Black Arts & Performance Summer Day Camp

2024 Curriculum & Activity Overview

1. Black Oral Traditions | Mon June 17, Tue 18, Thu 20, Fri 21 | ENROLL

Project: Poetry and Hip-Hop Performance

(Note: closed on Wed June 19, Juneteenth federal holiday)

- Spoken Word artist-in-residence

- Hearing and learning poetry, rap, and short stories

- Learning strategies for dynamic communication and empathy

- Collaborating to memorize Black-authored poems

- Collaborating to create student-authored poems

- Learning corresponding gestures and movement

- Skill Development: public speaking

- Making/designing bespoke T-shirts

2. Chocolate Cities | Mon June 24 - Fri Jun 28 | ENROLL

Project: Urban Design Physical Model

- Collaborating to build a city

- Each student contributes 2 structures

- Learning about historic Chocolate Cities

- Learning about Black elected city officials

- Creating candidates, holding elections, and voting for city officials

- Playing the “circulate the dollar game”

- Learning how to start a business

- Field trip to visit local Black businesses

3. Music & Murals | Mon July 1 - Wed 3, and Fri 5 | ENROLL

Project: Street Dance, Graffiti, and Public Art

- Visual artist-in-residence

- Dance artist-in-residence

- Listening to and learning about Black music genres over time

- Learning social dances that correspond to respective music styles

- Performing dance routines

- Participating in dance lines / battles

- Contributing to sections of a class mural

- Field Trip to see Los Angeles murals

4. Fables and Legends | Mon July 8 - Fri July 12 | ENROLL

Project: Theatrical Production

- Theater / Dance artist-in-residence

- Hearing and learning African fables & Black-authored short stories

- Adapting and performing stories for staged presentation

- Creating masks and costumes

- Learning choreography / movement / staging / blocking

- Emphasis on ethics and empathy

- Soft skill development: kindness and conflict resolution

5. Africa Week | Mon July 15 - Fri 19 | ENROLL

Project: Visual Art and Book Making

- Visual artist-in-residence

- Each day, each student pairs with a peer to research an African country

- Listening to music specific to each country or region

- Viewing fabrics and fashion specific to each country or region

- Creating original art elements to contribute to a collage for that country

- Compiling student art into a single book on Africa

- Original student art available for auction, proceeds to camp

6. Rhythm and Resistance | Mon July 22 - Fri July 26 | ENROLL

Project: Parades and Protest

- Music artist-in-residence

- Learning and practicing Black choral/choir music and embodied percussion

- Learning and practicing Freedom Songs

- Hearing and participating in a drum circle

- Researching contemporary causes for equity and equality

- Creating signs and banners to march for respective causes

- Learning about public expressions of Black joy (ie: parades)

- Learning about marches for justice over time

- Walkable neighborhood parade with banners and signs

7. Civics, Community, and Cuisine | Mon July 29 - Fri Aug 1 | ENROLL

Project: Cook Historically Black Foods + Create Campaign for Mock Election

- Learning about Black culinary arts and food history

- Discussing solutions for the future of our city and the country

- Imagining candidates based on the 'platforms' students create

- Write speeches for candidates

- Create campaign posters and banners for mock election

- Plan election night party with performances

- Hold mock campaign

- Celebrate victories with a party, food, and performances