BRT’s ArtRageous summer camp receives financial boost from Penn Community Bank
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
When school is out of session and mom and dad are at work, most kids attend some form of summer camp with the usual activities, games and crafts. But ArtRageous is different. The program, hosted by Bristol Riverside Theatre, builds self-confidence in kids and teens through performing arts techniques and teaches skills they can apply to school and future careers. Recently, BRT received a financial boost from Penn Community Bank to ensure a cost-free ArtRageous experience for all children who wish to attend.
BRT’s ArtRageous camp began in 2001 with a small group of children, and has grown significantly since then. This year brought in 50 local campers ages 7–17 years old, most of whom come from economically disadvantaged homes. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day during the four-week program, which takes place at local centers as well as BRT, and the kids have the opportunity to participate in dance, crafts, writing and stage presence techniques.
According to Anne Kohn, managing director at Bristol Riverside Theatre, ArtRageous is completely scholarship-based, so there is no cost for children or their families. The mission behind the camp is to provide a memorable learning experience for kids who may not have other resources. If there was a cost associated with the program, Kohn is 100 percent positive the majority would not be able to attend.
Thanks to local supporters like Penn Community Bank, this continues to be a non-issue.
“Support from community partners such as Penn Community Bank is vital to allow us to continue to offer ArtRageous,” Kohn said. “We are grateful to our donors for helping us to offer arts enrichment programs to kids who really benefit from them.”
When deciding where Penn Community Bank’s funding should go, Chief Relationship Officer Todd Hurley looks at one thing — where is there a need? Hurley explained this need can be lack of food, shelter or a variety of other things, but in the case of ArtRageous, it’s the chance to expand the horizons of young people.
“The camp gives local kids an opportunity they otherwise would not have had,” Hurley said.
Penn Community Bank has been working with and supporting Bristol Riverside Theatre for several years, and recently donated $5,000 to be used toward ArtRageous programming to ensure no family would have to pay a fee.
On Aug. 2, Hurley had the pleasure of seeing firsthand what his company’s funding would be supporting, and he was not disappointed. Broken into the three groups of junior, senior and teen, the campers put on an end-of-summer performance at BRT where they showed family, friends and community members all they learned during those four weeks. The teens performed monologues they wrote during the camp from the perspective of inanimate objects. These ranged from the entertaining tale of a toothbrush to deeper topics such as bullying and sexual preference.
For most of the ArtRageous campers, according to Kohn, this is their first dive into the world of performing arts. But making sure all steps are perfect and lines are memorized is the least of her worries. At its heart, ArtRageous staff wants kids to feel a sense of pride and empowerment they haven’t experienced before.
“We use performance techniques to build self-confidence. They can stand up tall,” Kohn said. “It’s a pretty powerful experience to see what’s happening to these students.”
To help foster growth and confidence, the age range of 7–17 was purposefully chosen to encourage kids to come back year after year. Kohn explained how a major difference isn’t always evident in only four weeks, so ArtRageous veterans have first priority when registration opens the following year. This gives them the chance to be part of the program for a longer period of time through those crucial years of adolescence.
ArtRageous typically runs from July-August each summer. For more information, visit brtstage.org/artrageous. ••
