Academy Archives - Page 7 of 12

An On-Line Creative Writing Salon for Teens

Ages 11-17, Virtually, on Zoom: Wednesday, 7pm-8.30pm (ET) Semester 1 (15 weeks) begins late September Semester 2 (14 weeks) begins January 29 (students can enroll for semester 1, or 2, or the full year) Instructor: Briana Brown Young creative writers belong at Centauri! In our writing classes explore plot, character and setting as you discover your unique writer’s voice and experiment with form and style. Our weekly workshops are endlessly varied! Try your hand at poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, fantasy world-building, genre fiction, novel structure, flash fiction, podcasts, graphic novel writing and more. A typical class includes exploration of a writing technique, 2-3 inspiring creative writing prompts, a chance to collaborate with other writers and an opportunity to share work for encouragement or feedback. Beginner [...]

February 7th, 2023|Online Virtual Classes, Writing Classes|

Film Production and Performance

Ages 11-17, In our Bloor West Village Studio: Thursdays, 5pm – 6.30pm AND 7.00pm-8.30pm Semester 1 (14 weeks) starting Thursday 26 September Semester 2 (14 weeks) begins January 30 (students can enroll for semester 1, or 2, or the full year) Discover the art of film-making – and act in front of the camera, too, if you wish! Learn – or review – the basics of film making: storyboarding, directing, camera operation, audio, lighting and production design. Each hands-on film course begins with a sequence of short film projects; by rising to challenges set by the instructor and critiquing the results, students further the skills they need to create their own short film. Discover how to tell a story visually, and how to create [...]

February 5th, 2023|Film Classes|

A Creative Writing Salon

Ages 12-17, In our Bloor West Village Studio: Saturdays, 11.15am-12.45pm Ages 9-13, In our Bloor West Village Studio: Tuesdays 5.00pm-6.30pm Semester 1 (14 weeks) starting Saturday 21 September Semester 2 (14 weeks) begins late January (students can enroll for semester 1, or 2, or the full year) Instructor: Julie Hartley Young creative writers belong at Centauri! Explore plot, character and setting as you discover your unique writer’s voice and experiment with form and style. Our weekly workshops are endlessly varied! Try your hand at poetry, playwriting, screenwriting, fantasy world-building, genre fiction, novel structure, flash fiction, podcasts, graphic novel writing and more. A typical class includes exploration of a writing technique, 2-3 inspiring creative writing prompts, a chance to collaborate with other writers and an [...]

February 5th, 2023|Writing Classes|

An Actor’s Workshop. Acting Classes for Teens

Ages 11-17, In our Bloor West Village Studio: Tuesdays, 7.00pm-8.30pm Semester 1 (14 weeks), starting Tuesday 24 September Semester 2 (14 weeks) begins January 28 2025 ** Students can join semester 1 or 2 (or both). Instructor: Marina Gomes Join our exciting acting ensemble and build your skills as a performer while having FUN! Explore improvisation, character creation, voice, movement, mask, physical theatre and more. Learn how to collaborate with other actors and discover why imagination and spontaneity are the keys to acting success. Our instructors are industry professionals with a wealth of teaching experience. They understand acting is fun – and it also develops essential life skills such as communication, self confidence, empathy and adaptability. In Semester 1, we explore a wide range of [...]

February 5th, 2023|Acting Classes|

Centauri Arts: Serving the Swansea and Bloor West Village Neighborhoods for 12 Years… and Counting!

Young people attend our arts classes, arts camps and English Tutoring Program from all over Toronto and Etobicoke, but our location in the heart of Bloor West Village means we are of special interest to families and teenagers living in the Swansea, Baby Point, Junction and Bloor West Village neighborhoods. Our Location in the Heart of Bloor West Village Our after-school and weekend arts classes, and our English Tutoring programs, are located in a bright, multi-purpose studio in Windermere Court, above the RBC Bank, in the heart of Bloor West Village. We’re a 5 minute walk from the TTC, located between Jane Subway and Runnymede Subway. Our students come to us from Swansea Public School, Etobicoke School for the Arts, Humbercrest Public School, Humberside Collegiate, [...]

November 24th, 2022|Academy|

Digital Art and Animation Program This Fall

Our Digital Art & Animation Classes this semester will focus on illustrating, designing and of course animation! We’ll create original characters for video games, abstract illustrations, intricate designs of products, vehicles and buildings, fantasy backgrounds, and simple animations. You’ll learn how to create sprite sheets, colour and shadow rendering, and the difference between frames and layers when animating multiple moving objects. By the end of the semester, you’ll have created so much amazing digital artwork, you’ll have a portfolio to be proud of and a few animations to share with family and friends. Creating Characters for Video Games A popular and growing industry for digital artists is designing and illustrating characters for video games. The Centauri Digital Art and Animation classes will provide kids and [...]

September 16th, 2022|Academy, Digital Art, Fine Art|

Fine Art Classes for Kids and Teens

Our Fine Art class this semester will focus on sketching, illustrating, cartoons and comic books! We’ll explore ways to draw original characters, facial expressions, dynamic poses, perspectives, and exciting backgrounds. You’ll learn how to ink and colour your art, using pens, markers and even watercolour. By the end of the semester, you’ll have created your own original comic book. You’ll also have a portfolio of artwork to be proud of and to share with family and friends. Illustration As a visual artist, one of the most quintessential skills you are continually honing is illustration. From simple shapes to extreme detailed renderings, an artist can always build this skill through continual practice. Our fine art classes give artist exactly that chance through a series of exercises [...]

September 12th, 2022|Fine Art|

How to Write an Essay – and Why it Matters!

Essay writing skills are a key component of our English Tutoring program at Centauri Arts. Here are some of the ‘tips and tricks’ we offer our English tutoring students, to help them improve their writing skills: Planning before you begin to write is key to essay writing success Planning an essay carefully helps you organize your thoughts.. It also ensures you spot gaps in your research, and weaknesses in your argument, before you begin to write. Learn how to write a successful thesis statement For students in high school and beyond, a well crafted thesis statement is essential to success. Your thesis statement should be sufficiently ‘weighty’ to enable you to develop arguments sufficiently complex to ensure a good mark! Learn to craft successful topic [...]

August 10th, 2022|Academy, English Tutoring, Writing Classes for Teens|

6 Benefits of Creative Writing Classes and Creative Writing Camps!

Centauri Arts offers creative virtual and in-person creative writing classes for teenagers, and creative writing camps for children and teens – plus, occasional creative writing workshops for adults. But what are the benefits of creative writing classes? Creative Writing Classes Help Improve Writing Skills Our parents tell us that when their children and teens take creative writing classes with us, their academic grades improve. The more you write, the better at it you become – creative writing classes are a terrific way to improve writing skills! Creative Writing Classes and Camps Create Enthusiastic Readers Young people who write more, read more, too! Whether young writers are interested in writing poetry, writing short fiction, writing novels, writing plays or exploring genre fiction such as fantasy, science [...]

July 5th, 2022|Academy, Writing Classes for Teens|

Creative Writing Camps Summer 2022

Check out the following terrific opportunities – in our Toronto studio and virtual – for young people who love to write. But don’t delay – time is running out! Vikki VanSickle. photo by Connie Tsang Creative Writing Courses with Vikki VanSickle Celebrated novelist Vikki VanSickle is running lively and inspiring creartive writing camps with us this summer! Plot, character and description – learn these creative writing skills and more as you explore fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, journaling – the sky’s the limit! Get tips on where to submit your work: creative writing competitions, literary agents, publishers and more. Virtual Podcasting Camp Get your ideas and stories out there through the medium of podcasts! Bonnie Warburton will teach you how [...]

June 14th, 2022|Academy|