Girls Create Summer Camps 2024

Girls Create is a summer camp program for playwriting, stand-up, fashion design, and self-expression through art. The program teaches girls and non-binary youth (6th through 10th grade) various aspects of these art forms in a unique way–we prioritize bringing in professionals from the community to teach the programs, guest artists to share their expertise, and utilize mentors from the community to provide guidance during the creative process. Each week-long program culminates in a final weekly project for the community, including friends and family of the girls and non-binary youth, to experience their work. All Girls Create camps will be held in-person from 9am-3pm MT Monday-Friday at various locations in Metro Denver.

The mission of Girls Create is to empower girls and non-binary youth to lead and effect change in themselves and others through creative learning. Girls Stand-Up, Girls Write, Girls Design Fashion, and Girls Artfully Minded seek to encourage girls and non-binary youth to tap into their creativity, gain confidence, and do what they love. Learn more at https://athenaprojectarts.org/summer-camps/

Girls Design Fashion takes our campers behind the scenes of the fashion world. They will explore what fashion design can be with various guest artists who will introduce campers to sources of inspiration, design techniques, easy ways to upcycle and the importance of sustainability. This camp not only provides a fun creative outlet, but also helps develop key life skills like innovation, focus, planning, and problem-solving.

A fashion show for family and friends will top off this week of confidence and community building!

Dates: July 8-12, 2024
Time: 9am – 3pm MST, Mon-Fri
Teaching Instructor: Christina Keefe
Location: Westwood neighborhood, 3300 W. Nevada Place, Denver CO, 80219
Cost: $275 (includes materials fee)

Girls Write is a theatre and writing immersion camp that empowers girls’ and non-binary youth’s imaginations through the creation of individual short plays. Guest actors and directors bring each story to life in a staged reading at the end of the week. As they develop creative tools for storytelling, campers gain confidence in their unique voices and experience the value of sharing ideas.

Dates: July 15-19, 2024
Time: 9am-3pm MST, Mon-Fri
Teaching Instructor: Samwell Rose
Location: Westwood neighborhood, 3300 W. Nevada Place, Denver CO, 80219
Cost: $275 (includes guest artist fees)

Our newest camp, Girls Artfully Minded, creates a brave space for girls and non-binary youth to feel less isolated and allows them to express themselves through creative visual art activities and a variety of art forms including improv, visual art, movement, writing and spoken word. With the guidance of guest artists, our campers will discover first-hand how art establishes a foundation for the development of empathy for others and self-compassion for themselves.

This wellness camp includes creativity + conversation on a daily basis to create an ongoing monthly cohort for healing and artistic expression to continue.

Dates: July 22-26, 2024
Time: 9am – 3pm MST, Mon-Fri
Teaching Instructor: Dominique Flores
Location: Westwood neighborhood, 3300 W. Nevada Place, CO, 80219
Cost: $275 (includes materials fee)

Girls Stand-Up camp features seasoned mentors providing a fun space for girls and nonbinary youth to exercise their creative energies through creating comedy sets to boost self-confidence and playfulness. Campers will show off their comedy skills and perform sets at the end of the week.

Dates: July 29 – August 2, 2024
Time: 9am-3pm MST, Mon-Fri plus additional mentoring time as needed
Teaching Instructor: Janae Burris
Location: Westwood neighborhood, 3300 W. Nevada Place, Denver CO, 80219
Cost: $275 (includes guest artist fees)

A limited number of scholarships are available; please contact [email protected] for more details.

About Athena Project: Athena Project empowers all women and underrepresented genders through the arts by providing them with paid work opportunities while also ensuring audiences get to see and hear their artistic works. We change the world, one paid underrepresented artist at a time. Our programs evolve as the political and social landscape changes.

At present, they include: Read & Rant: A Plays in Progress Series, a book club that serves the needs of new playwrights, providing them with readers and dramaturgical support while providing community members with opportunities to support new work. Curating Art for Impact, a collaboration with or on behalf of community partners, providing unique experiential art such as pop-up performances which elevate and amplify their missions. Artful Reflections, a forum which connects artists with their audiences and fellow artists with a facilitated discussion about the emotional impact of the art through the lens of the attendants’ world views and identities. Girls Create, summer intensive week-long camps exploring various art forms for middle school girls and non-binary youth which explore art forms like playwriting, fashion design, stand up comedy and self-expression through art, culminating in final performances shared with friends, family, and the public. This program empowers participants to lead and effect change in themselves and others through creative learning.