SPOTLIGHT

ARTS IN FOCUS

July 5th - July 25th, 2021

WESTMONT COLLEGE

SANTA BARBARA, CA

Focus on what you love this summer.

OVERVIEW

WELCOME TO SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT is a rigorous arts program that offers a focused curriculum taught by professional artists.

Each week, you’ll learn a different style, technique or approach in your chosen artistic majors. The program aims to:

• Broaden your knowledge of approaches to your craft

• Give you confidence and skills to tackle different styles and genres within your discipline

• Develop your portfolio/repertoire of finished and recorded work suitable for college entrance and career development in the arts or other subjects. 

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Choose your majors from: Acting, Musical Theatre, Writing or Filmmaking. You can focus completely on one major or choose two majors for a broader focus. Each week concludes in a showcase of work for the whole program and the program culminates in our Spotlight Arts Festival for an invited audience. 

"In no other place have I felt more  artistically valued and alive than at Berridge."

 Learn new techniques from professional artists.

"I learned more in my Berridge summer than all my other summers combined."

ACTING

MAJOR

Mind, Body and Soul:

Three Approaches to Truthful Performance

Gain truth in your acting and perfect the skill of being in the moment on stage and on camera.

Build your skills and technique and learn three different approaches to acting. In week one, veteran actor Duane Daniels will guide you through his Actor Empowerment Technique perfected over the course of a 30-year career. Week two focuses on Viewpoints Technique as you explore approaches to movement-based ensemble theatre. In week three, actors Greg Ainsworth and Kristy Hasen will teach approaches to On Camera Acting rooted Meisner Technique and in The Imagined Life Technique as taught by Diana Castle.  There is a performance at the end of each week and a collection of your best work will be shown at the Spotlight Arts Festival. You'll come away from the program with a showreel of recorded work and polished monologues for college auditions.

At a Glance

Program

SPOTLIGHT ARTS PROGRAM

July 5th - July 25th, 2021

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Tuition

$5475 USD (Connect this program to Generate and receive a 15% tuition discount)

Admissions

Open to students between the ages of  14 - 19 of all levels of experience.  Requires an online application with personal statement. Audition is required only if you are applying for scholarship. 

Majors

Choose TWO majors from the following: Acting, Film, Writing, Musical Theatre.

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Scholarships

A range of scholarships are available for this program.

MUSICAL THEATRE

MAJOR

Dance, Act, Sing:

Working Towards the Triple Threat

Develop discipline, precision and finesse with daily dancing, singing and acting classes.

There are three classes taught on weekly rotation. Jennifer Hopkins will teach Broadway Dance Styles exploring everything from Fosse (Chicago) to Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) as you strengthen technique and learn to master choreography quickly. Acting Through Song will focus on connecting to narrative and expressing emotion through your singing as you master both group and solo numbers chosen to fit your vocal range.  Nail Your Audition will help you find audition material and master how to enter the room with confidence, bring your best performance and the ins and outs of both pre-screen and live auditioning in college and professional settings. 

" I just got into NYU Tisch and I owe it all to Berridge. Making dreams come true one child at a time!"

"Berridge was a monumental part of my journey as a filmmaker."

FILM

MAJOR

Independent Digital Filmmaking:

Storytelling Through the Lens

Learn how to be a great visual storyteller in three different film styles.

The Film Program starts with a two-day Screenwriting Intensive. You’ll learn how to write a treatment, develop plot, flesh out characters and begin working on a short script for your week 2 project. In Week 1, you’ll shoot a Music Video and explore how camera movement, visual arrangement and editing patterns can enhance your concept. In Week 2 you’ll finish your screenplay and shoot your own Short Fictional Narrative learning the roles of Director and Cinematographer.  In week 3, you’ll explore Documentary filmmaking including the principle crew roles of Boom Operator, Sound Mixer and Gaffer. You’ll edit your films in Final Cut Pro and come away with three finished films that will be shown at our Spotlight Arts Festival.

WRITING

MAJOR

Unleash Your Voice:

Poetry and Prose in Performance

Discover your unique voice and translate it into compelling performance. 

In the first week, Nurturing the Writer/Performer gets the imagination and the pen going with a series of writing prompts and a look at writer/performers from Amanda Gorman to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Week 2 centers around Narrative Storytelling as you discover ways to write and tell your life experiences with both vulnerability and humor. Week 3 moves into Dramatic Poetry as you look at the work of artists from Nuyorican Poets Café and Russel Simmons Def Poetry series to discover how poetic devices, meter and rhyme can create power in your work.  You'll give a performance each week and select your best piece to be performed at our Spotlight Arts Festival at the end of the program. 

"The opportunities our daughter had to stretch her wings and find her voice; there is nothing else like it."

SPOTLIGHT

ARTS FESTIVAL

The program culminates in our Spotlight Arts Festival.

There will be film premieres, theatre performances and showcases of work from across the disciplines. All of your finished work will be professionally presented and documented in print or on film for college applications and further professional development.

Discover your unique artistic voice.

WESTMONT

COLLEGE

SPOTLIGHT takes place at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA.

This beautiful 112-acre campus nestled in the hills of Montecito provides the perfect backdrop for creative inspiration. Students room in doubles with shared bathrooms and enjoy a taste of independent living and college life. There are studio spaces, common rooms and dining facilities for our students as well as high speed Wifi and 24 hour security on campus. 

THE BERRIDGE

EXPERIENCE

Berridge Programs are nurturing, creative communities led by professional artists.

We value process, collaboration and unique artistic voices.  With just 40  to 50 students, Berridge offers the “small program advantage” which allows for teaching tailored to your individual goals, time for one-to-one mentoring and a close-knit community. 

FACULTY

AT BERRIDGE

Berridge faculty bring with them decades of experience as industry professionals.

They are more than teachers, they are passionate artists, enthusiastic collaborators and nurturing mentors.

Read more about our faculty or meet us at an Info Session.

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• Learn new techniques and approaches

• Build your confidence and skills

• Develop a portfolio or repertoire of finished work

• Discover your unique artistic voice and translate it into powerful work

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• Complete work suitable for college application

• Expand your artistic vocabulary and creative critical thinking 

• Have a unique experience as a talking point for college admission

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• Cultivate collaborative spirit and community mindedness

• Have an independent living experience and taste of college life

• Connect with like-minded artists and industry professionals

Consider this program if you would like to...