From a meatball-making camp and beat-making sessions to analog photography workshops and time-travelling trips, these 15 quirky summer stages have us wishing we were six years old all over again.
1. Little Adam
Where?
ADAM, Brussels
When?
4th July until 8th July
What?
Design, photography and cinema, all in old Hollywood spirit. Children from 8 to 12 years old get to explore scenography, acting, film making and script writing inspired by the Eames exhibition that’s currently taking place at the Atomium’s art and design museum.
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2. Bozar summer camp
Where?
Bozar, Brussels
When?
French: 4th until 8th July and 8th until 12th August
Dutch: 8th until 12th August and 22nd until 26th August
What?
A five-day stage entirely themed around European photography, where 6 to 12 year olds get to play around with analog cameras, old negatives, slides and shoeboxes and show the results during a festive, closing exhibition.
3. WIELS holiday workshops
Where?
WIELS, Brussels
When?
11th until 15th July
What?
WIELS welcomes children aged 6 to 11 to brainstorm together about their ideal city. Discovering Brussels in a new way, kids are urged to come up with utopian ideas for their capital, visualising them through videoportraits, scale models and drawings.
4. Circus school stage
Where?
École de Cirque, Bruxelles
When?
Multiple dates during the summer, courses are either half-day or day-long.
What?
Throughout the summer, Brussels’ very own circus school offers a myriad of stages for different age groups, from five year olds to high school students, where they’re taught indispensable skills like unicycle riding, stilt walking, juggling, trapeze jumping and acrobatics.
5. Dance and instruments
Where?
Kunsthumaniora Brussels
When?
Multiple dates during the summer.
What?
A three-day-long immersion in intensive musical instrument courses including individual classes. Inscriptions are open for children and youth aged 11-18 that have been playing the clarinet, saxophone, flute, hobo, violin, piano, guitar or harp for two years or more.
6. Prince, princesses et un oiseau de feu
Where?
MIM, Brussels
When?
7th and 8th July
What?
Six to 10 year olds discover The Firebird, Stravinsky’s ballet based on an old Russian fairy tale, through music and dance during a two day stage in Brussels’ majestic museum of musical instruments.
7. Kopergietery summer ateliers
Where?
Kopergietery, Ghent
When?
23rd to 26th August
What?
A day-long submersion in all types of performing and stage arts in Ghent’s youth theatre Kopergietery.
8. Dhondt-Daenens summer camps
Where?
Museum Dhondt-Daenens, Deurle
When?
8th to 12th August (ages 7 – 10)
15th to 19th August (ages 11-13)
What?
The museum Dhondt-Daenens, just outside of Ghent, transforms its grounds into a camp site this August. Children are immersed in the same surroundings that once inspired Flemish expressionist the likes of Permeke and Emile Claus. On the program are studio visits and introductions to different visual art disciplines, as well as what looks like one hell of a camp set up.
9. TIJDreis
Where?
HetPaleis, Antwerp
When?
From 6th July to 26th August
What?
A three-day workshop where six to 12 year olds explore the meaning of the word ‘time’ in past, present and future tense. Delving into their own family history and discovering traditions, new ones are created in the shape of a short animation film, where the vision of the future is entirely up to them.
10. Become an artist
Where?
MAS, Antwerp
When?
5th to 8th July
What?
Getting inspiration from painter Luc Tuymans’ work, eight to 12 year olds are free to experiment with a myriad of techniques, disciplines and materials over a four-day course.
11. MUHKA summer ateliers
Where?
Muhka, Antwerp
When?
5th to 6th July
18th to 19th August
What?
Antwerp’s Muhka offers numerous summer activities for children of different age groups. Back to the Future has 5 to 7 year olds taking a journey through time. In Videozone 9 to 12 year olds make their own beats and record them in a videoclip. Energy Lab is a free zone for experimentation with light, music and colour for 5 to 7 year olds, and Inspector Art, lastly, has 9 to 12 year olds looking at artworks in an alternative way, through sound and feelings.
12. Fomu fotolab
Where?
Fotomuseum Antwerp, Antwerp
When?
14th to 15th July
23rd to 24th August
What?
Children aged 9 to 12 explore the wonders of analog photography, through experimentation with old cameras, photograms and developing their own negative in the dark room.
13. Summer stage in an artists’ studio
Where?
Musée des Beaux Arts, Liège
When?
4th to 8th July (ages 6 – 8)
1st to 5th August (ages 9 – 12)
What?
Artistic exploration through the daily discovery of new techniques and materials, coupled with visits in Liège-based artists’ studios.
14. Balls and Glory meatball camp
Where and when?
Vilvoorde (11th to 15th July)
Waregem (25th to 29th July)
Antwerp (8th to 12th August)
Hasselt (22nd to 26th August)
What?
Balls and Glory founder Wim Bailleu passes his culinary love on to the younger generation in this series of itinerant summer stages. Over the course of five days, 7 to 12 year olds recreate the famous chef’s recipes, while giving them their own twist.
15. Archeological discoveries
Where?
Archéosite et musée d’Aubechies
When?
4th to 8th July
1st to 5th August
What?
In Aubechies (Hainaut), 6 to 12 year olds explore the rustic village’s archeological site for an initiation in paleonthology, weaving, pottery and excavation.
