50 children in Belize City and 46 more in Orange Walk spent the last two weeks dancing drawing, acting, singing, and learning. The children were part of the two-week Expressive Arts Summer Camp sponsored by NICH. The camp ended today and it gave the children an opportunity to show off their works. 7NEWS was there.
Janelle Cowo,
"I learnt to do a flower pot. Now every time there is a like a party at my house I could sit down, do some table decorations. I could dance anytime I want. I could sing."
Karina Carosco,
"I learnt to dance and how to do the splits a little. I still got to work on that and maybe next year I'll come back again and get more stuff. I learnt how to do picture frames so I don't have to go buy another picture frame since I know to make them on my own."
11-year-old Janelle Cowo and Karina Carosco brag that they can now sing and dance while 13-year-old Ariel Vernon's thing was drawing and acting.
Ariel Vernon,
"I learnt how to draw flowers and make candy baskets and I learnt how to dance much better and the teachers let me have confidence in myself and I had confidence while doing the drama and acting."
They learnt acting, dancing, drama, and made these all crafts over the past two weeks at the Expressive Arts Summer Camp. Leroy Green was the camp's coordinator.
Leroy Green, Camp Coordinator
"They took classes in dance, drama, music, and arts and craft. It lasted from 8:30 to 11:30 and then 1:00 to 3:30. The classes were facilitated by various members of the group that's known as Phoenix, who are trained in the arts, and today all the children were on stage in dance, in drama, in music, and all of them have at least one piece of arts and craft out there.
They definitely developed how to express themselves better in whatever art form they chose. From the feedback we've gotten from them they are sorry the camp is ending today. And what they learnt too, because a lot of them were strangers to each other when they came here, but by the end of the day when we saw them on stage today it was like they knew each other for a long time. So they learnt how to cooperate, they learnt how to get along, they've made new friends, they've learnt how to use their hands and their entire body expressively."
And these kids say the learning and expression won't stop when they return home.
Ariel Vernon,
"Pass it on to people who want to learn how to draw and be happy in themselves and how to dance and not to be shy."
Janelle Cowo,
"Teach it to other people performing in our schools and the places we live so they could see what we learnt."
Karina Carosco,
"To other people I'll show them and then I'll tell other people so other children, when next year comes, can enjoy the camp also."
A similar camp was held in Orange Walk. The Institute of Creative Arts is now registering students for a percussion camp.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift