Arts Camp

NEW for 2026
2026 Dates:
July 6-10: rising 2-5 grades
August 3-7: rising 6-9 grades
Cost: $930

Working from imagination and observation, campers will get to paint outside on our beautiful campus and in the studio. Enjoying the creative process and encouraging young artists to take risks and have fun as they develop their skills, this week will help campers learn how to manipulate watercolor techniques to achieve unexpected textures and effects.
With the quick drying nature of watercolor, campers will be able to create multiple works most days, building a portfolio of artwork the campers can take home and share.
No prior experience needed.

About the Instructor: Ilana Bartok
Ilana is a high school art teacher and former expressive arts therapist who studied at Mount Holyoke College and Lesley University. An artist who does a little bit of everything, Ilana considers herself primarily a painter and installation artist. Ilana loves playing games, eating sweets, and spending time with her husband, two children, and cat in their home at Concord Academy.

2026 Dates: July 6-17 (two-week session)
Rising 5-10 graders
Cost: $1,860

Once upon a time… there was a prince who wanted to marry a princess but she would have to be a real princess. He travelled all over the world searching, but she was nowhere to be found…

Please join us this summer for our non-musical, fun-filled production of The Princess and the Pea.
No experience necessary! We will end our two weeks of rehearsal with an eye-popping performance including sets, props, and costumes.

Family and friends are invited to an evening performance on Thursday, July 16, at 7:00 p.m. in Concord Academy’s brand-new Centennial Arts Center!

About the Director: Leslie Hackney received her BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory of Music and has toured with such companies as May O’Donnell, Mary Anthony, Rod Rodgers, and Pearl Lang. She taught at the Performing Arts High School in New York City, as well as professional dance studios in New York and New Jersey. She has directed and choreographed countless children’s productions throughout her career.

2026 Dates: August 10-14
Rising 1-6 graders
Cost: $920

Dance Camps take place in Concord Academy’s state-of-the-art Dance Studio!

This full-day program gives young dancers the opportunity to take various forms of dance including Ballet, Modern, and Latin social dancing. Dancers will participate in a choreography workshop where they explore improvisation and mime in order to choreograph a dance based on a children’s book. Campers will make a prop, mask, or accessory for the dance they create. They will watch videos on the dance forms they are taking and learn a little history about them. There is a swim period and a camp activity each day. The week will focus on healthy dance technique and artistic expression in a vibrant and supportive team-orientated environment.

About the Instructor: Nicole Dickson
Nicole is a professional ballet dancer with City Ballet of Boston. She graduated with a degree in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University in 2023, and she has been dancing in Boston ever since. As a passionate educator and performer, Nicole is very excited to share another week of fun dance at Concord Academy Summer Camp!

2026 Dates: July 6-10
Rising 6-9 graders
Cost: $945

Do you love working with different species of wood?

How about participating in a specialty woodworking camp where you will design your very own cutting board, key chain, and personal customized cheese board!

Campers will have a plethora of hardwoods to choose from when designing their cutting board. Each day campers will be working on multiple projects, as our main cutting board will take some time to complete each step.

Our main project will be a solid wood cutting board approx. 12″ wide by 18″ long and 1-1.5″ thick. Campers will then add a juice groove, non-slip feet, and an embedded handle. Simultaneously, campers will make a personal cheese board, as well as custom keychains, created by utilizing the scraps from their projects.

All projects will involve measuring, cutting, laminating, drilling, and lots of sanding! Campers will learn the proper use of tools, and then use them under the close supervision of our woodshop director, Woodshop Reece. Each day our young carpenters will receive handouts explaining various tools that will be used, as well as woodworking methods and practices. At the end of the week, campers will be able to bring their projects home and enjoy them for many years to come.

No experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn, a little patience, and the desire to have fun!

About the Instructor: Reece Lavacca
Woodshop Reece has been with Concord Academy Summer Camp for four years. While working with our Specialty Coordinator as a Head Specialist, he has also been teaching woodshop. When not at camp, Woodshop Reece is a Regional Executive Chef for school across New England and runs his own woodworking company, reeceswoodshed.com, which can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

NEW for 2026
2026 Dates: July 27-31
Rising 7-10 graders
Cost: $945

Are you looking to expand your woodworking and carving skills?
Join our intermediate specialty woodworking camp, designed for returning campers or those ready to take their craftsmanship to the next level! In this advanced session, campers will dive into hand carving, spoon making, and creating a custom carved box top.

Campers will begin with guided carving exercises, learning safe and effective techniques using carving knives, cut-resistant gloves, and specialty hand tools. Throughout the week, campers will work on a series of small projects, starting with spoons and spatulas carved from soft wood. Once they’ve built confidence and technique, they’ll transition to hardwoods—similar to the materials used in our cutting board camp—to create a final, polished spoon or spatula midway through the week. A signature project of the week will be crafting a carved wooden box top, a project inspired by advanced woodshop traditions and techniques. Using a combination of hand-carving tool kits and newly introduced carving tools, campers will learn layout, shaping, detail carving, and finishing methods to bring their designs to life.

All projects will involve carving, shaping, sanding, and safe tool handling. Campers will receive daily instruction and supervision from our woodshop director, Woodshop Reece, along with handouts explaining carving tools, grain direction, and advanced woodworking practices. By the end of the week, campers will take home beautifully carved, functional pieces they can proudly display or use.

This camp is ideal for returning campers or those who have completed our beginner cutting board woodshop camp. No advanced experience is required—just curiosity, focus, and a desire to challenge yourself!

About the Instructor: Reece Lavacca
Woodshop Reece has been with Concord Academy Summer Camp for four years. While working with our Specialty Coordinator as a Head Specialist, he has also been teaching woodshop. When not at camp, Woodshop Reece is a Regional Executive Chef for school across New England and runs his own woodworking company, reeceswoodshed.com, which can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

2026 Dates:
July 20-24: rising 6-9 graders
August 3-7: rising 2-5 graders
Cost: $930

Campers will explore many different approaches to art-making using a variety of media. Campers will participate in landscape painting, printmaking, observational still-life drawing, illustration assignments, and more. This week-long, art-intensive specialty camp will help build students’ confidence using various drawing and painting techniques and serve as the foundation for their portfolio of artwork.

About the Instructor: Ryan Hannus
Ryan teaches arts and crafts during the rest of the camp season and teaches art during the school year for grades Pre-K–8.

2026 Dates: July 20-31 (two-week session)
Rising 5-10 graders
Cost: $1,860

Music, dancing, and acting! FUN! Join us for two weeks of theater as we explore all the elements that go into creating a magical experience. In this year’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR., campers will enjoy working together and supporting each other as we create a final performance that will showcase their efforts including sets, lights, props, and costumes. No experience is necessary.

Family and friends are invited to an evening performance on Thursday, July 30, at 7:00 p.m. in Concord Academy’s brand-new Centennial Arts Center!

About the Director: Leslie Hackney
Leslie received her BFA in dance from the Boston Conservatory of Music and has toured with such companies as May O’Donnell, Mary Anthony, Rod Rodgers, and Pearl Lang. She taught at the Performing Arts High School in New York City, as well as professional dance studios in New York and New Jersey. She has directed and choreographed countless children’s productions throughout her career.

2026 Dates: August 3-7
rising 6-9 grades
Cost: $920

Our improv comedy camp offers participants an engaging experience that fosters creativity, confidence, and collaboration. The camp’s primary goal is to create a fun, supportive environment where participants can explore the fundamentals of improvisation while building valuable life skills. Daily activities are designed to help campers develop spontaneity, adaptability, and quick thinking through interactive exercises and games. Whether attendees are seasoned performers or complete beginners with no theater experience, we ensure that everyone feels comfortable experimenting and expressing themselves together.

Each day is full of theater games and activities that build trust and camaraderie among participants. Through group scenes, storytelling exercises, and character-building games, participants learn how to collaborate effectively and make creative choices on the fly. They carry home the ability to think quickly, communicate effectively, and approach challenges with a positive, can-do attitude.

The week will conclude with a showcase, providing participants with a chance to apply what they’ve learned in a supportive, low-pressure setting. The laughter-filled show not only boosts morale but also reinforces the collaborative spirit of improv. You will be amazed at how comfortable your child can be in front of a crowd with no script with just a week of practice!

By the end of the week, campers leave with an array of new skills, deeper friendships, and a stronger sense of self-expression, but the only thing they will focus on is how much fun they had!

About the Instructor: Bobby Smithney
Bobby is currently the Theater Director for the Lesley Ellis School in Arlington where he has led shows for Elementary and Middle schoolers for the last 15 years. He is a 20 year veteran of ImprovBoston and run classes on improvisation for adults and children all over the Boston area. You can hear him as the voice of Fast Food Freddy on old episodes of Fizzy’s Lunch Lab or see him perform at Union Comedy.

2026 Dates: August 3-7
Rising 4-9 graders
Cost: $920

The Rock, Pop, & Contemporary Music Camp offers an inspiring and immersive experience for aspiring young musicians from the greater Boston and Concord communities. This dynamic five-day program blends high-quality music education with hands-on performance opportunities, creating a supportive and engaging environment where students can grow as musicians and collaborators.

Each day begins with a full-camp gathering to set goals and establish a shared focus, followed by targeted breakout sessions organized by musical discipline (voice, rhythm section, wind/brass, and more). In these sessions, students will strengthen core musicianship skills tailored to their primary area of focus. Topics include sight-reading, songwriting, accompaniment techniques, effective warm-up strategies, song memorization, and other essential tools for aspiring contemporary musicians.

Students will also spend significant time rehearsing with their assigned ensembles, working collaboratively on repertoire and arrangements. Ensemble placement is determined on the first day of camp through a brief placement audition, ensuring that each student is grouped according to their experience level and musical interests. Throughout the week, dedicated time is set aside for creative collaboration through songwriting workshops, jam sessions, and informal musical exchanges that encourage experimentation and artistic dialogue.

In addition to live performance skills, students will explore the world of digital music production. Each ensemble will record its music during the camp, gaining hands-on experience with recording techniques and contemporary production tools. The week culminates in a public performance at the brand-new Centennial Arts Center, featuring all camp ensembles and celebrating the students’ achievements.

By the end of the program, students will have studied and performed a diverse range of styles, including Rock, Pop, Soul, Hip Hop, and Jazz. Our goal is to equip each participant with the musical skills, confidence, and practice strategies needed to thrive in any contemporary music setting—long after the camp experience has ended. For more information, please contact Chris Gagne at christopher_gagne@concordacademy.org or call the camp office (978) 402-2222.

About the Instructor: Chris Gagne
Chris Gagne received his doctorate in Jazz Studies from the University of Miami and has performed and recorded with such artists as George Benson, Antonio Sanchez, Anat Cohen, Miguel Zenon, Sean Jones, and George Garzone. He has taught jazz studies and directed ensembles at a number of secondary and post-secondary institutions over the past decade, including Concord Academy, Phillips Academy (Andover), Merrimack College, and Springfield College.