Among the forested acres of the Whidbey Institute, visitors can hear the exclamations of joy as island youth explore their connection to theatre. Part of the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) Youth Summer Conservatory, offered in partnership with the Whidbey Institute, the three-week summer camp is a yearly tradition that melds the traditional theatre components—lighting, scene creation, and costume design—with the beauty of the Institute’s outdoor, forest stage. This year, the cohort of 18 island youth, ages 10 through 14, experienced the world of A Wrinkle in Time, traveling through “space-time” as they explored the classic that captured their hearts and their imagination.
“Our youth conservatory means the world to me. This was one of the early ideas I pitched to leadership when I first arrived at WICA in 2001,” said WICA Executive Artistic Director Deana Duncan. “I knew, fundamentally, that training in the arts means a full training. You have to be introduced to backstage, design, and direction. You can't just be taught how to perform. That's not a full, rounded education. And there were very few youth training camps that I saw that had the full conservatory feel. So we were allowed to begin the conservatory over a decade ago and saw, for many years, the kids who would come back summer after summer.”
The program was on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, but was relaunched in 2024 and has grown over the years in both size and scope. The Whidbey Institute was brought in as a program partner three years ago and, through the three-week program, the students get to experience both nonprofits. For the students participating in the program, it’s an opportunity to blend the arts with a non-traditional, outdoor experience, giving them the chance to fully immerse themselves in artistic expression.
“I love that you get to work together and plan out, and it takes a while. But, in the end, you get a great play. It's really cool and I like it a lot,” said one participant.
“I feel really grateful that we have this space and that there are people who care about teaching theatre to kids and in the woods,” said another student.
This year's performances took place August 28-30 on the Institute’s Storyhouse Stage to an audience of family and friends, community members, and arts supporters.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see the culmination of the camp in such a holistic and authentic setting,” added Duncan. “We get to experience the joys that come with theatre and witness, firsthand, the impact this approach to learning can have on the next generation of artists. What can be better than that?”
To learn more about the Youth Summer Conservatory and other WICA education programs, visit WICAonline.org.