Summer Camps
2026 Summer Schedule now posted! Registration will open on February 5, 2026 at noon.
Every summer, kids and teens get on the Bard stages and make Shakespeare their own, coached by professional actors! Whether you’re new to Shakespeare or you know the plays by heart, here’s your chance to bring the language to life with YOUR imagination, YOUR big questions, and YOUR voice.
Registration includes a pair of complimentary tickets for a participant + a guest to attend a scheduled performance of a BMO Mainstage production.
If you have questions about Summer Camps, please email us, or phone (604-737-0625 ext 2262).
Registration
Registration for 2026 Summer Camps will open on February 5, 2026 at 12pm noon. The camps schedule can now be viewed here.
If you’re hoping for financial assistance, please apply for support from our Bard Access Fund (updated application forms will be posted the week registration opens).
Camp Schedule
All camps take place on our Festival site at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park.
Early Bird rate
CAMPS FOR ages 6 to 10
These camps focus on excerpts from the selected play. Using Shakespeare’s original language, a ‘Shakespeare Short’ script is prepared specifically to nurture collaboration in an ensemble of young people.
| PLAY | AGE | DATES | TIME | PAYMENT |
| Macbeth: Double Double Toil & Trouble | 6 to 10 | Jul 20–24 | 9:30am–3:30pm | |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Most Rare Vision | 6 to 10 | Jul 27–31 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| The Tempest: The Isle is Full of Noises | 6 to 10 | Aug 10–Aug14 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Spirits of Another Sort | 6 to 10 | Aug 31 – Sept 5 | 9:30am– 3:30pm |
CAMPS FOR ages 10 to 14
These camps focus on excerpts from the selected play. Using Shakespeare’s original language, a ‘Shakespeare Short’ script is prepared specifically to nurture collaboration in an ensemble of young people.
| PLAY | AGE | DATES | TIME | PAYMENT |
| As You Like It: All the World’s a Stage | 10 to 14 | Jul 13 – 17 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| Julius Caesar: Beware the Ides of March | 10 to 14 | Jul 20 – 24 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| Macbeth: Something Wicked This Way Comes | 10 to 14 | Jul 27 – 31 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| Henry V: Once More Unto the Breach | 10 to 14 | Aug 17 – 21 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Spirits of Another Sort | 10 to 14 | Aug 24 – 28 | 9:30am– 3:30pm | |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Most Rare Vision | 10 to 14 | Aug 31 – Sept 5 | 9:30am– 3:30pm |
TEEN CAMPS for ages 14 to 18
Each Teen Camp will focus on a very abridged version of a Shakespeare play. Using Shakespeare’s original language, the ensemble will discover how they’ll make the story their own.
| PLAY | AGE | DATES | TIME | PAYMENT |
| Julius Caesar | 14 to 18 | Jul 6 – 10 | 9:30am–3:30pm | |
| As You Like It | 14 to 18 | Aug 10 – 21
(TWO WEEKS!) |
9:30am–3:30pm | |
| Henry V | 14 to 18 | Aug 24 – 28 | 9:30am–3:30pm |
Camp Descriptions
JUNIOR Camps for ages 6 to 10 and 10 to 14
Each camp will focus on excerpts from the selected play. Using Shakespeare’s original language, this ‘Shakespeare Short’ script is prepared specifically to nurture collaboration in an ensemble of young people.
| Camp Name | Camp Description |
| Macbeth: Double Double Toil & Trouble | Explore the roles of magic, prophecy, and spell casting in one of Shakespeare’s most thrilling plays! |
| Macbeth: Something Wicked this Way Comes | After witches share a royal prophecy, the noble Macbeths face an epic choice: how far does one go to claim this promised future? |
| The Tempest: The Isle is Full of Noises | A supernatural storm shipwrecks a royal entourage on an enchanted island. Will the magic of the island transform revenge into forgiveness, hatred into love, and bitterness into wonder? |
| Henry the Fifth: Once More Unto the Breach | This energetic story gives us a young monarch facing new responsibilities, soldiers gathered around a campfire, and two kingdoms competing for power. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Most Rare Vision | A group of friends take to the woods to rehearse a play where they stumble upon the magic and mischief of the fairy kingdom. |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Spirits of Another Sort | The rulers of the fairy realm are playing pranks and casting magical spells, bringing chaos into the lives of unassuming mortals. |
| As You Like It: All the World’s a Stage | Sibling rivalry, stolen fortunes, and banishment give way to adventure and community in this escape to the Forest of Arden. |
| Julius Caesar: Beware the Ides of March | Mysterious events coincide with conspiracy as friendships are tested, choices are made, and the world is changed forever. |
TEEN CAMPS (14 to 18 year-olds)
Each Teen Camp will focus on a very abridged version of a Shakespeare play. Using Shakespeare’s original language, the ensemble will discover how they’ll make the story their own.
| Play | Description |
| Julius Caesar | When conspiracy blurs the lines between patriotism and treason, the social order is obliterated. What happens in the aftermath? |
| As You Like It | Can a disguise reveal your true identity? Can abandoning a fortune teach you what’s truly valuable? The answers lie in the Forest of Arden. |
| Henry the Fifth | Henry the Fifth is hailed as a hero, but what does it mean to invade another country and start a war? This play offers multiple perspectives. |
Financial Aid
Families can apply for financial assistance through our Bard Access Fund.
Helping to overcome barriers to experiencing Shakespeare.
Established by the Bard Volunteers in 2009, the Access Fund eliminates barriers to participating in Bard programming. Individuals, schools, and community organizations can apply for subsidized access to our Education programs and Festival events. The Fund also creates opportunities for more access by underwriting partnerships and initiatives to address community need.
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DONATE TO THE FUND |
REQUEST SUPPORT |