Berridge Programs is excited to offer our second year of courses in Santa Barbara, California!
While the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly altered many plans for those looking for a substantial arts education, we have been working hard to ensure that our programs and experiences will still be safely available to students.
Berridge is a conservatory style, professionally-led summer arts training program for students aged 14-19. This summer, we are delighted to offer two programs in Santa Barbara, California on the campus of Westmont college, who kindly let us use their space! Our original Summer in France program will resume in June 2022 following our newly developed Creative Semester program in January, 2022.
Spotlight 2021
Our Spotlight experience is a rigorous arts program that offers a focused curriculum taught by professional artists. Students are invited to travel to our beautiful Santa Barbara location on the Westmont College campus this July to experience a summer of creativity, exploration, and collaboration. Upon enrollment, students will be asked to select two of the following majors to study this summer:
Acting: Students will study under our four acting instructors; Duane Daniels, Greg Ainsworth, Kristy Hasen and Diana Castle. Each week, a new technique will be taught and students will have multiple performance opportunities culminating in a company-wide arts festival at the end of our program. You'll come away from the program with a showreel of recorded work and polished monologues for college auditions.
Musical Theatre: Our MT program, led by Jennifer Hopkins will offer students a rigorous slate of classes such as Broadway Dance Styles, Acting Through Song, and a Nail Your Audition class to ensure a successful college audition process. Our Musical Theatre students will have the opportunity to share their work in multiple performance opportunities as well as our company-wide arts festival at the end of our program.
Film: Our film program will take students through every aspect of film production, starting with screenwriting and finishing with a premiere. We start the program off with a two day screenwriting intensive where students can workshop their ideas before finalizing their scripts. Week one also includes a music video shoot and further preparation of your own narrative short film. In week two, students will shoot their own short film and in week three, will get an introduction to documentary filmmaking as well as editing instruction in Final Cut Pro.
Writing: Throughout our three-week program, students will be encouraged to discover their unique voice and translate it into a compelling performance. Our writing program will help students explore multiple styles and techniques from narrative storytelling to dramatic poetry. Students will be asked to showcase their favorite work at our Spotlight Arts Festival at the end of our program.
Generate 2021
Our Generate program offers students a week long experience at our Santa Barbara location with the single goal of creating and premiering original work. Students will have access to our entire roster of faculty throughout their time with us and are encouraged to ask questions, explore opportunities, and get creative!
Once enrolled, students can select a major of their choice, (Theatre, Musical Theatre, Film, Dance, Music, Studio Art, Design, Photography, Writing for Performance) and will spend the week developing an original work with the help of our faculty. Not only will students focus on creating their own piece, but will also collaborate and assist in the creation of others' work as well. At the end of our Generate week, we host a day-long arts festival for family and invited guests. Original work created over the past week will be performed and professionally recorded for students to use in college applications or other professional development occasions.
Both Spotlight and Generate offer similar learning experiences to our original Summer in France program. Students will have access to the same faculty members and the same learning materials that make Berridge the life-changing experience that it is. While we can't guarantee the croissants will be as fresh as they are at our Chateau in Normandy, or the culture as rich, we can promise you unlimited access to the stunning coastal campus of Westmont college in Santa Barbara, California. Not only will students have access to impressive dining facilities, studio spaces, and common rooms, they will truly get a feel for what college life is like- preparing them for their journey on to higher education.
Learn more about Spotlight and Generate on our website!
Why join us?
Berridge exists to inspire the next generation of artists. To do that successfully, we believe in creating a program around the strengths of our faculty. Our Artistic Director Andrea Mardon credits Berridge's unique experience to our core group of instructors. "The strongpoint of Berridge has always been the faculty. Our program has really been structured around them and what they love to teach. We have a strong core group of faculty, many of which have been with us since the beginning of Berridge, each bringing their own skills, passion, and approach to making art. There is certainly a feeling of authenticity among our faculty in that they are all here to inspire and contribute to your growth as an artist, and we get so much out of that in return."
We are pleased to offer a selection of a selection of scholarships to students applying for our summer 2021 programs as well as our Creative Semester and Summer in France programs in 2022. We have two that we’ve been offering since we first started; the Merit Scholarship, a $1500 award, and a Financial-Need scholarship, which can cover up to 50% of the program tuition. New for this year is our Diversity Scholarship which offers 100% tuition coverage- all of which can be applied for on our website!
Whether you're a prospective student, parent, or teacher, we would love to talk with you more about our programs. If you would like to get to know more about us before applying, check our blog section for weekly articles about Berridge or take a look at the application section of our website! We're all excited to welcome you to the family this summer!
