Academy Archives - Page 2 of 11

10 Great Resources for Young Writers

It isn’t always easy for young writers to find places to submit their work, so we've collected together competitions, magazines and online publications to which teenage writers (and tween writers) can submit their poetry and short fiction. A fun fact: young writers at the Centauri Arts Academy have been published in many of these places, and have also been short-listed for several of these awards! Young Voices Magazine This is an annual magazine published by the Toronto Public Library. They accept creative writing and art by writers aged 12-19. You can submit your work at any time but submission deadlines fall in March each year. https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/teens/young-voices.jsp Stone Soup Magazine This is a fabulous magazine 100% written and illustrated by kids aged 6-13. Read their [...]

August 1st, 2024|Academy, Writing Resources|

After-School Enrichment for Teens in Bloor West Village, Swansea, Roncesvalles and The Junction.

With so much going on for teens in our area, we’ve decided to compile a resource of local enrichment opportunities for middle- and high-school students. Here is a selection of businesses in the area. When kids are younger, it’s easier to keep them occupied, but teens need high quality activities, with experienced instructors who understand how to inspire, and that can be hard to find. Centauri Arts is one of many local resources for teens; here, we’re showcasing a wide range of opportunities so this guide will be useful whatever the interests of your teen. Scroll down to the bottom for questions to ask the directors of these businesses, when you call to enquire. Music Schools Bloor West Music Studios BW Music Studios has [...]

July 30th, 2024|Academy, Bloor West Village, Resources|

Read Books by Centauri-Connected Authors!

Over the years, Centauri Arts has worked with dozens of authors. Many of them have taught for us, offered guest classes, or advised our young writers. Others are parents who have sent their kids to our overnight arts camp – or writers who attended our programs as children. Here’s a selection of poets, children’s writers, novelists and writers of creative non fiction you may wish to check out, all of them with Centauri connections: Vikki Van Sickle Vikki writes for children, and lives in Toronto. She offers occasional guest classes with Centauri and taught for our summer writing camps in 2023. Check out Vikki's Book on Amazon.ca Laura Farina Laura taught at our writing camps for many years. She has written poetry collections, picture [...]

July 19th, 2024|Academy, books, Writing Resources|

Registration now open for fall 2024 classes!

We are thrilled and excited to share our fall arts classes. Choose from weekly classes in Fine Art, Digital Art, Film, Creative Writing and Acting! New programs in Art for 9-13s, a new Musical Theatre program and a new adult writing course! Most classes take place in our Bloor West Village, Toronto location. Some classes are virtual! Fine Art & Digital Art Classes Mondays: Miniature Masterpieces: Ages 9-13 Explore all kinds of art on a small scale – mini paintings for your mini art gallery, teeny sculptures, miniature books and more! 5pm to 6.30pm Digital Art & Animation Ages 12-17 Offered hybrid; join virtually, or in-person 7pm-8.30pm Wednesdays : Fine Art Fiesta 5.00pm-6.30pm Ages 9-13 7.00pm-8.30pm Ages 12-17 Learn to [...]

July 18th, 2024|Academy, Bloor West Village|

Creative Writing Successes!

We are THRILLED to announce that the achievements of THREE of our Creative Writing students have been recognised in competitions and with publication! One of our young writers has had a short story accepted for publication in Stone Soup magazine and another will see her work published by ‘Kids Write 4 Kids’. Meanwhile, we learned today that a third writing student was a finalist for The New York Times’ student ‘Open Letter’ competition. Congratulations to all these winners – we are so proud of you! Of course, all 28 of our students saw their work published last month in our annual Anthology, which was entitled The Shop of Wonders. We held a book launch in early June, and writers read from their work. You can [...]

July 13th, 2024|Academy|

Why Do We Write??

Our ‘Short Story Creation’ camp is now well underway at the Centauri Arts Academy! We began by asking ourselves why we write, and the ‘tools’ we use to inspire our creative writing. All campers created statements exploring the reasons why they write, and used these to create a personal list poem in which every line began “I write with…”. Writers shared their favourite lines with a partner, who also helped them edit the lines for maximum impact. Finally, each writer submitted their favourite line, and these were combined to form a collaborative poem entitled: We Write With… Here is the result – which demonstrates the talent and wisdom of this incredible group of young writers: We Write With… A collective writing piece from the "How [...]

July 10th, 2024|Writing Classes for Teens, Writing Resources|

Creative Writers Belong Here!

Over the past few years our exciting courses and talented instructors have placed Centauri Arts at the forefront of creative writing schools in Ontario – and now we’re offering programs for adults, too! Here’s everything you need to know about our Creative Writing courses and instructors… Summer Programs for Youth in Creative Writing This summer, writers aged 11-17 can choose from several exciting specialist writing camps! Join us in the studio for week-long camps in ‘Short Story Creation’ or ‘Writing for TV & Film… or check out ‘Character Quest’ which explores the creation of characters for all genres. We have an all-encompassing ‘Poetry and Fiction’ camp at the end of the summer, and writers too far away to join us in person can select our [...]

June 26th, 2024|Academy, Writing Classes, writing classes for adults, Writing Classes for Teens|

The Joy of Words: An Adult Writing Salon

Ages 18+, Hybrid: In our Bloor West Village Studio or Virtual: Saturdays, 9.30am-11.00pm EST 8 weeks, starting Saturday 21 September Leave the cares of the world behind and reconnect with your creative self! There’s something in this writing workshop for everyone – seasoned writers hoping to rediscover the joy of writing, curious beginners and anyone who feels they have a story to tell. We’ll gather over morning coffee to write, laugh and share. Each week we will meander through 2-3 creative writing prompts, mining our lives for story and exploring everything from poetry to memoir, fantasy to flash fiction, open letters to journalling. We’ll discuss techniques – but our main focus will be the pleasure of writing. ALL of us can be creative, finding [...]

May 23rd, 2024|Writing Classes|

Fine Art Explorations

In our Bloor West Village Studio: Wednesdays, 5.00pm-6.30pm Ages 11-17 Semester 2 (14 weeks) 29 January- 14 May Instructor: Aaron Alviano Develop your creative potential as you paint and draw your way through the year in our after-school fine art class. Learn to create portraits with pen and ink, discover cartoon skills and illustrate a picture book. Explore great artists whose works changed the way we view the world – then work in acrylics and watercolour to make great art of your own. Still life, landscape, portraiture and print-making will all be explored as you experiment with light, space, perspective and form. Over each 15-week semester of fine art classes you will create your own portfolio of work, ready for an exhibition on the [...]

May 23rd, 2024|Fine Art Classes|

Why the Arts Matter

Centauri Arts has been offering creative arts camps, year-round arts classes, school workshops and writing retreats for the past three decades. In that time, we’ve worked with thousands of young people… and we’ve also witnessed the erosion of arts programs in schools. Why are the arts an essential component of a young person’s education? As you help your pre-teen or teen to plan their summer, consider the following: The arts promote imagination and creativity In an ever-changing world, a creative mindset means adaptability and openness to new ideas. The arts encourage empathy. For a society as diverse as ours, respect for the perspectives and needs of others and for differences of culture, ethnicity, gender and more is essential in the workplace – and for life. [...]

May 23rd, 2024|Academy, Camp Blog|