For all enquiries please contact:
Sue Dawson - Arts Coordination Officer
Email: susan.i.dawson@det.nsw.edu.au
Mobile: 0402 992 897
About the camp
Transitions is a 3-day creative arts camp for NSW public school students in Years 5 and 6 from across the Far South Coast. The camp is inclusive and open to all students with an interest in creative and performing arts.
The camp is structured around the theme of ‘transitions’ supporting students to explore and express their hopes and fears about their forthcoming transitions into high school through an integrated performing arts program.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in art forms including but not limited to: dance, drama, physical theatre/circus art, film-making, visual arts and creative crafts.
The camp will provide a challenging and stimulating arts education program covering a variety of art forms enabling students to develop their skills and creativity in a fun and safe environment with like-minded students.
The program will be delivered by specialist performing arts educators, engaging and encouraging students’ creative self-expression, and will culminate in a final performance for teachers, friends and families on the final evening of the camp.
What does the camp hope to achieve?
Preparatory transitional learning experience - the camp will take students away from their local small school community and challenge them to work with a large group of peers (some of whom they may meet again at high school). This will enhance the opportunity for students to develop independence, confidence and self-reliance skills.
Connectedness and well-being - meaningful connections for students and teachers who live, learn and work in rural small schools can make the biggest difference in their lives. The student’s involvement in the camp will create opportunities for imagination and inventiveness as it will engage the student in a process that helps in the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation.
Communication and collaboration – the camp will provide students with opportunities to communicate and collaborate with a larger group of Stage 3 students from diverse settings. They will improve their confidence to share their ideas, express their feelings, and contribute to discussions as they compose, create, learn, rehearse and perform collaboratively. They will also learn the importance of respecting other people and their views, ideas and opinions.
Creative, reflective and critical thinking - students will be encouraged to think creatively 'outside the box' as they generate ideas. Critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills can enhance students’ academic performance. A substantial increase in arts educational experiences has proven to impact students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes.
Watch the 2023 Transitions Camp documentary to hear from students about their time at camp. This video was made by the students in the filmmaking project groups at camp.
Transitions Small Schools Creative Arts Camp 2023 - camp doco
Duration: 07:16
Camp information
Dates
Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 September 2024 (Term 3 Week 9)
Arrival time: 8:30 am to 9:00 am Monday 16 September 2024 - Bega Civic Centre
Pickup time: 7:00 pm Wednesday 18 September 2024 - Bega Civic Centre (following the end of camp showcase)
Venues
Accommodation and night activities:
Kianinny Bush Cottages - 246 Tathra Rd Tathra NSW 2550
Arts workshops and end-of-camp showcase:
Bega Civic Centre - Zingel Place Bega NSW 2550
Please note: Students will be bused to and from Kianinny to Bega Civic Centre each day.
Cost
$250 per student. This includes accommodation, meals and all resources for the camp. Students will be able to take home all artworks created as part of the camp.
How to apply
Eligible students: Open to Year 5 and Year 6 NSW public school students from primary schools across the Far South Coast.
Students interested in participating in the Transitions - Far South Coast Creative Arts Camp in 2024 are required to complete the Transitions - FSCCAC - application form by Friday 12 April 2024 (Term 1 Week 11).
All students must gain approval from their parent/carer and the principal of their school to apply.
School principals will be contacted by the coordinator of the camp to endorse applicants from their school before offers of acceptance.
All successful and non-successful applicants will be notified via email on Friday 1 May (Term 2 Week 1).
Accepted students will be sent further information, permission notes and payment information.
Accepted students will be required to pay in full to their school by Friday 23 August 2023 (Term 2 Week 5)
Staff
Duty of care will be provided by Departmental staff at the camp. Schools are not required to send a teacher with students to the camp.
Interested small school staff who would like to attend the camp either as a workshop leader or duty of care teacher should contact Sue Dawson to discuss the options available.
Cabins
Cabins
Students will be placed in cabins of up to 10 students separated into male and female cabins. We try to keep students in school groups and/or with similar-age peers.
We will do our best to accommodate requests as to who students would like to share a cabin.
Students will be expected to keep cabins tidy and treat cabin members' belongings with respect.
We have a highly prized cabin inspection each day!
Students do not have permission to go into other cabins unless under the direction of a teacher or tutor.
Leaving the camp
We encourage all campers to remain at the camp for the entire duration of the camp to make the most of all the opportunities on offer to them
Should a student need to leave the camp for any reason, they will need to be signed in and out by a parent/carer.
Workshop groups
We actively encourage students to challenge themselves and try new things as part of their involvement at the camp.
Project groups
Students will be completing 2 project groups throughout their time at camp. Students will spend approximately 2 hours each day working with each of their project groups. During this time students will complete projects for the showcase gallery and/or performance.
Project groups on offer include:
Dance
Drama
Circus arts
Visual arts
Film making
Interest group – creative arts
Each student will complete 2 creative arts sessions of approximately 1 hour where they will get a taste of different art forms and create a piece of work to showcase in our gallery at the camp showcase.
Interest groups – creative crafts include activities such as sketching, mixed media arts, Aboriginal arts, mask making, flower press art.
Interest group – performance arts
Each student will complete 2 performance art sessions of approximately 1 hour where they will get a taste of the different artform. Students will be encouraged to try art forms they are not doing as part of their focus groups.
Interest groups - performance arts include dance, drama and circus.
Whole camp activities
Students will also participate in whole camp activities.
All students are encouraged to give each activity their best and enjoy the opportunity to try new activities and experiences throughout the camp.
Camp showcase
At the conclusion of the camp, a showcase will be held at the camp to allow families and friends to see the fantastic creativity that occurred at camp.
Our Showcase art gallery will be available for viewing from 5:30 pm. We encourage families to allow time to view the display before the showcase performance. Students will be asked to collect all their creations at the end of the showcase to take home with them.
Showcase performance: 6:30 pm to approximately 7:30 pm.
The showcase is free of charge to parents/caregivers, family and friends of all students attending the camp.
Students will be dismissed from the camp at the conclusion of the showcase.
Students will be creating their performance t-shirt as part of the camp. Students will be provided with a t-shirt for this activity as part of the camp.
Students are asked to bring a pair of black/dark long pants to wear as part of the showcase. This could be black tights, tracksuit pants, dark denim jeans etc.
Student behaviour
The Transitions - Small Schools Creative Arts Camp is a Department of Education event and as such, like at school, all students are expected to abide by the Department’s Behaviour Code for Students. Students are representing themselves, their families and their school whilst at camp.
In addition, the following expectations apply to all students:
Follow all reasonable directions of Warrumbai Retreat and Conference Centre and Creative Arts Camp staff and peer mentors.
Respect one another, their teachers, other staff and other members of the community by listening to instruction, being polite, respecting privacy, respecting property and resolving any issues that may arise peacefully.
All students and staff have the right to adequate sleep during the excursion. Students are expected to be quiet at lights out and allow themselves and others to get a good sleep each night. Students are required to sleep in the cabins allocated and not leave their room at night except in the case of an emergency.
Sleeping quarters, activity and eating areas must be always left clean and tidy. Students must report any accidental damage to a teacher as soon as possible.
While not expected to wear school uniform, it is important that students present themselves respectably and sensibly for each activity and that they keep clean and tidy, tending to personal hygiene.
On overnight camps students can become anxious or nervous about an activity or miss home. This is normal. All students are expected to support one another to ensure that feelings of sadness or anxiety do not ruin the opportunities of the camp.
Provide encouragement and support to one another at all times.
Give the camp, and all activities, a fair go and practise resilience in order to get the most out of the camp.
Be aware of the camp timetable and be prepared and on time for all camp activities.
Adhere to their school’s policies regarding mobile phones and valuables.
No phones during activities or after lights out.
Breaches of these behaviour expectations while on camp can lead to parents being requested to collect their child from the camp and/or exclusion from subsequent excursions. The school principal will be contacted and further disciplinary action may be imposed.
COVID-19
The Transitions Camp will have a thorough COVID-19 Safety Plan and Risk Management in line with Department of Education and Department of Health regulations.
Students attending camp MUST be well and display no COVID-19 symptoms.
Every precaution will be taken throughout the camp to create a COVID-19 safe environment.
Students displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 during camp will be isolated and parents contacted to discuss the situation.
Third-party content attributions
No third-party attributions.
Transitions - Far South Coast Creative Arts Camp
https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/local-arts-programs/transitions-far-south-coast-creative-arts-camp
The Arts Unit
artsunit.nsw.edu.au