Students Discover the Arts in the Maine Woods

FREEDOM, MAINE - Summer arts colonies have traditionally been an adult prerogative. But since 1998 there has been one for teenagers too! Hidden Valley Camp, a 300-acre facility near the Maine coast, offers an opportunity to 14 and 15-year-olds to live, breathe and sleep art for four weeks every summer.

The program is called Hidden Valley Alive. It combines the ideals of artistic freedom with the structure and support for artists honing their skills.

For Noah, Natalie, Thea, Annette, Eli and Pete, six of the 21 program participants, Hidden Valley Alive proved to be an enriching experience, exposing them to both new skills and new ways to interpret artistic expression. Under the leadership of counselors Taylor and Megan, they observed and performed in a variety of visual and performance mediums.

There were theater and art classes, movement and improvisation workshops, in addition to visits to art galleries and live performances outside of camp. The kids were challenged to develop skills in areas they previously had avoided because they believed they didn't have natural abilities. They were also challenged to explain their reactions to different forms of art as well as consider the underlying meanings.

The students described the program as "intense, flexible, and challenging." They cited the "funny stuff" they do in improvisation classes and the "freedom" to try a form of artistic expression "even if you don't have the skills."

"I was artistically impaired, but now I'm getting better," said one student. "I took a Contact Improv class that was like gymnastics. I would have never taken gymnastics," said another.

"I never used charcoal [for drawing] before," admitted a student who loves to draw. "I never did improvisation before," offered a student who loves to act.

Regardless of their natural abilities, all the students are encouraged to reach higher levels. "We'd be haunted by the ghost of mediocrity if we weren't pushed to do better," commented one student while the others nodded their heads in agreement.

During the session the students were given a theme, Technology and the Natural Environment, and had to create sculptures using only items found in nature. (Self Portraiture In All It's Forms was the theme the previous summer.) The results were stunning and highly original. They also wrote, choreographed, and composed a completely original variety show, including a rock band, performed for the entire camp.

"Alive introduces you to the arts," explained one student. "It's geared to all levels. We may be a little sedentary but we do things like contact improv that are very active," he said. "Don't forget to mention the great trips," added one of the girls. "The concerts like Bob Dylan and White Stripes, dance performances and theater are wonderful. And sometimes we don't get back to camp until one in the morning!"

The program helps develop the creative person as a whole, not just a painter, actor or musician, says a staff member. "The students direct each others work and critique each other. We make them feel as safe as possible but also responsible for their artistic choices and work," she adds.

While Alive participants all reside in a separate cottage, they take some of the regular camp arts classes, eat all their meals in the camp dining hall, and can go for a swim in the lake. But most of all they prefer working on their show or being totally consumed on alternating theater and visual arts intensive days.

"Alive gives you more freedom than being a regular camper," noted one of the students. "I'm so glad they created this program."

For emerging artists Noah, Annette, Pete, Thea, Natalie, and Eli, the freedom to be creative, they say, has opened their eyes to new possibilities. Artistic expression, for them, will never be quite the same.