Arena Stage Announces First Annual DC Area Performing Arts Camp Fair

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater has announced its first annual DC-Area Performing Arts Camp Fair. Joining forces with a variety of beloved art institutions across the DC Metropolitan Area, the camp fair is tailor-made to provide families of elementary, middle, and high school students with a central location to discover the region's performing arts summer camps.

On Sunday, January 12, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., over a dozen camps will activate the Mead Center with information, family-friendly activities, and sample classes that offer sneak peeks into what creativity and fun kids can expect in Summer 2025. Admission to the DC-Area Performing Arts Camp Fair is FREE. For more information or to RSVP, visit arenastage.org/artscampfair.

“Camp Arena Stage was built on the intention of providing a space that inspires creativity and individuality amongst youth,” said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. “Alongside our institutional neighbors, we look forward to welcoming families into the Mead Center to explore the assortment of activities and camp experiences DC has to offer.”

Participating organizations include 7DrumCity Youth Rock Camp, Camp Arena Stage, Camp Levine, Camp Shakespeare, Creative Cauldron's Arts Adventure Camps, Encore Stage & Studio, Educational Theatre Company, Girls Rock! DC Summer Camp, Joy of Motion Dance Center Summer Camp, Olney Theatre Center, Summer Steps with Step Afrika!, Synetic Theater, Theater J, and Theatre Lab's Summer Acting Camp for Kids. Limited space is available for additional performing arts summer camps to participate. Interested organizations can contact engagement@arenastage.org.

“I am excited to welcome arts organizations from all over the DMV to Arena Stage for our first-ever DC-Area Performing Arts Camp Fair,” said Arena Stage Director of Community Engagement Sean-Maurice Lynch. “This event is about more than showcasing programs—it's about opening our doors to families of all kinds and helping them discover the incredible arts opportunities available for their kids. Together, we're building a community where every child can have what we call at Camp Arena Stage ‘The Best Summer Ever.'”

The perfect opportunity for families to get a head start on planning for Summer 2025, the DC-Area Performing Arts Camp Fair will allow future campers to connect directly with multiple camp representatives in a single location. In addition to an abundance of information, attendees will be greeted with arts & craft stations, face painting, raffles, and more, including the opportunity to experience the excitement of actual camp courses.

“Camp Arena Stage gave me my start as a teaching artist in 2007, launching a career in theater education that brought me so much joy and purpose,” continued Lynch. “I've seen firsthand how transformative an arts camp environment can be for young people, sparking creativity and building confidence in ways that last a lifetime. Hosting this Performing Arts Camp Fair feels like coming full circle.”

Arena Stage also announced today the much-anticipated Summer 2025 schedule for its signature camp. Where community and art make magic, Camp Arena Stage is a full-day, multi-arts summer camp for 8 to 15-year-olds hosted on the beautiful grounds of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. The Summer 2025 season will consist of a 3-Week Session running July 7 – July 25 and a 2-Week Session running July 28 – August 8, 2025. For more information and to register, visit arenastage.org/camp.

“I've witnessed the magic of arts camps—where creativity thrives, friendships grow, and young people find their voices,” concluded Lynch. “We're excited to connect families to inspiring programs that make a difference in children's lives and celebrate the power of the arts to shape brighter futures.”

The first racially integrated theater in our nation's capital and a pioneer of the regional theater movement, Arena Stage was founded in 1950 in Washington, D.C. Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. We produce plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep, and dangerous in the American spirit, and present diverse and groundbreaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Consistently contributing to the American theatrical lexicon by commissioning and developing new plays, Arena Stage impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement and serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. arenastage.org.

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