Summer Camps

2024 Summer Registration now open! 

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 and a guest to attend our BMO Mainstage production.

If you have questions about Summer Camps, please email Katie Johnstone, or phone (604-737-0625 ext 2262).

Registration

Follow this checklist to make sure your registration is complete!

TIP: You can complete steps 1 & 2 prior to registering for your camp(s) of choice to speed up the process.

  1. Create or login to your Bard on the Beach patron account.
  2. Enter or update the payment info in your account (a PDF guide to do so can be found here).
  3. Choose your camp(s) from the schedule below and sign-up!
  4. Complete your Registration Package.

To apply for financial assistance through our Bard Access Fund, please click here. If you plan to redeem a Season Gift Voucher for your registration, please contact our Box Office at 604-739-0559 or email [email protected].

2024 Schedule

NEW! LITTLE PLAYERS (4 to 8 years)

Children dive into the creative world of theatre, inspired by Shakespeare’s stories, worlds, and characters. New this summer, we now offer Little Players camps for ages 4 to 8! Little Players camp sessions run from Tuesday to Friday.

CAMP DATES TIME COST LINK
Extra Little Players:

Ages 4 to 6

July 2 – July 5 9:30am – 11:30am $140 Payment
Little Players:

Ages 6 to 8

July 2 – July 5 9:30am – 3:30pm $350 Waiting List

 

THE PLAY’S THE THING…

These camps are named for the specific Shakespeare play you’ll be exploring. Facilitated by a professional Teaching Artist, the group makes creative decisions about how they’d like to present their play. There will be an emphasis on expressing creativity through play and collaboration, building ensemble, and exploring the various performance techniques that professional Teaching Artists incorporate into their own practice. The Play’s the Thing camp sessions run from Monday to Friday.

 

THE PLAY’S THE THING… FOR KIDS (8 to 13 years)

CAMP DATES TIME COST LINK
Hamlet: The Name of Action July 8 – 12 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
Macbeth: Something Wicked this Way Comes  July 15 – 19 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
As You Like It: All the World’s a Stage  July 22 – 26 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Spirits of Another Sort July 29 – August 2 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
Twelfth Night: An Improbable Fiction  August 12 – 16 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Most Rare Vision  August 19 – 23 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Waiting List
Romeo & Juliet: Boundless as the Sea  August 26 – 30 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Waiting List

 

THE PLAY’S THE THING… FOR TEENS (13 to 18 years)

CAMP DATES TIME COST LINK
*INTENSIVE: Twelfth Night  *July 15 – 26 9:30am – 3:30pm $725 Payment
Macbeth  July 29 – August 2 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
Much Ado About Nothing  August 12 – 16 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
Romeo & Juliet  August 19 – 23 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment
Hamlet August 26 – 30 9:30am – 3:30pm $440 Payment

*NEW Intensive option for teens to spend 2 weeks with the play—an opportunity to go deeper and expand their creative ownership!

Camp Descriptions

JUNIOR CAMPS (8-to 13-year-olds)
Each Junior 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.

Hamlet: The Name of Action 
A royal ghost, a call for revenge, a family in turmoil. How will young Hamlet make sense of it all?

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?

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.

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.

Twelfth Night: An Improbable Fiction 
Separated in a shipwreck, twin siblings Viola and Sebastian encounter unexpected adventures on the way to their reunion.

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.

Romeo & Juliet: Boundless as the Sea 
In a town stymied by hate, young people choose love. What effect will their story have on the adults in power?

 

TEEN CAMPS (13-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.

Twelfth Night
Separated siblings, unrequited love, and playful pranks combine in Illyria, where the whirligig of time brings discovery, insight, and reunion.

Macbeth
When witches share a prophecy of power and position, the Macbeths face a decision: should they believe the supernatural message? If so, is the promised future worth the collateral damage?

Much Ado About Nothing 
When a young couple is torn apart by gossip and false accusations, can the nonconformist Beatrice and Benedick set things right while they navigate their own complex relationship?

Romeo & Juliet 
Young lovers Romeo and Juliet have a powerful and urgent message, but will those around them break free from rivalry in time to hear what they have to say?

Hamlet
When a royal ghost approaches and asks for revenge, young Hamlet must grapple with justice and duty, while trying to detect whether other members of the court are friend or foe.

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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