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Home > Arts for Kids Project: About the Project

Stretches the Imagination
This June 1-12, we offered Camp Imagination, the Webb Center’s seventh annual, two-week intensive hands-on program of activities that integrates visual and performing arts mediums to stretch the imaginations’ of 120 children grades 1–12. 

Collaborative Effort
The Webb Center offers this program each summer with assistance from the Wickenburg Unified School District (who provides classroom facilities) and the Desert Caballeros Western Museum (who coordinates the visual arts classes for camp). 

Targeted to Skill Level
Camp Imagination participants are grouped according to their grade and choose from a variety of arts classes targeted to their skill levels.  First through third graders are given the opportunity to participate in tumbling, drawing, movement, acting and comedy/improvisation classes.  Fourth and fifth graders have tumbling, dance, comedy/improvisation, acting, song writing, and drawing as their choice of classes.  Sixth through twelfth graders can choose from advanced dance, song writing, cartooning, comedy/improvisation, acting, tumbling, television production, and technical theatre classes.  Students fifth grade and up are also encouraged to audition for lead roles in the final production.

Hands-on Instruction
The Webb Center recruits local and nationwide teaching artists to provide quality arts opportunities for our campers.  Those rewarded with main roles meet intensively with an acting and a singing coach to challenge them with advanced performance techniques and skills. 

The unique opportunities that Camp Imagination provides are available to every child who wishes to participate with full and partial scholarships offered.  The Webb Center is able to offer reduced tuition rates ($85 for the first child and $65 for additional siblings) due to the generosity of local foundations, businesses and individuals.  If you are interested in becoming a Camp Imagination Sponsor please contact the Box Office at (928) 684-6624.

Life Changing
At the end of the two weeks, Camp Imagination culminates in a life changing stage production starring all of the campers, either on stage as actors, singers and dancers or behind the scenes as the film production and technical crews.  This year students performed Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. on Friday, June 12 at 6:30 pm.

Last year, the campers performed Happily Ever After to an appreciative audience of over 500 family members and friends.

Camp 2009 Classses
This year's Camp Imagination was focused on the basics of the arts and the classes were aimed at giving our students a strong base of information for later classes. This year's classes included:

• Showtime! - Each student, from Discovery to Mainstage, takes Showtime!, which teaches them the music and dance steps for the final production.
• Songwriting - Songwriting teaches students how to develop their thoughts and feelings into music and lyrics. This year's class focused on using our five senses to explain ideas. At the end of two weeks, students had the opportunity to perform their original songs in front of the camp!
• Comedy/Improvisation - Using fun and exciting games, Comedy/Improv teaches students to think on their feet, develop basic characters, and to stay in those characters no matter what happens in front of them.
• Actor's Gym - Matt Dearing teaches a class on projection and strength of voice in Actor's Gym. When onstage, it is important that your voice is strong enough to carry throughout the audience, so the students learn to enunciate words clearly and to project, even while doing pushups!
• Drawing - In conjunction with the Desert Caballeros Western Museum's Young Rembrandts Program, our drawing class is fun for students and volunteers alike! Whether your student is an experienced artist or not, they will definitely enjoy this class!
• Tumbling - Tumbling teaches students the basics such as somersaults all the way to advanced moves like roundoffs. This is a fun, hands-on class that gets your blood pumping!
• Dancing - Students of all ages learn simple dance steps, such as box steps and grapevines, that will help them with future dance classes or productions. Each class is assigned a dance number in which they will perform during the final production.
• Technical Theatre - Our behind-the-scenes students learn much about the technical side of a production in Technical Theatre. Tim Huff, the Webb Center's Technical Director, teaches a group of students hand-picked and interested in the technical side. These students build the set, control sound, lighting, and flyrails throughout the show!
• Television Production - With the direction of Bob Smith from SilverStar Productions, students are able to learn all about Televison Production! Those who take this class direct, shoot, and even star in their own videos! This year's students developed a daily Camp Imagination News production that all students were able to enjoy!