Alfred Stewart
May 25, 2007Yvonne Knudsen- Smith
June 1, 2007
Youngsters ages 5- to 8 years old get ready for takeoff. The South Louisiana Center for the Arts (SoLA) summer camp is embarking on an eight-week journey around the world right in your own backyard.
“Around the World in 8 Weeks” will include stops in Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, Polynesia, America, Eastern Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
The first week’s art-in-culture camp session began in late May, and subsequent travels will last through July 27 at SoLA’s 7873 Park Ave. center in Houma.
“It’s really important for the children in our community to be exposed to other countries. This will help them develop a tolerance toward other cultures, making them culturally sensitive,” SoLA Executive Director Jonathan Foret said. “If they understand the culture, they are less likely to be afraid of someone from another region.”
Divided into two sessions daily, art classes are offered from 9 a.m. to noon, and are followed by music and movement classes from 1 to 4 p.m.
“We split the session up because we want to really focus on the aspects of each country. In the morning, we will be focusing the visual arts that each native land presents. Then in afternoon, the students will listen and play music from the selected culture of the week,” said Foret.
Session one began May 28. Youngsters are journeying to Africa to learn about tribal masks and rituals and the art of mask-making.
“Students are getting a crash course on mask-making. We want them to understand what the masks were used for and what they symbolize in the African culture,” said SOLA art instructor Lindsay Apostolopoulos.
Local pulp painting artist Ellen McCord will lead the June 4-8 visit to Southeast Asia.
On the next trip, campers will travel to South America June 11-15 to make pinch pots from clay.
“They will learn the functions and the significance of the pinch pots to the South American culture. They’ll also make sculptures, sand paintings and pi“atas,” Apostolopoulos said.
According to Foret, the campers will study the Polynesian region June 18-22.
Then it’s back home to America June 25-29, Apostolopoulos said. Before American celebrates its independence, campers will learn about our nation’s culture.
Camp will break the week of the Fourth of July, then it’s back abroad to study Eastern Europe’s culture July 9-13.
Know what a didgeridoo is? Well, campers will learn when they visit Australia July 16-20 to learn about the country’s musical instruments, Foret said.
“Enhancing anything that it accompanies, the didgeridoo has such a unique sound and we want to share it with the students,” he said.
The final session will visit the Middle East July 23-27.
A one-time $15 registration fee will be charged to each camper. Tuition is $120 weekly or $960 for all eight weeks. Foret said weekly tuition must be paid a week before the selected session. All supplies are included in the tuition price. Campers must provide their own lunch daily, and lunchtime will be supervised.
Sessions are limited to 15 campers.
Before and after-care is available for $40 weekly, Foret said. Before-care hours are 7:30 to 9 a.m., and after-care hours are 4 to 5:30 p.m.
For more information, visit SoLA’s Web site at www.slcaarts.com, or call (985) 876-2222.
