Acting Camp

In recent years, there has been a huge growth in the number of people interested in attending acting camps. Some of these people are children and teenagers, and some adults. While camp is often thought of as a place to go to meet new friends, play ball, eat in a mess hall, and camp out, the acting camp is different and unique while also providing plenty of fun.

An acting camp falls within the category of being a specialty camp, one that has a primary focus for teaching people how to act. Of all types of camps, specialty camps actually have the largest segment in the industry. In addition to fun activities to include swimming, hiking, surfing, archery, horseback riding, dancing, and more, this type of camp has a specific agenda towards teaching acting.

Typically, acting camp is a place where children from age 10 to 18 go but again, most camps have programs for all ages. Most often, a camp like this caters to children in this age group for two very specific reasons. First, children around the age of 10 can be taught and shaped much easier than an older student can. Second, getting into a serious acting career takes years. Skills have to be honed so starting out young provides a child preparation time so when he or she is old enough to get into the business, skills are developed.

Depending on the acting camp, some offer daytime classes and others have week or month long programs. For day classes, students would be dropped off at the camp each morning, spend the day having fun and learning, and then return home at night. The resident camp is set up so the child lives at the camp location during the course of the program. Each child will have a different level of interest and natural ability so parents simply need to discuss the situation with the camp's experts so the appropriate choice is made.

Even within an acting camp, it is likely to find areas of special interest. Of course, students regardless will learn the basics of acting but they will also have the opportunity to focus on a specific type of acting. For instance, some people want to work on Broadway, some are more interested in television or movies, and yet others might want to work on a cruise ship or even go into teaching.

The key goal is to find an acting camp that not only caters to the child's area of interest, but also one that provides ample fun. To locate a reputable camp, parents should look at those associated with the American Camp Association or ACA to ensure the camp is accredited. This means the camp is run by strict guidelines for excellence, meeting or exceeding as many as 300 best practice standards set by the industry.