Keeping it local – first youth summer camp for Pumpjack Players

By Serena Lapointe
 
Until this year, drama-loving kids in the community didn’t have the option to stay
local if they wanted to participate in a summer camp. Being involved meant their
parents had to drive elsewhere, likely Edmonton, spending money on gas, eating
out, and maybe a hotel.
Brigette Moore, treasurer for Pumpjack Players, is one of the local parents who
has travelled out of town for a camp so that her son could have the experience.
She, along with other members of the non-profit, looked into the possibility of
running their own. “Several of our theatre kids were driving to other locations. It
made no sense for them to leave and go to the city when we could be doing this
here,” she said.
Moore explained that camps can also be expensive. “Parents were spending
three to four times what we are charging here. We are charging $150 for a
whole week. We were able to keep our prices low because we got a grant from
Woodlands County and the Town of Whitecourt. And the folks at the Seniors
Circle gave us an amazing deal on renting their space because we are a non-
profit and because we’re doing this for the kids,” she explained. The funding
enabled the group to put themselves out there and try the camp without the risk
of losing money or incurring costs not covered by their fees should it not be
successful. “The funding allowed us to keep our prices low so that it could be
accessible to as many people as possible,” said Moore.
The first camp ran from July 27 to July 31, while the second camp is slated to run
from August 10 to 14, both for kids aged 8-14. Pumpjack Players chose to do full
days, 9 am to 4 pm, giving kids an immersive experience and cramming as much
fun as possible into the week, including theatre games and even karaoke.
On Thursday afternoon, when The Press visited the camp, the kids were
showcasing their group projects. “We have sixteen kids. We divided them up into
four groups of four, and they are writing scripts. We walked them through the
process of creating their backdrops, set props and pieces and teaching them that
something can be not as it seems. Like a chair, when you put three together, can
be a couch,” said Moore, who volunteered as a camp director.
Once the groups created their plays, they each took turns performing on
the Seniors Circle’s stage, practicing for Friday, when each group performed for
their parents and caregivers, showing off what they had worked hard on all
week. Moore said the kids spoke highly of the process. “The biggest feedback is
that they loved getting to write their own scripts because they are unleashing
their creativity in a way they don’t often get to. I’m really impressed with how
quickly the kids can think on their feet and do some funny improv. You might not
think that kids can make you laugh as an adult, but these kids have definitely
kept us adults laughing. They’ve been awesome,” smiled Moore.

Two leaders worked alongside the kids each day, and three other volunteers
visited throughout the week to lend a hand. The goal from the start was
to give participants a safe place to be imaginative and have fun. “I hope they get
to meet other kids in their community who are like them. I know that sending my
own son to theatre camps in other towns, he never sees those kids again or at
least not very often. Any friendships formed kind of end at the end of the camp,
whereas here, that’s not the case.”
Moore said they’ve had a few kids take part who had never been involved in
Pumpjack Players before, and she hopes they will join now. “We see their talent,
and we’re like, why have you not been in our shows? We even had kids
here that play hockey, which is great to have sports and art kids together
because there doesn’t have to be a divide between them. Kids like to do both.”
Seeing the success of the first camp has Moore and Pumpjack Players excited
for the future possibilities. “Our hope is that after we have our first year under our
belts, next year we could maybe turn the volunteer positions into paid positions,
and we can have maybe some of the kids we’ve given scholarships to come
home for the summer from university, and we could hire them to lead camps.
Because the arts can make money and people do this for a living. So, it would be
a way for us to create some jobs for kids or adults and put money into their
pockets,” explained Moore.
One of the volunteers, Tony Lightning-Vanderhammen, the entertaining in-game
host at the Whitecourt Wolverines games, stopped in for a few days last week to
hang out with the kids. “He said he really wanted to come help because when he
was young, he would have loved to have something like this in our community,
and it was never there,” added Moore.
Nine-year-old Ophelia Barrett-Gaboury is one of the kids who has travelled to
attend camps. When asked how she felt about attending one in Whitecourt, she
said it was nice to be able to make friends and know she will still get to see them.
She also said the camp was lots of fun. “I like getting to act and be someone
else. I liked getting to make the play and design it and make it ours.”
Her group’s play was a mix of Ghostbusters and Scooby Doo. “I’m Leah, the
leader, who likes ghosts, and I want Wren, the smart one, who doesn’t believe in
them, to believe in them. At the end of the play, we all share a message that our
character learned in the play. Mine was that you can’t judge a book by its cover,
or in this case, a ghost bite story,” she chuckled. The next Pumpjack Players Kids
Theatre Camp starts on August 10. Those interested can
visit www.pumpjackplayers.com for registration information.