As we approach summer break I always have students asking how they can keep up with theatre over the summer. If you find yourself in the same situation, here is a list of Drama camps and classes throughout Alberta. We have so many incredible programs in our province, so please share these camps with your students and their families. Edmonton: Citadel Theatre: For Youth ages 6- 17. The Citadel offers 3-week performance Labs of Frozen Jr., Acting, Musical Theatre, Technical and playwriting camps . Most of the camps end with a showcase of the work they have created over the week. They also offer a Dungeons & Dragons storytelling camp! Grindstone Theatre: Camps and classes for kids and teens in Acting, Drama, Improv, Musical Theatre, Clown, Magic, and Stand-Up Comedy. Rapidfire Theatre: Rapid Fire Theatre offers summer Improv camps for youth ages 6-17. Spark! @ Alberta Avenue: This 2-week camp leads students (ages 8-14) through the process of creating a film. Participants have the opportunity to work both on the production and acting sides of the project. Some full and partial sponsorships available. St. Albert City Camps: Half- and full- day Drama and Technical camps for kids ages 4-19. Visionary Centre for the Performing Arts: VCPA offers a ton of theatre camps for kids ages 3-17 at locations in Edmonton, and St. Albert. They offer fun themed camps in Musical Theatre, Drama, Dance, Acting, Singing, Improv, Rock Band, and Music Production! Strathcona County: Camps of various disciplines are offered through Strathcona County including Technical Theatre, Dance, Drama, Story Creation, and more! Horizon Stage: Musical Theatre and Circus camps for students ages 8-14. Camps are run through the City of Spruce Grove. Calgary: Calgary Young Peoples Theatre: Summer theatre camps for kids ages 4-18. Half- and full- day camps for the younger kids and one to two-week discipline specific intensives for teens. These intensives include Stage Make-Up, Musical Theatre, Acting, Stage Combat, Improv, Circus and more! Bursaries available and camp locations are across Calgary. Mount Royal University: MRU offers camps for students entering grades 1-3. These camps are theme-based and connect the arts with other subjects such as science and design. Pumphouse Theatre: Ensemble based camps for ages 7-14. Each camp will focus on developing acting techniques, speech, physical theatre, and play creation. The play will be performed at the end of the week.  Earlybird pricing before June 1st and limited number of bursaries available. Quest Theatre: Camps for ages 6-15 throughout July and August. Each week the instructors guide the students through the process of creating a play, which they perform at the end of the week. Bursaries available. Storybook Theatre: Camps for youth ages 6-17. Each of the camps at Storybook Theatre focus on a production- this summer students can participate in Finding Nemo Kids/Jr., Legally Blonde Jr. or a camp in which you create and perform your own play! Financial Assistance available and camps occur in various locations in Calgary. SummerACT @ Calgary Actor’s Studio: These 1- or 2-week camps (ages 10-18) focus on rehearsing and performing a show in a professional setting. They offer both play and musical theatre productions. Subsidies available. Theatre Calgary: Summer Drama Camps for students entering grades 3-12. Camps have various focuses such as Games & Storytelling, Puppetry, and Clowning, in addition to the 2-week Playmaking and Musical Theatre Intensives. University of Calgary: Summer Drama camps for students entering grades 3-7. Fun-filled days of Drama activities, games and a performance/workshop with U of C’s Drama Troupe WagonStage. This camp balances indoor and outdoor arts and recreation activities including swimming. Other camps through U of C that might interest Drama students are the Radio, Podcasting & Music Production, Dance, or the Filmmaking camps. Red Deer: Artstrek: A weeklong overnight camp for teens ages 12-18. Participants study a play through classes in acting, movement, voice, devising, design, directing, and dramaturgy. This year, students will be exploring Addams Family the Musical. Treehouse Youth Theatre: A fun, inclusive introduction to theatre for kids ages 9-17. Each camp will build a play to perform at the end of the week. Students will be able to take on and learn about various roles including actor, playwright, director, designer, and stage manager. Other: Grande Prairie Live Theatre: The Rising Stars Camp runs weekly throughout the summer for kids ages 10-14. Each week has a different theme and focus- musical theatre, comedy, mystery, and more! New West Theatre Lethbridge: Weeklong camps throughout the summer for youth ages 6-18. Each camp has a fun theme to get students amped up for an exciting week of acting, singing and dancing. Some of the weekly themes are Disney, Taylor Swift, Broadway, Murder mystery and more! Other camps include puppetry and stage skills.

Happy end of the school year to all! Here are a few documents and links to help and inspire (and get you through your last month)! Song Collections and Other Resources Skipping poems, games, songs Camp fire songs Great Canadian Orchestra field trip with National Arts Centre Report card comment bank examples 1. More for singing 2. More for recorders AI in the Music Classroom Magic School ai has a song generator (in English and French) and a report card comment generator. Musicfirst.com is offering a web series of PD about AI in the music classroom. Hope you have a great final month of the year. As always, if you have any questions pop me an email at music@fineartsata.ca.

As we approach the end of the year and make our way into summer vacation, I am hopeful you can take some time for reflection. As a dance educator in Alberta, it can often feel like we are islands. You may feel similarly, maybe you are the only dance educator in your area or district. It can feel lonely, and maybe you even question what you are doing and if it is enough. I see you and I feel it too. This Spring, I listened to some dance education podcasts, and it helped me to feel like I wasn’t alone in what I was doing and that there are like-minded educators around the world each in little pockets of dance education. I find a lot of community in listening to dance podcasts and they help affirm what I am doing in my classroom.  These two specific episodes made me feel really seen in the areas of dance education that I often question or struggle with. Both podcast series have other amazing episodes to encourage and inspire you as a dance educator. I have linked the following podcast links through Apple Music, but you can listen to podcasts on other platforms like Spotify as well. I love to listen to podcasts when I am driving to and from work when I am cleaning (either the dance studio or my home) and I also have a podcast running while I do data entry of marks. I hope this does not feel like another thing to add to your to-do list, but instead, something for you to indulge in as you multitask. I know for me; it made me feel inspired and affirmed of my work; I hope it does for you too. Remember the toughest seasons often provide the most lessons and growth as an educator. Let’s keep in touch! Let’s not be islands, let’s connect and support one another as we provide amazing dance education for our students. I am hopeful in the Fall we can connect as dance educators, please reach out to me if I can support you in any way. If you are a dance educator in Alberta, currently teaching dance classes in any grade level, I would really appreciate it if you would fill out this very short form, so I can get to know each of you better before the start of the year: Survey Form for Dance Educators 3 RANDOMLY SELECTED MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE GIVEAWAY WILL RECEIVE A $10 GIFT CARD - COMPLETE THE SURVEY BEFORE JUNE 15 TO WIN! Wishing you a wonderful end to your year and a wonderful relaxing summer break. Keep shining, -Victoria dance@fineartsata.ca

by Drama Rep, Molly Danko (March.2024) A few weeks ago, I got to venture down to Calgary to present at the Calgary City Teachers’ Convention! I had the absolute joy of playing with a group of 25 Drama teachers from around the city. It warmed my heart and inspired me to see what incredible teachers their students get to learn from, and to hear everyone sharing ideas and activities that work in their classes. My session was ‘Ensemble Building in the Drama Classroom’- a crucial part of any Drama class. So, whether you have just begun a new term, or you are in need of some ensemble exercises, here are some of my favorites from the session.

March 2024 Write-Up by Amanda Clark for Fine Arts Council Email Newsletter Hi Friends! This month was full of exciting presentations! I was so glad to meet so many of you at NCTCA, ESTCA and GETCA.  Thanks for attending my presentations. I hope they were helpful for you. If you have any feedback or questions feel free to email me at music@fineartsata.ca There were many people who asked for music resources in French here are a few that I have used: · Some Holidays Coming Up: Pi Day- March 14th Songs that use the pi number as a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMq9he-5HUU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK7tq7L0N8E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV1-AjwDJwM Holi is Monday, March 25 (Hindi Festival) Songs (mostly for div 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzUgkRVAoPQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2JZG5AW3hU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hihJFS_VHvY Easter March 29 to April 1 Ready Go Music is one of my favourite YouTube channels. Here is a playlist of Spring/Summer themed rhythm play alongs for that channel. Eid is April 10 or 11 (Depends on the moon and geographical location) Songs and CBC kids information videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VpiuY_C5Ok https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hROKqsVJSRg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcQhruIyk60 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf5Sm9Y8vrw "May the 4th" Recorder play along for Star wars theme Recorder play along for Imperial March Ukulele Star wars Theme (C F and G chords) Music Monday – May 6th

News from your Fine Arts Council! Including: Drama Update Music Update Giveaway! And more Click here to see the resources www.fineartsata.ca/resources Read the whole mailout here.

February 2024 Write-Up by Molly Danko for Fine Arts Council Email Newsletter. In this month’s Drama Update, Molly Danko features Andrew Ritchie from Artstrek, a summer theatre school for teens. When I was in high school, I had the incredible opportunity to go to my first sleepaway camp. In early July I piled into my parents' car with too many bags in tow and drove down to Red Deer for a week at Artstrek. As a theatre kid, it was one of the best weeks of my life! Artstrek was filled with kids like me- Kids that loved theatre and wanted to learn as much as they could. From the moment my 'super' welcomed me into my dorm, I felt at home. The week flew by with full days of classes- acting, singing, mask work, tech, design, devising, etc.- themed games, and activities each night, themed warmups every morning, and of course many snack breaks and time to get to know all my new classmates. Each summer the students at Artstrek get to study a different play and work on it through different theatrical lenses. The first year I went, we studied Catalyst Theatre's production of Frankenstein, and I was hooked from the moment we started reading the play. As a 16 year old kid, Artstrek opened my eyes to so many new aspects of theatre I had never considered. It gave me confidence in my theatrical abilities, and helped me to understand myself a bit better too! This month I have the pleasure of passing along some info to all of you Fine Arts teachers from Andrew Ritchie, the Program Coordinator at Theatre Alberta. I look back at my summers at Artstrek very fondly, and love that the program is still running for students to attend. So, I ask you all to pass along the information to your students so they can experience the magic of Artstrek! Artstrek is a summer theatre school for teens that provides professional learning with theatre artists and educators in a collaborative environment. Artstrek is more than 60 years old and has 10,000+ alumni working across Alberta, Canada, and the world. Artstrek students explore the creative process through five daily classes that include the study of acting, movement, voice, devising, design, directing, and dramaturgy. All of these classes take inspiration from a single play of study—this year’s play is going to be a musical! Artstrek will take place July 7 to July 20, 2024 at Red Deer Polytechnic.EXPLORATION I (Ages 12-15) July 7 - 12, 2024EXPLORATION II (Ages 16-18) July 14 - 20, 2024 Keep an eye out on https://www.theatrealberta.com/artstrek/

Hello Friends, It has been so long since I have written to you. Since I last wrote to you I have presented at both Beginning Teachers Conferences. It was wonderful to meet some of you there! If you are looking to meet me in person I will be presenting at NCTCA, Endless Sky and GETCA teacher conventions this month. I look forward to seeing some of you there. I would be happy to answer questions that you have related to the Fine Arts Council, music or even just to say “hi”. I would like to say a big thank you to those who joined us online for our PD session “Culturally Responsive Teaching”. It was a great start to Black History Month. If you are looking for more PD in that area I would look out for more presentations by Janice Pinnock, she was a very engaging speaker. Here are some books that I like to include in my lessons for Black History Month:

What is the Inter-School Dance Fest? The purpose of the Inter-School Dance Fest was to bring together Dance students from various High Schools to take workshops, meet each other, build community and have fun! What were some highlights of this conference? The energy was really amazing. We had two wonderful workshop leaders (Mpoe Mogale and Stephanie Lilley) and the students were able to choose to take Hip-Hop, Contemporary and Jazz Workshops. The students ended the day as a large group learning Afrobeats Dance. It was really neat to see students from different high schools from all parts of the city become instant friends through their shared love of Dance and learning. They supported each other, cheered each other on and built a community of Dance in one short afternoon. It was also a great opportunity for the Dance teachers to meet each other, share ideas and get inspiration. Why should dance teachers sign their students up to do this next year? This is a great opportunity for Dance students to access workshops in an affordable way. It also allows them to meet dancers from other High Schools and to really have fun learning in a new way. It’s also great professional development for the teachers. What is next? Will you do this again next year? We are hoping to have our students meet again this year, possibly to watch each other’s showcases and performances. So far, we are planning to hold another Inter-School Dance Fest next fall! How can teachers connect with you and sign up? Teachers can email me at catherine.bawol AT ecsd.net Anything else you would like to share? Sometimes (in our District), there are not as many opportunities for Dance programs to collaborate as there are for other subjects like Music or Drama. This endeavor was to give our dancers an opportunity to take part in something outside of their school and to feel like they belong to something bigger. It was also a great opportunity for them to learn from each other and make connections. It was such a positive experience for everyone involved! For a link to this article in PDF form, click here.

Hello Dance Educators! Welcome back! I hope your startup has been wonderful! Now that we are in the swing of things, I thought I would share an awesome and easy way I incorporate choreography practice into my dance classes, by using Choreography Starters. Choreography Starters Background This is an exercise that I just recently started integrating into my dance classes. It is something I developed after many years of watching students struggle with the overwhelming panic when they had to begin a piece of choreography. No matter how much we explored improvisation and planned out our choreography there were still so many moments of students freezing and stressing, not knowing how and where to begin and feeling so overwhelmed before finally diving into their choreography. My goal was to adapt my practice for students to engage in more “off the cuff,” low stakes choreography exploration, so they could build more confidence and practice, so that when they did begin choreography for a summative project or performance, they had the vigor and assurance to start. What is a Choreography Starter A choreography starter is a prompt given to students, where they jump up and begin a phrase or section of choreography based on the prompt. The prompt is used to get the student out of their own head, and instead engage with a focus on the prompt only. I love these starters, because students know they are just an activity, an exercise, a practice, nothing more. I structure it to my students that we will not continue these past today and the phrase they create is not for marks. This instantly reduces the stress the students feel on creating the most “perfect” choreography. Benefits of Choreography Starters Flexible for class time: You could do this every class, especially if your high school classes are on the longer side, or you could do this once a week or every couple weeks You could spend 5 minutes on this, or 50 minutes, depending on the prompt and structure You could do it at any time during your class period: beginning, middle, end Flexible for age level, ability, experience, and dance genre. These prompts can be adapted, changed and you could create your own for your own situation and class setting. I try to use choreography starters on days when students aren’t already doing a lot of movement, like on theory or lecture days. I would often follow up our warmup with a Choreography Starter, to get their brains firing! It could be individual, or in groups, this is a great way to encourage students who don’t usually work together, because it is low stakes, no marks, the activity duration is short and maybe not even a sharing of these ‘pieces’. Could be used to share and show each other or just used in a reflection question or as a journal prompt. Great for substitute plans, as the substitute would not need to lead any dance or have a background in dance to organize students to work on this exercise. Great for days when many students will be away, as these projects don’t need to continue past today and to worry about students missing choreography etc. You could write a whole bunch of prompts on cue cards and hand them out to each student/group, or pull a random one for the whole class to use Extension: Could use these short phrases of choreography the students have created and continue them into a larger piece, the sky's the limit! Choreography Starter Prompts Below are a few basic, introductory prompts I have used in my class, to get you started. Give everyone the same song (you pick the song), I often find students want to pick the same style of music, so this is a way to integrate some new sounds into their work. And they won’t mind trying something new because it’s just for today! Some songs I am loving right now: *These are songs I would use in my high school classes, but as always use these songs with your own discretion. Ribs by Lorde Swift Automatons by Eluvium Suite pou Dantan: I. Prelid  by Nathalie Joachim, Spektral Quartet Falling by Lyra Wildfire by Forest Blakk Using YouTube Videos as prompts: Use a video with information and knowledge to prompt the beginning of a piece of choreography Prompt: Choose one concept from the video as a focus or starting point for your choreography Eg: Meet the Artists: Dancing Earth Indigenous Contemporary Dance Creations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv5cfgu49sQ Prompt Eg: Choose an element of the earth to inspire the movement (Eg: a tree: starting as a seed, growing, losing leaves, breaking branches etc.) Take a normal daily movement activity: brushing your teeth, walking the dog, emptying the dishwasher and turn it into a choreography phrase (could be more literal or abstract) Now how could you take this phrase and do it on three levels? Could you use repetition to show this activity in different seasons or times of the day or year? After developing this concept and using it in my classroom, I realized there were other teachers, instructors and choreographers doing this too and there were some great resources online. Here are some: https://shannondoolingdances.com/2018/04/18/choreographyadventures1/ https://shannondoolingdances.com/2022/06/29/9-choreography-adventures-inspired-by-summer/ https://shannondoolingdances.com/2019/03/26/choreographyadventures2/ https://dancecurriculumdesigns.com/choreography-prompts-for-movement-invention/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhTgeOUSTRo I would love to hear from you if you try out some of these prompts out with your students or have created some of your own. Please feel free to email and share your successes or questions about Choreography Starters! I would love to see videos of your dancers’ creating choreography with these starters! As always, please feel free to reach out if you have questions or want to connect at dance@fineartsata.ca. Keep shining! Victoria

There is something special about watching a master teacher in action. And while we so rarely get an opportunity to watch other educators teach, there is potential to learn so much from them when we are afforded these chances. I recently had the pleasure of going to the Beginning Teachers’ Conference in Edmonton to present with other members of the Fine Arts Council. What a treat it was to see Matt White, our Council’s Secretary, break down the ins and outs of running a successful drama program. His deep knowledge of how to put on an effective stage production and empower your community to come together to support the performing arts was a sight to behold. Similarly, I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of Izabella Orzelski’s two workshops. As our Generalist Rep, her versatility and expertise within a broad range of artistic styles, media, and themes was truly inspiring. If you have a chance to attend one of her upcoming sessions in and around the Edmonton area, you will see firsthand how you can transform your classroom into a more creative and engaging learning space. In mid-October, both presenters will be coming to the Beginning Teachers Conference in Calgary. Finally, our Music Rep, Amanda Clark, presented one session on integrating technology in the music classroom and another on how to create effective assessments in this discipline area as well. Amanda’s extensive music background coupled with her natural gifts for teaching made her sessions practical and unforgettable. We hope to see you soon at one of our upcoming events!

Stepping into the shoes of an art teacher as the school year begins can be an exhilarating yet challenging experience. Every year ushers in a fresh canvas of opportunities and obstacles, shaping the artistic minds of our students. While each classroom may have its unique dynamics, there are foundational strategies that can set the stage for a successful and enriching academic journey. Picture this: a room filled with eager young minds, blank canvases waiting to be transformed, and a teacher poised to inspire. The first step towards creating an extraordinary art classroom is not just introducing yourself but creating a captivating introduction that goes beyond a mere name and title. I personally opt for a visually engaging PowerPoint presentation that showcases images relevant to the subject matter I'll be teaching. Whether you're a visual artist or not, sharing your own artistic creations can be a powerful way to connect with your students on a personal level. By sharing your passions and credentials as an art teacher, you allow your students to see you as a person with interests and expertise rather than just an authority figure. This personal touch can make your students feel more comfortable and engaged in your class from the very beginning. It's a chance to set the stage for what they can expect from your art classes throughout the year. Setting the Stage with Structure Establishing rules and routines in the art classroom is akin to mixing the perfect palette of colours - it's crucial for maintaining order and creating an environment where creativity can flourish. At the start of the school year, it's essential to communicate your expectations clearly. Dive into discussions about materials and supplies, emphasizing safe and responsible handling. Designate specific storage areas and make sure students understand how to access and return supplies. When it comes to workstations, define how they should be organized, whether it's individual desks, shared tables, or art easels. Encourage students to keep their spaces tidy and well-organized. Teach them the art of time management, emphasizing project deadlines and establishing schedules for different stages of the creative process. Instill the importance of respect for both art and peers, fostering an environment of constructive feedback and support. Lastly, outline clean-up procedures to ensure that the art room remains in pristine condition after each class. The key to success here is consistency. Be firm yet fair in upholding these expectations, and don't forget to acknowledge and reward students who consistently follow the rules and routines you've set in place. Nurturing a Love for Art in Every Student Not every student will arrive in your art class brimming with enthusiasm or interest in art. As art teachers, it's our duty to cultivate an inclusive and encouraging atmosphere for all, including those who may not initially seem engaged in artistic projects. Here are some tips to connect with every student: Differentiated Instruction: Tailor your lessons to accommodate various learning styles and abilities, allowing students to express their creativity in ways that resonate with them. Individualized Feedback: Invest time in providing constructive feedback to each student. Recognize their unique strengths and help them improve in areas where they may struggle. Encourage Exploration: Offer a diverse array of art mediums and techniques for students to explore. Allow them to choose projects aligned with their interests. Celebrate Diversity: Embrace diversity in art and encourage students to explore different cultural perspectives and artistic traditions. Open Dialogue: Foster an open and non-judgmental space for students to express their thoughts and feelings about art. Listen actively and show genuine interest in their artistic journeys. Moreover, as art teachers, we have the power to involve students in school-wide projects, such as mural paintings and mosaic endeavours. These collaborative efforts not only enhance the school's aesthetics but also instill a sense of belonging and accomplishment among students. In conclusion, the first month of the school year acts as the canvas upon which the rest of the academic journey is painted. As art teachers, we hold the unique ability to kindle creativity, self-expression, and a lifelong love for the arts in our students. By introducing ourselves, establishing rules and routines, and connecting with every student, we can craft a dynamic and enriching art classroom that will inspire our students throughout the year and beyond. So, let's embark on this artistic journey, armed with passion, patience, and a palette of possibilities, as we nurture the artistic potential within each student. Izabella Orzelski