Hands Together, Heart to Art is the Auditorium Theatre’s one-of-a-kind summer arts camp for children who have experienced the death of a parent. The camp uses music, dance, and theatrical performances to help the children interact, communicate, and ultimately heal. Each day the campers explore a new artistic medium and a different conduit for channeling their creativity, activities that help them overcome the obstacles of their past and confront the pain left in the wake of their loss.
In addition to their daily activities, each session of camp
culminates in a final performance during which the children perform for their
friends and family.
It is difficult to express the profound impact Hands Together, Heart to Art makes on hurting children throughout Chicago. For over eleven years, grieving children at Hands Together, Heart to Art have:
· Participated in
artistic activities that build self-confidence…
It is difficult to express the profound impact Hands Together, Heart to Art makes on hurting children throughout Chicago. For over eleven years, grieving children at Hands Together, Heart to Art have:
· Listened to guest speakers who share their own stories of losing a parent when they were young…
· Discussed their grief with licensed therapists and social workers …
· Joined in a balloon launch as an expression of love for their deceased parent…
· And engaged in skits, performances and talent shows that help boost their self-esteem, encourage cooperation, and foster trust…
Obviously we understand that we can never fully fill the void in each child’s life. But by providing them with this outlet we can aid hurting children in their healing and ultimately empower them to lead happy, productive and healthy futures. These goals, and our commitment to them, only increase every year—and we honored by the kindness of all those who help us provide hope, guidance and comfort to so many young lives.
