The 2024 Summer Conservatory is back at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts with registration now open for youth ages 8-13.

In collaboration with the Whidbey Institute, the Youth Summer Theatre Camp will take place Aug. 5-16, with time split among the WICA and Whidbey Institute campuses.

WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan said the organization is excited to welcome the Summer Conservatory back with the Whidbey Institute.

“Our community is an important part of our mission, and supporting youth as they explore the arts brings me so much joy,” she said. “We must nurture our youth in following creative endeavors, which have the power to touch their lives in profound ways. This camp is a wonderful opportunity to do that.”

The camp is taught by Whidbey Children’s Theatre teacher Katie Kammerer, who holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in stage management from Southern Oregon University.

“This camp provides the unique opportunity of getting to learn and create both in a professional theater and exploring the great outdoors on a beautiful stage. The setting is idyllic for both this play and this age group,” Kammerer said. “My belief is that theater and the arts are about more than just a creative outlet. Theater helps to teach empathy and kindness, two traits that cannot be learned too early or too often.”

This year’s play takes youth on a journey through the Hundred Acre Wood, or to be more precise, 106 acres of the Whidbey Institute. With a special Winnie-the-Pooh screenplay by playwright Lindsay Price, participants will enjoy a two-week adventure camp filled with magic, acting and the great outdoors.

“The arts can give our youth community self-confidence, it can provide a place where there’s a moment of release and levity,” Price said. “The arts build so many important skills that students will use for the rest of their life. It gives me a lot of pride to play a small part in that experience.”

The first week of the camp will be spent at WICA, with students learning about lightning, sound, costuming and sets as they build their own show on the WICA main stage. The second week will take place on the outdoor StoryHouse Stage at the Whidbey Institute, where attendees will rehearse the play and enjoy the natural surroundings of this transformational learning center. The camp will conclude with a weekend of performances by the students.

“I am so excited for this collaboration with WICA,” said Rose Woods, co-executive director for the Whidbey Institute. “Nothing gives my heart more joy than bringing back some theatrical magic to the enchanted StoryHouse amphitheater with Winnie-the-Pooh with young theater artists, directed by Katie Kammerer. This collaboration is a dream come true for me.”

With registration now open, the camp’s 16 spots are filling up. The fee for the two-week camp is $500, with some scholarship funding available. For those interested in learning more and participating in the camp, please visit the 2024 Summer Conservatory website for registration details.