If you have kids, you probably know something about drama. With friends, team tryouts, report cards, and countless other examples, parents are always helping their kids navigate emotions and express them in appropriate ways. But this summer, it’s time to add some positive drama with Calgary Young People’s Theatre summer camps!
Calgary Young People’s Theatre (CYPT) offers excellent camps, led by professional theatre actors, directors, and playwrights. These camps are perfect for kids and teens ages 4 – 18 who want to dive into drama, express themselves, and showcase their creativity. No experience is necessary and your kids will learn how to act, improvise, create a play, and more, and have a fabulous time doing it!
Calgary Young People’s Theatre was created with the desire to inspire and develop young people in the arts by offering a safe, creative space. Through their classes, camps, workshops, and production opportunities, kids and youth can explore the creative arts and develop their potential. The CYPT mission statement is to inspire and mentor the next generation of art creators and enthusiasts by offering brave, creative spaces where young people can express themselves and their ideas.
With locations in Calgary’s NW, SW, and SE, CYPT offers half-day, full-day, and two-week camps. Days are filled with learning various dramatic skills like acting, improvisation, and stage combat, plus learning how to create your own play. Each week normally concludes with a fun performance. Check the website to see what camps Calgary Young People’s Theatre summer camps are offered near you.
Half Day, 1-Week Camps (4 – 6 years old)
Half-day camps run 9 am – 12 pm or 1 – 4 pm each day (times vary by location and week — visit www.cypt.ca for more details) giving your little one a chance to show the world what they’re all about! The week concludes with a fun performance.
Full Day, 1-Week Camps (6 – 12 years old)
Camp kids spend their mornings learning various dramatic skills like acting, improvisation, and stage combat, and then in the afternoons, they work with a CYPT professional theatre artist to build their very own play that they’ll perform at the end of the week! The camp runs from 9 am – 4 pm.
Full Day, 2-Week Camps (10 – 18 years old)
No experience is necessary, but older kids who’ve developed a taste for the dramatic will find that this camp is the perfect next step. Over two weeks, they’ll get to build a longer play in the afternoons and experience a broad range of morning drama fun! The final performance is on the second Thursday of each camp. The camp runs from 9 am – 4 pm daily.
Drama Camps for Teens (12 – 18 years old)
These 1-week camps for teens aged 12 to 18 explore exciting specialty topics, allowing them to delve deeper into the dramatic world and build their skills. For 2023, CYPT is offering a Teen Improv Camp. The camps run from 9 am – 4 pm.
What Else?
Calgary Young People’s Theatre also offers an optional lunch/snack program for busy families in the full-day camps. It’s just $45/week for 2 snacks and one lunch daily! If you need a longer day, they typically offer pre-camp care beginning at 8 am and post-camp care until 5:30 pm, for only $5 per session, per child. Make sure to confirm with your chosen camp, though, as extra care is not offered for half-day campers, at the CKE location, or at every West camp week. If money is tight this year, there is also a bursary program that low-income families can apply for so all kids can participate. (Email admin@cypt.ca to request a bursary application or for more information.)
All that’s left is to take the stage! The curtain will rise on a summer of fun this year for drama adventures and creative excitement. Many of the kids who attend Calgary Young People’s Theatre summer camps return year after year to see old friends and meet new ones and these camps fill up fast. Register here to make sure your own child gets to experience all the drama, fun, and friendship!
Calgary Young People’s Theatre Summer Camps:
North Location
Where: The Unitarian Church of Calgary
Address: 1703 1st Street NW, Calgary, AB
South (Riverbend) Location
Where: The Riverbend Community Association
Address: 19 Rivervalley Drive SE, Calgary, AB
South (CKE) Location
Where: CKE Community Association
Address: 1015 73 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
West Location
Where: SCA Community Association
Address: 277 Strathcona Dr SW, Calgary, AB
When: July 3 – August 25, 2023
Time: Full days, 9 am – 4 pm; Half days, 9 am – 12 pm and 1 – 4 pm (times vary by location and week — visit www.cypt.ca for more details)
Phone: 587-392-5832
Website: www.cypt.ca/summer-camps
