The 2024 Camden County Teen Arts Festival returned to Camden County College to celebrate art education in Camden County high schools. Each year, students representing high schools throughout the County convene at Camden County College for the festival presented by the Commissioner Board’s Cultural and Heritage Commission. This year, more than 400 students from 15 area schools utilized the facilities of Camden County College’s Performing and Visual Arts building.
“We are thrilled to once again showcase the talents of our local high school students, and highlight the importance of supporting visual, literary and performing arts programs in our schools,” said Commissioner Melinda Kane, liaison to the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission. “We have some amazing talent in Camden County, and this is their chance to share their work with their peers and professional mentors.”
Local artists, musicians, dancers, directors, and choreographers along with CCC arts, music, and literature faculty participated as adjudicators and workshop instructors. Professional artists will be present to conduct portfolio reviews for visual arts students.
Arts disciplines represented included 2D and 3D visual arts; small and large group theater; small and large group musical theater; small and large group vocal performance; small and large group instrumental performance; creative writing; poetry; and, video and filmmaking.
In addition to adjudication of visual arts and performances, students participated in various workshops conducted by local professionals, including “The Art of Improv,” “Sound Healing and Breathing,” “Songwriting Workshop,” “Theater Dance Audition Prep,” and more.
The Camden County Teen Arts Festival is presented by the Camden County Board of Commissioners, the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission and the Arts at Camden County College.
About the Teen Arts Festival
The Teen Arts Festival is an annual state-wide event for middle and high school students to be recognized for their interests in the arts and to encourage them to continue their creative work. Schools send delegations of students to share their work for critiques and critical analysis in a variety of artistic disciplines, from fine arts to performance. Counties hold Teen Arts events, where students gather during a one-day event to present their work, receive critiques from professional artists, observe the work of their peers, and participate in hands-on workshops in their areas of interest with local professionals. Winners at the county level qualify to compete with students from other counties in the statewide Teen Arts Festival in June.
About the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission
The Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission, founded in 1972, recognizes the role of the arts and local history in making our communities dynamic places to live and work. The Commission was established by the Board of Commissioners to act as the designated agency in Camden County to receive and administer the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Local Arts Program and the New Jersey Historical Commission County History Partnership Program.
