“All the world’s a stage”, and in the summer the kids take over! Bard on the Beach is an iconic theatrical summertime experience in Vancouver. Few things beat watching actors perform the works of Shakespeare all while the sun slips into the ocean in the background. Did you know that the very performers who trod the floorboards of the Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park tents are the inspiring actors who lead the Bard Summer Camps? That’s right, Bard Summer Camps are coached by professional actors who are eager to share their experience and expertise with kids. New this year is a 2-week Intensive for teens, and a special camp for the littlest Shakespeareans: the Extra Little Players (ages 4-6 years old). Camps for children and youth ages 6-18 are grouped by age to ensure the best quality of education at each stage.

Whether your child is new to theatre or has a different favourite Shakespeare play each day, Bard Summer Camps offer a warm and welcoming access point to the world of live theatre. During the camp, the group works together to explore the featured play and make creative decisions on how they’d like to present it. The instructors emphasize building the ensemble, expressing creativity through play and collaboration, and exploring various performance techniques that the professional actors use themselves when rehearsing for performances. Your child will have the chance to bring the language of Shakespeare to life by exploring their imagination, posing their questions, and utilizing their voice. Bard summer camps have small class sizes so students can be guaranteed personalized coaching and direction.

On the final day of the camp, friends and family are invited into the Festival tent to watch the live performance of the work the group has created on the Bard stage. Additionally, every summer camp participant receives a complimentary ticket for themselves and a guest to attend a BMO Mainstage production. Sign up here for a thrilling summer camp experience!

Bard on the Beach Summer Camps (Family Fun Vancouver)

For 2024, the camps cover a wide selection of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. For the Extra Little Players (ages 4-6), camps run for 2 hours a day over 4 days and provide an engaging and active introduction to theatre. Little Players (ages 6-8), camp is a full day for 4 days. For children and youth 8-18, camps are a full week long and run from 9:30am-3:30pm. Do you have a teen that loves Shakespeare and wants to dive deeper into the play? New for 2024 is an Intensive Option to spend two weeks with one play!

Summer Camp offerings for children and youth include:

Extra Little Players (4-6 years old) | July 2-5 | 9:30am-11:30am

Little Players (6-8 years old) | July 2-5 | 9:3am – 3:30pm

The Play’s The Thing…For Kids (8 – 13 years old)

Hamlet: The Name of Action (July 8-12 | 9:30am – 3:30pm)
Macbeth: Something Wicked This Way Comes (July 15-19 | 9:30am-3:30pm)
As You Like It: All the World’s A Stage (July 22-26 | 9:30am-3:30pm)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Spirits of Another Sort (July 29- August 2 | 9:30am-3:30pm)
Twelfth Night: An Improbale Fiction (August 12-16| 9:30am-3:30pm)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Most Rare Vision (August 19-23 | 9:30am-3:30pm)
Romeo and Juliet: Boundless as the Sea (August 26-30 | 9:30am-3:30pm)

The Play’s The Thing…For Teens (13 – 18 years old)

Twelfth Night (July 15-26 |9:30am – 3:30pm) *2-week Intensive Option*
Macbeth (July 29- August 2| 9:30am – 3:30pm)
Much Ado About Nothing (August 12-16 | 9:30am – 3:30pm)
Romeo and Juliet (August 19-23 | 9:30-3:30pm)
Hamlet (August 26-30|9:30am-3:30pm)

Bard on the Beach Summer Camps (Family Fun Vancouver)Bard Summer Camps:

Dates: July 2 – August 30, 2024
Times: 9:30am – 3:30pm  | 9:30am – 11:30am (Extra Little Players)
Location: Festival Tents at Sen̓áḵw / Vanier Park
Address: 1695 Whyte Avenue, Vanier Park, Vancouver
Website: bardonthebeach.org