A Summer Camp for the Arts

A group of very happy youths today concluded a three week camp dedicated to the arts. They danced, acted, painted and played music and will be taking home great memories and new friendships. For the majority of the participants, the exposure to the arts was a first and lasting experience.  Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

It was a showcase almost similar to that of the annual Festival of Arts… …as participants from primary and secondary schools completed the 2013 Summer Arts Program held under the auspices of NICH and the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports with presentations from the kids in music, song, dance, poetry and drama.

Leroy Green

Leroy Green, Coordinator, Summer Arts Program

“I must say that this year I am more than pleased with the results because quite a few of these students came here knowing very little or nothing at all about the arts. And what I saw displayed on the stage and the quality of the art that I saw upstairs is telling me that once again that Belizean children have a lot of talent. In three weeks, if students could produce the amount of and the quality of dance, drama, art and music that we saw here, what would happen if teachers taught it consistently the whole year through.”

And for the youths, they are taking away discipline as well as the skills of the creative and performing arts. For Adrianna Pott, she has been dancing since she was nine, but considers the program as a learning experience.

Adrianna Pott

Adrianna Pott, Participant, Summer Arts Program

“It was a load of fun, the fifties dance especially was the most fun. They had three dances: the modern technique, the Creole dance and the fifties. The hardest one for me was the Creole because that’s a lot of bending and moving. And you know how Creole dances go.”

Duane Moody

“Tell us about some of the skills that you learnt over the past three weeks?”

Adrianna Pott

“Definitely to dance with our whole bodies—not only our legs and hands—just moving everything. Miss Dawn definitely teaches us a lot and noh play with we so.”

Darriella Bell

Darriella Bell, Participant, Summer Arts Program

“You have to hold the recorder, like A, B and G; you got to hold them tight so that you can get the sound that you want. And you can’t let them go until you done with the song that you want.”

Duane Moody

“Did you always like singing and playing an instrument?”

Darriella Bell

“Yes.”

And to continue fostering the talent in the Belizean youth, Green says that the Ministry of Education will now be embarking on creative arts workshop for high school teachers.

Leroy Green

“For the first time, early next month, the Ministry of Education Expressive Arts Unit will be running an expressive arts workshop for high school teachers so that they can continue with these kind of nurturing when these students leave primary school and go on to high school. So we are definitely planning that if the teachers come, they can act as a follow up when the students get to high school. That part depends on the high school teachers.  We are offering the course in august.”

The youths received certificates of completion for their participation in the summer arts program. Duane Moody for News Five.