Auditorium Theatre's Hearts to Art Summer Camp Celebrates 15 Years

Hearts to Art, the Auditorium Theatre's signature summer camp for young people who have experienced the death of a parent, returns in July and August of 2019 for its 15th year. This unique program encourages the healing power of creative play through music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and more.

"We know that many of our campers who joined us in earlier years have grown alongside the program, with many of them returning to camp as junior counselors, staff members, and volunteers," says Tiffany Brown, Auditorium Theatre Director of Education and Creative Engagement. "This program is such a valuable resource for young people who have experienced the profound loss of a parent, providing them with a safe space to create, grieve, heal, and make connections that will last a lifetime."

Paul Vaccaro participated in the first-ever session of Hearts to Art in 2005 and, after multiple summers as a camper, later went on to become a Junior Counselor. He recently recalled, "I am now an IT professional, but Hearts to Art continues to help me in a lot of ways. I am always trying to remain creative. I am constantly thinking outside of the box and imagining how I can make something even better. I really believe this drive started with the skills I learned at camp."

Each year, Hearts to Art is centered around a theme or prompt, such as "Who tells your story?" or "Home." The camp theme for 2019 is "Becoming," inspired by Michelle Obama's bestselling memoir of the same name, giving campers the opportunity to explore personal growth, learning, and transformation. In addition to daily activities including dance, theatre, and music, campers work with teaching artists from the improvisational comedy group Barrel of Monkeys and poetry organization Young Chicago Authors to explore the theme.

A licensed social worker and grief counselor is on site throughout each session, and staff members are trained in trauma-informed practices to assist with campers' needs. Campers also regularly participate in small group healing sessions, facilitated by professional counselors, that campers with a space to share their feelings and experiences with their peers,

Both camp sessions include the annual balloon launch at Buckingham Fountain, in which campers attach notes to honor their loved ones to balloons and release them into the sky, joined by friends and family; a talent show for campers to show off a skill of their choosing - from whistling to dancing to conducting science experiments; and a final performance showcase, inspired by the camp theme.

Throughout the year, the Auditorium welcomes campers back for special reunions, furthering the sense of community created at camp every summer. Previous camp reunions have been hosted during Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah, and National Geographic Live performances.

The Auditorium Theatre offers two camp sessions: July 8-19 (for young people ages 7-10) and July 22-August 2 (for ages 11-14). For the first time, Hearts to Art will be hosted at the Willow Creek Community Church's Chicago campus on 1319 S State St, with special performances at the Auditorium Theatre's Katten-Landau Studio (425 S Wabash Ave).

Registration for Hearts to Art is open now. Tuition for the Auditorium Theatre's Hearts to Art camp is $50 per child for a two-week session. The Auditorium Theatre is committed to making camp available for any young person - for information regarding scholarship opportunities, please contact Nailah Cartman, Camp Coordinator, at ncartman@auditoriumtheatre.org.

For more information, visit HeartstoArt.org or call 312.341.2353.

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