Rising 4th-6th July 20-24 9am-2:00pm Mon-Fri $125 early bird $135 after 3/31 Click here to register!
During this week, we'll explore folktales through improvisational drama, theatre, exercises and games to develop a deep understanding for character and plot development--important for writers and performers! We'll imagine various viewpoints, act out characters, and bring situations to life in a group performance for family and friends at the end of the week.
Facilitated by Sharon Smith, a multicultural arts educator. New to True Ink summer programs, she brings with her many years of leading improvisational acting workshops with young people.
Kidzplay
Cool Scribbles
Rising 4th-6th June 22-26 9am-2:00pm Mon-Fri $125 early bird $135 after 3/ 31
Cool Scribbles is a fun, experiential camp for young writers. We explore "writerly habits" and exercise our right and left brains through wordplay, improv games, collage work, and getting out in the world to hunt interesting characters, stray pieces of dialog, physical details from the mundane to the amazing, and moments we can explode into scenes or poems. Facilitated by writer, educator and True Ink founder, Janet Hurley
Allan Wolf, Poet, Author, Performing Artist
Nationally renowned and locally-based poet, educator and author Allan Wolf travels nationally to perform poetry and has published many books including: :The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts (Candlewick Press), and New Found Land: Lewis and Clark’s Voyage of Discovery (Candlewick Press), a novel in verse chosen as a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and an IRA Children’s Book Award Notable. He is the author of a book about writing poems titled, Immersed In Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet’s Life (Lark Books) and a YA novel in verse titled Zane’s Trace (Candlewick Press), a Book Sensed Children's Top Ten Pick and more! allanwolf.com
Slam This! Spoken Word Workshop
_Who? Rising 5th-Rising 9th Where?William Randolph School 90 Montford ave When? July 8-July 12 Monday-Friday, 10:00-3:00 $150 Click Here to Register! Through this five-day workshop, participants delve deep into what matters most to them, learn techniques for drawing up inspiration, improving our unique writing styles, and building strong performance presences. Participants will learn how to spit fire and dazzle an audience. Be a part of the magic. Share your truth and have a riotously good time while making the world a better, richer place with your poetry.
Shanita Jackson, participant in last year's slam camp and member of Asheville Wordslam's Brave New Voices team will be a youth facilitator during this week.
Hand in Hand: Drawing and Writing
Illustration by Katie Frye
Who? Rising 6th- rising 9th Where? The Thomas Wolfe House When: 10-3:00 June 12-June 15 $195 Click Here to Register!
Do you love illustrations? cartoons? Graphic novels? Comic books? If
yes, then this camp is for you. With cartoon artist Jeff Kinzel and writer Janet
Hurley, we'll learn writing and drawing techniques and then take a look at how it all comes together. Campers will create their own graphic or illustrated stories and poems. and choose a selection for a full color professionally produced publication. We'll finish the week with a reading/art show for family and friends. Flip through the book below to see what campers have done in the past!
Marie Zimmerman
True Ink instructor Marie Zimmerman is a writer, educator and graphic artist who has worked with young writers and artists in a variety of school, camp and library-based programs.
Jeff Kinzel
Artist, illustrator and cartoonist jeffkinzel.com
Michael Beadle
Poet, Teaching Artist, Author
Michael Beadle is a poet, teaching artist and author living in Canton, N.C. Since 1998, he has also been performing original, classical and contemporary poetry for schools, festivals and special events throughout North Carolina. His poetry collections include Friends We Haven’t Met (2008) and An Invented Hour (2004). His poems have been published in various literary journals and anthologies including The New Southerner, Pinesong, Smoky Mountain Review, and The Sound of Poets Cooking. In 2009, he recorded and produced Kaboom, a CD of original poems.
As a creative writing instructor, Michael teaches throughout North Carolina, working with thousands of students from elementary schools to the college level. He is listed in the touring artists directory for the North Carolina Arts Council and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. An A+ Schools Fellow since 1998, he has facilitated staff development workshops in North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Michigan. He teaches workshops on poetry performance, poetry writing, the art of advertising, and journalism.
Michael is the co-author of a comprehensive bicentennial retrospective book,
Haywood County: Portrait of a Mountain Community (Southern Historical Press, 2009), which won the 2010 President’s Award from the N.C. Society of Historians. He is also the author of Haywood County (Arcadia, 2010) and co-author of Waynesville (Arcadia, 2010) – both books include historic photographs documenting the people, places and culture of Haywood County in western North Carolina. He volunteers as the coordinator of the Haywood SnapShot Project, a Haywood County historical group that gathers, researches and exhibits historic photographs.
Since graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a journalism degree in 1994, Michael has published more than 1,500 articles in newspapers and magazines across North Carolina. His feature stories have garnered several N.C. Press Association awards.
Maryedith Burrell is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actress. Burrell worked with the 42nd Street Project in New York City and its offshoot, The Virginia Avenue Project in Los Angeles --- both award-winning programs in partnership with local Police Athletic Leagues and dedicated to empowering at-risk children. She also coached public speaking for Radio Club After School, a program for underserved elementary school students in Los Angeles public schools that was sponsored by The Grammy Foundation.
Raw Ink
Who? Rising 6th-Rising 9th Where? Thomas Wolfe House When: July 31-August 3 Tuesday-Friday 10-3:00 $175 Closed Click Here to Register!
For the young writer who just wants to write--poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction--choose one or choose them all. Raw Ink is a fun, experiential workshop where we'll explore
"writerly habits," exercise our right and left brains through
wordplay, improv games, and collage work. We'll get out in downtown Asheville to
hunt interesting characters, stray pieces of dialog, physical
details from the mundane to the amazing, and moments we can explode
into scenes or poems. In addition, the campers explore the old Kentucky
home, featured in Thomas Wolfe's novel, Look Homeward Angel, with Wolfe
memorial site interpreter, Christian Dwight. Her high energy and
ever-changing stories always entertain, inform and inspire! The week finishes with a reading and reception for friends and family.
RADIO CLUB is five days of fun writing and recording original plays for the radio. Kids have the opportunity to work in a real studio creating everything from scripts to sound effects. They learn valuable literacy skills and team building tools while working with adult professionals. The takeaway is a CD of their very own radio show! RADIO CLUB is an experience your child will never forget. Family and friends will enjoy the live presentations at the end of the week! With Maryedith Burrell, author, screenwriter, playwright, actor on stage, television and in film.
In the Flow: From Art to Words and Back Again CLOSED
Courtesy Ginger Huebner
A one-week summer studio workshop for young writers and artists in the River Arts District.
Who? Rising 9th-rising 12th Where? Asheville Arts Council River Arts District When? July 11-15 Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm plus Friday evening showcase $195
Both writers and artists work with the intention of creating a virtual space for readers or viewers to enter while, at the same time, exploring our own ideas, feelings, or perspectives. During the week, participants will work with Janet Hurley, freelance writer and director of True Ink, and Ginger Huebner, multi-media artist and director of Roots and Wings School of Art, to dip into the currents between their own creative writing and original works of art. The workshop will include time for exploring the River Arts District’s many stories. Each student will have the opportunity to participate in our culminating reading and exhibit of work on Friday evening. All materials included.
Creative Currents CLOSED
Courtesy of Ginger Huebner
Who? Rising 6th – 8th graders Where? Asheville Arts Council 345 Depot Street River Arts District When? June 27-July 1 10am-3pm plus a Friday evening showcase All materials included. $195
A creative camp for middle school artists and writers in the River Arts District. Explore the stories, poetry and art of the River Arts District—and then create your own with Janet Hurley, freelance writer and director of True Ink, and Ginger Huebner, multimedia artist and director of Roots and Wings School of Art. Each student will have the opportunity to participate in our culminating reading and exhibit of work on Friday evening.
Text This!
Who? Rising 6th-rising 9th Where? Thomas Wolfe House When? Tuesday-Friday 10:00-3:00
June 28-July 1 $165
What is a poem supposed to look like? What happens if we let our words escape the
page? Poet and educator Meggen Lyon will lead us on an exploration of the power of the written word by lending a “traditional”
approach to writing poetry with fun experiments. Text on paper, on screen, on physical objects--maybe even our cell phones! We’ll hit the streets of
Asheville with our eyes and ears open for inspiration, and we’ll make our mark
by posting our own creations. At the end of the week, we’ll celebrate our
discoveries with a reading and exhibit of our visual experiments.
Words in Motion
Who? Rising 4th-5th Where? Thomas Wolfe House and Asheville Contemporary Dance Theater, both in downtown Asheville When? Tuesday-Friday 9-3:30 July 5-8
$165 To learn more about Amy Hamilton, Dance Educator Click her photo!
Stories and poetry are often lyrical... rhythmic... fluid...sometimes graceful...always full of feeling and meaning that is more than the words on the page...just as dance is more than just a series of movements. In this unique program, we’ll spend the morning exploring our creativity through writing at the Thomas Wolfe House and then, right after lunch, walk up to the New School of Dance and use our poetry and stories as inspiration for original dance pieces. No dance experience is required—this is about fun writing and fun movement. We'll do a performance for family and friends on Friday in the Be Be Theater.
Wordplay
Who? Rising 4th-6th Where? Thomas Wolfe House When? Tuesday-Friday 9-3:30 August 2-5 $165
Do you love word play? Ever tried to write a snowball poem where each word is one line and each line gets one letter longer? Or try to write a short story without the letter "R"? If you like palindromes (words or phrases that read the same backwards and forwards) or other fun ways to challenge your creativity--then you'll love this camp. It's Cool Scribbles meet Oulipo--a type of creative writing that shares a very similar philosophy with, believe it or not, math! What? You'll play on the page with Janet Hurley and Lee Ann Brown, poet, professor and Oulipo expert, have plenty of time to seek inspiration and fun in Asheville's creative downtown, then delight your family and friends with a reading and presentation at the end of the week.