Asase Yaa's Annual Children’s Summer Arts Camp Sets 2025 Return

Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching youth about dance, music, and the culture of the African Diaspora for over 24 years, has announced the return of its popular Children’s Summer Arts Camp, hosted by the organization’s School of the Arts.

The six-week multidisciplinary performing arts camp (July 1 – August 8) remains the only summer program in Brooklyn that immerses youth aged 4-13 in all aspects of producing a live show while continually innovating and introducing fresh, fun experiences that make each summer unforgettable.

Each year, the camp culminates in a live theatrical performance of a play written and produced by the campers for their families and friends. This year, they will present Ananse the Medicine Man, a powerful adaptation of a classic Ghanaian folktale that explores truth, deception, and the consequences of misusing power. It will showcase the creative skills they have learned over the six weeks, including writing, dancing, music, singing, drama, set design, costuming, choreography, lighting, and sound. Asase Yaa enlists a team of professional teaching artists and visiting experts who generously donate their time and talents to mentor and guide the campers through the production development process. 

For the first time, Asase Yaa is excited to unveil Legends of Ashanti – a dynamic camp experience that blends African folktales with imagination and fun. Inspired by the legendary tales of Anansi the Spider, campers will embark on an interactive journey filled with creative challenges, immersive role-play adventures, high-energy games, and hands-on activities that bring stories to life through original artwork and collaborative storytelling. This exciting addition offers a vibrant, educational way to explore African history, where tradition sparks creativity and every child steps into the role of a hero.

The day camp also offers several creative group activities to foster creativity, confidence, cultural pride, and community spirit. These activities include daily morning circles, arts & crafts, group games, field trips, and celebrations like African Flag Day.

Asase Yaa’s Children’s Summer Arts Camp will occur from July 1 to August 8, 2025, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for youth aged 4 to 13. Register for 2025 here.

ABOUT ASASE YAA CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION

The Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa (“Mother Earth”) Cultural Arts Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling its core tenets to Enrich, Educate, and Entertain. They offer an educational, cultural, and historically based curriculum that teaches youth about the movements and beauty of African Diasporic dance and drumming at its highest level. They hope to empower youth to become strong leaders who can elevate and preserve their culture and communities in the future.

In September 2024, they moved to a new location in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. They oversee a thriving School of the Arts, a Children’s Summer Arts Camp, an Arts Outreach Program serving schools throughout metropolitan New York, a Youth Ensemble, the award-winning Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater, and Asase Yaa Theater Company. Some of their most notable events include, Dreams In Action: An Evening of Black Elegance and Excellence ( first gala, 2024), the ART IS ALIVE FESTIVAL, It Was All A Dream: A Musical, Ghana: The Place Where The Chief Sleeps,  Djembe In The New Millenium,  and youth shows Hip Hop Kingdom and Wale And The Cocoa Village, among others.

Photo credit: Solwazi Afi Olusola