Multicultural Arts Camp to Help Youth in Need, 6/4 - 6/15

A unique summer day camp will provide 125 abused and homeless children the chance to find their inner artist, use creativity as a healing tool and make new friends in a safe, fun environment from June 4-15 at Desiderata Alternative High School, 2920 N. 34th Drive, Phoenix.

The Multicultural Arts Camp is a program of Free Arts for Abused Children in Arizona (Free Arts), a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization that uses artistic expression and creativity to heal abused and homeless children across the Valley.

Campers from age 9 to 17 will rotate through five workshops focusing on multicultural and multidisciplinary arts and team-building activities led by professional teaching artists. Children also will be fed breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day. A performance showcase will conclude the camp each week: one on June 8th for the 14-17 year olds and another for the 9-13 year olds on June 15.

“Artists and workshops are purposefully chosen so that campers can experience arts from various cultures as well as various mediums of arts like dance, music, visual arts and creative writing,” said Free Arts Executive Director Barbara DuVal Fenster. “All of the classes are conducted in a non-judgmental environment where the children can be creative, share their stories and leave feeling a little better about themselves.”

This year’s classes include Chicano Arts, Native Arts, African Drumming, Latin Dance and Spoken Word. Artists involved are Frank Thompson, Melanie Sainz, Christa Iceforest, Myrlin Hepworth, and Misha Pemberton.

“In addition to our artists and volunteers, we invite a few teens from the first session to serve as volunteers for the second session,” Fenster said. “For them, it is a chance to move from camper to leader; for us, it’s an incredible opportunity to watch young people grow, mature and build their self esteem right before our eyes.”

The Multicultural Arts Camp is one of several summer camps for children including the Summer Theater Camp, June 18-29 at The Herberger Theater Center with a public performance scheduled June 29; and a Hip Hop Camp at the Paul Carr Academy in Scottsdale, July 23-27.
For more information, visit www.freeartsaz.org.

Founded in 1993, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona uses the creative arts to help children who have suffered the trauma of abuse, neglect and homelessness to express their innermost feelings. A 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, Free Arts has developed community and cultural partnerships with agencies, businesses and organizations throughout metropolitan Phoenix driven by our core values: Art Heals, Mentoring Works, Every Child Matters. Each year, more than 550 Free Arts volunteers serve over 5,300 children. For more information, visit www.freeartsaz.org or call (602) 258-8100.

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