very fun. I learnt very much from it.?

Myron Pollard, Steel Pan Student
?It?s not hard, it?s just it?s easy to learn.?

Kendra Griffith
?You mi know fi play the steel pan before you come?

Myron Pollard
?No.?

Kendra Griffith
?What you like about the steel pan??

Myron Pollard
?I like how it goes and how it sounds. It sounds really good.?

Kendra Griffith
?What all did you learn to do??

Amauri Munoz, Singing Student
?How to breathe and how to sing out loud and I wasn?t shy.?

Kendra Griffith
?Now, were you always a singer??

Amauri Munoz
?Yes, but always dream to be a singer.?

Kendra Griffith
?Do you get nervous when you sing in front of people??

Amauri Munoz
?Sometimes, not always.?

Kendra Griffith
?But that noh stop you??

Amauri Munoz
?No.?

Gilbert Henry, Dancing Student
?The hardest one is ballet, because of the toe and stretching, very painful. Most guys think dancing is for girls, but not only girls can dance. Boys can. Most guys would think that somebody?s freaky, but I?m not freaky.?

And this year, even the big kids got into the camp.

Michael Pitts, Singing Student
?Noh really have anything else to do at this moment. I love singing, so I hear about the whole singing, and I know Tanya and Ernestine and other people, and I have my friends along with me too. So I decide to join it too cause I love singing.?

Kendra Griffith
?Unu dah the Three-Five. Will we expect an album fi come out a the Three-Five after this like how unu di try establish unu self??

Michael Pitts
?Yeah, if we could if people out dah could help us out. I noh mind, we could start something. The Three-Five go off.?

With the camp being hailed a solid success ICA says they?re planning to bring it back every year.

Tanya Carter
?Because we?re ICA, Institute of Creative Arts, so we?re trying to put the arts pan the forefront mek the kids them do something during the summer.?

Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

While there is no denying the benefits of providing children with positive activities during the summer, it is hoped that these experiences in the arts are reinforced and the talent nurtured during the rest of the year.