The Monocle Centre for the Arts will be hosting a week-long, multi-disciplinary arts camp for youth aged 6-12 from August 22nd to 26th. At Superhero Summer Camp kids will work together to create a one-of-a-kind comic book starring characters of their own creation! Through illustration, costume design, photography, voice over, soundtrack and creative writing, our campers will set their imaginations free and explore what makes them SUPER!
The Monocle Centre for the Arts, a long-time dream of Owner-Operator Vicky Paradisis, opened it’s doors at 140 Simcoe Street in March 2016. The facility offers a fully renovated photography studio, rehearsal space, dance/yoga studio, art gallery and live event space — all of which can be rented by artists and members of the community. The Monocle was created in order to help local artists develop, teach and showcase their work all in one place, at affordable rates.
The Monocle’s Integrated Arts Camp is a collaboration between Vicky Paradisis, a professional photographer and performance artist/choreographer, and her arts-educated, former camp-counsellor contemporary, Mélanie Dubois.
VICKY PARADISIS
is a Peterborough-born entrepreneur and multi-disciplinary artist with a life-long background in dance and choreography. She graduated from the applied photography program at Algonquin College and has been a freelance photographer in Montreal, Toronto and Peterborough for the past decade. Vicky has also studied Millinery (hat making) at George Brown College and has been involved with Public Energy’s Wearable Arts Show both on stage and as a designer.
The 2013 and 2016 Wearable Arts Shows opened with pieces directed and choreographed by Vicky for The Dream Players; a local performing arts troupe made up of adults with a variety of intellectual challenges, but most importantly, an array of talents including dance, acting, singing and musicianship. 2016 marks Vicky’s fifth year with the troupe, as well as her third year as Creative Director.
With much enthusiasm, Vicky recently found a way to incorporate all of her creative outlets under one roof and officially opened The Monocle Centre for the Arts in March 2016. Vicky is looking forward to incorporating the skills she as accumulated throughout her career as a multi-disciplinary artist into the programming offered by Centre’s Integrated Arts Summer Camp.
MÉLANIE DUBOIS is a Peterborough based actor, singer, and director who holds a BA Honours Degree in Theatre Studies from the University of Guelph. Her most recent credits include voicing a variety of characters in all 10 episodes of the 1950’s style radio-drama, Crime City which performs live each month at The Theatre On King. For the past couple of years, Mélanie has performed in the well established 24hr Project and looks forward to taking on the challenge of directing for the project in Fall 2016.
While serving as the Artistic Administrator at 4th Line Theatre for their 22nd Season, Mélanie assisted in youth development workshops lead by industry professionals such as Marjie Chud, Interim Drama School Director of Young People’s Theatre, Toronto, ON. She devoted weeks of her high school summers volunteering at theatre camps offered by Market Hall and spent summer 2010 as a Sophomore Girls counsellor and Costumer for the theatre department at Camp Manitou, a sleep-away camp in McKellar, ON.
Mélanie has recently teamed up with Owner/Operator Vicky Paradisis to establish a theatre company at The Monocle Centre for the Arts and is looking forward to leading workshops in theatrical performance as part of their Integrated Arts Summer Camp.