Centauri Arts Academy Blog
Summer Intensives for Teens: Creative Writing Camps, Fine Art Camps, Acting Camps and More!
Summer is a special time at Centauri Arts – young writers, artists, actors and filmmakers from all over the city come together to build community around a shared interest, as they take part in Acting Camps, Creative Writing Camps, Fine Art Camps, Film Camps and more. If you have a child aged 11-18 who loves creative writing, painting, drawing, cartoon creation, acting, podcasting or film, there is something for them at our Toronto studio – [...]
Summer Day Camp for TEENAGERS!
Our day camps are pretty unique. Firstly, we offer film camps, fine art camps, acting camps, animation camps… everything to do with the arts! Secondly, we offer the choice of day camps in Bloor West Village (close to Jane Subway, near Swansea and Etobicoke) or virtual arts camps. Finally our summer day camps are geared specifically for older children and teenagers – ages 11-18 to be precise. Day Camps for Teens? Our summer arts camps [...]
Young Writers: 5 Places to Submit Your Work!
If you are a young writer working on a manuscript, then you are probably wondering which markets exist for your work. There are many literary magazines and publishing houses that accept work from young writers – and there are creative writing competitions for young writers, too! Here are some opportunities for young writers, to start you on your way. Remember a strong cover letter is always important when you are submitting your manuscript for consideration: [...]
Creative Writing Classes at Centauri Arts: a Place for Young Writers to Grow
If you love creative writing – poetry, short fiction, writing novels, screenplays and more – then Centauri is the place for you. For 27 years, we’ve brought together young writers, and talented creative writing teachers to inspire them… and we continue to do so with creative writing classes AND creative writing summer camps, all starting in the next few weeks. Creative Writing Classes this Spring (starting April 2022). Julie Hartley is our instructor for the [...]
Top 10 Tips: How to Take Terrific Photographs
While understanding aperture, shutter speed, ASA and the manual workings of your camera can help, anyone can take a great photo if you cultivate a great eye, and learn a little about aesthetics! Here are 10 tips to help you take amazing photographs. 1) Focal Point Your first step is deciding what to photograph! This is a photo’s focal point or main point of interest. Ask yourself, “will my viewers find this interesting?”. If the [...]
Top 5 Free and Open-Source Animation Software Tools
Animation, and animation classes, are hugely popular with teenagers these days: bringing digital artwork to life on the screen can be riveting! Deciding which animation software to use, however, can be tough - especially if you are on a budget. To help you, we’ve assembled a list of some of the best free and open-source animation software tools available to digital artists today. OpenToonz - 2D Animation Software Not only is OpenToonz one of [...]
New Creative Writing Class for Teenagers in Our Bloor West Village Location!
Short fiction… poetry… novels… if your teenager loves writing in any of these forms, they would likely LOVE our new Creative Writing class, which begins in our Bloor West Village studio on Wednesday 23 February. The instructor for this program is centre director Julie Hartley; read all about her publications and experience at www.juliehartley.ca Creative Writing: From Prompts to Finished Product Most of our creative writing classes in Toronto and virtually focus on technique and [...]
The Best FREE Digital Art Software on the Market!
Starting out in Digital Art can be a struggle for teenagers, especially if they are on a budget. Programs like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint, Clip Studio Paint, Affinity Photo or even Procreate are powerful: but they cost money. Thankfully, we all have access to free/open-source Digital Art Software - but with so many free/open-source programs to choose from, it can be difficult to choose between them. To help you, we have put together a list [...]
Top 10 Challenges Students Face in Their Reading and Writing
Our virtual English Tutoring Programs and English Tutoring Programs in Bloor West Village are available to students in Grades 4-university, but whatever the grade, there are reading and writing skills – from essay writing to paragraphing and reading between the lines - that most students struggle with these days. 1. Essay writing Research, planning, first drafts, editing… middle and high school students all struggle with this, regardless of ability. When I ask what they know [...]
New Arts Classes for Kids & Teens Starting January 2022!
Young writers, actors, artists and filmmakers can choose from 10 new after-school classes and weekend classes at Centauri Arts, starting January 2022. Creative Writing Classes include Short Fiction, and a broader Writing Salon for ages 12-18. Acting Classes for Kids and Teens include a new Junior Acting program for ages 9-14. Film Production Classes include an opportunity to make a short movie as you learn directing, screenwriting, audio, lighting, production design and more. Film and [...]
