Izaiah McCrary had no complaints about his week in Artscape camp.
"I like everything," the 12-year-old said. "It's all fun to me."
Izaiah was among nearly 150 children who participated in the camp at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta's Dogwood Terrace unit last week.
The weeklong camp, presented by the Greater Augusta Arts Council, is held at each of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta's four units this month.
Children from each unit learn about drama, visual art, dance and music. The week ends with a performance that brings together everything they've learned, said Gary Dennis, the camp coordinator and drama instructor.
This year, they put on a play called Once Upon a Time in the Arts, which is also the camp's theme. The play is about forest, ocean and spring villagers who learn a lesson about balancing work and arts and working together to survive.
"We talk about 'Maslow's hierarchy of needs' with the older kids, and with the younger ones we talk about the basic things they need to survive," he said. "It helps them understand how the villagers need each other."
The children created their own sets, learned songs, practiced acting skills and came up with movements to prepare for the play.
"They learn two things over the week and by doing this play: One is that by working together they can accomplish a lot more, and, two, art makes everything better," Dennis said.
Izaiah's brother Adryan enjoyed seeing a different side of the camp this year.
"I like watching them have fun," he said. "It reminds me of how much fun I had in the camp."
The 14-year-old, who had been a participant in past years, assisted with the camp at Dogwood Terrace this year.
It's a neat way to get children interested in a different art form, Adryan said.
"Most people don't get to experience things like this until middle school or high school," he said. "Here, they get an early start."
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