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ATRU Announces 4th Annual HANDS TOGETHER, HEART TO ART Summer Day Camp for Children Who Have Experienced the Death of a Parent
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The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU) announces its fourth annual “Hands Together, Heart to Art” (HTHTA) day camp for children who have experienced the death of one or both parents. This summer, two sessions will be offered: July 7-18 (for children ages 10-14) and July 28-Aug. 8 (for children ages 7-11). ATRU will partner once again with Child’s Play Touring Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and licensed grief counselors to produce a unique program that utilizes the arts and the therapeutic power of creative play to encourage emotional healing.

The HTHTA camp will be held at Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The tuition for the two-week camp is $50, which includes lunch and snacks. Extended care from 8-9 a.m. and/or 4-5 p.m. is available for a nominal fee. Scholarships are available for families in need of assistance.

Launched in 205, “Hands Together, Heart to Art” is an innovative, educational camp that utilizes various performing arts disciplines to help children recognize and cope with the multitude of emotions associated with the loss of a loved one, which helps to initiate the healing process. The program encourages communication, fosters emotional growth and provides the consolation of friendship and compassion through group activities and classes. HTHTA also has a high artist-to-student ratio to ensure a fun, safe and supportive atmosphere where children come to understand that they are not alone in their situation.

During the two-week period, trained professional artists will help campers build skills in acting, improvisation, singing, music, dance, juggling, mime, writing and stage direction. During one of the camps most powerful sessions, Suzy Yehl Marta, founder and president, Rainbows, Inc., leads the campers in an exercise in which they compose a letter to their lost parent. The camp culminates with the creation, rehearsal and staging of an original performance piece, which is presented for family and friends at the conclusion of the camp.

“It is truly a privilege to offer the ‘Hands Together, Heart to Art’ camp, in an effort to help young people who are attempting to deal with such a tremendous and overwhelming loss,” said ATRU Executive Director Brett Batterson, who lost his own father at the age of 7. “I take great pride in the fact that we are able to make this wonderful and affordable program available to the community. I am tremendously grateful to the many individuals and organizations who have partnered with us in making HTHTA a reality. The success this program has achieved in its first three years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life.”

The HTHTA camp is able to accommodate 45 campers per two-week session. Each day’s schedule includes acting, music, dance and production workshops, as well as a daily sharing time when campers can engage in informal discussions with various guest speakers who talk about their lives and share personal experiences about coping with the loss of a parent. A typical day ends with special performances by artists such as puppeteers, jugglers, musicians and dancers. Campers also have time for journal writing and one-on-one meetings with a grief counselor. Surviving parents and guardians of the campers are invited to participate in sessions with the counselors to learn skills they can use outside of the camp experience.

The camp is staffed by licensed counselors and supported by professional artists and camp counselors. Alan Irgang, LCSW, a Chicago-based social worker with more than 10 years of experience, is the camp’s Clinical Director. Irgang has been involved with HTHTA since its inception. This year’s Camp Director (and Auditorium Theatre Education Manager) Nicole Losurdo has several years experience working in children’s camps.

1.2 million children in the U.S. will lose a parent to death before the age of 15. Whether due to an illness, accident or act of violence, the loss can be devastating. The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University created HTHTA to be a unique summer camp where children can address their emotional needs in a safe and supportive environment, while building self-esteem, consciousness and problem solving skills.

Children are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and are recommended by teachers and school counselors throughout the greater Chicago area, as well as social service agencies and houses of worship. The camp’s lead sponsor is the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust. For families unable to afford the $50 tuition, scholarship opportunities are available made possible through the generous support of Variety - The Children's Charity of Illinois. Additional support is provided by the Leo S. Guthman Fund, the Illinois Arts Council and the Fogelson Foundation. Collaborative partners include Roosevelt University Office of Summer Programs, Child’s Play Touring Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, Chicago College of Performing Arts, Telemundo Chicago, and Rainbows, Inc.

For more information or to recommend a child, call Camp Registrar Dianna Hunt at (312) 922-2110 or e-mail Camp Director Nicole Losurdo at nlosurdo@auditoriumtheatre.org. Information is also available at www.hthta.org.

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