Bathurst Academy of Dance is hosting Holiday Camp Creative these school holidays

Held at the Bathurst Academy of Dance, the Holiday Camp Creative program runs for one week and is open to children aged four to 14 years old.

This is the first time the program has been run in the December/January school holidays since it's inception in April 2022 by program masterminds, and Holiday Camp Creative directors Josephine Emanuel and Mikaela Graham.

"It's just something to do in the holidays, I have four kids and they get so bored in the holidays," Ms Emanuel said.

"They go from being stimulated from 9am until 3pm every single day and then they're just at home for the holidays, so it's something to really engage the kids, keep them occupied and encourage them to try something different."

Since the program was established, it has received immense positive feedback.

"We've had amazing feedback, parents love it. It's a really good alternative to vacation care, the kids can come in and they're learning something fun and exciting, and the kids make lots of new friends and have a ball," Ms Emanuel said.

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This positive feedback can be attributed to the parental inclusions in the program, as they are invited to witness a performance at the end of the week.

"The programs alternate throughout the week ... we do drama, dance, sport, games and art," Ms Graham said.

"In the art program, towards the end of the week they will create a big backdrop and on the Friday afternoon they perform a little dance and a drama piece in front of all their parents."

Another reason in which the program has seen immense success, is due to each holiday following a specific theme.

"It's all themed, so there's a central theme for each week," Ms Emanuel said.

"So for example, last holidays they did an outer space theme, so their art was all about outer space, and and the play that they made in drama was all about that, and the dance was to an outer space song."

But the theme is only revealed to students on the first day of the program.

"It's a secret," Ms Emanuel said.

The Holiday Camp Creative program will run from Monday, January 16, until Friday January 20, and is open during traditional school hours.

"The program runs from 9am until 3pm, but from 8am until 9am and from 3pm until 6pm is free care if parents need to go to work and stuff, our instructors stay back and play games with the kids and occupy them," Ms Emanuel said.

As well as offering free care before and after hours, the holiday program also accepts both active and creative kids vouchers.

Positions into Holiday Camp Creative can be reserved through the website, with more information available through the Facebook page.

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