KIDS@ Southampton Arts Center Programming Offers Activities For All Ages

The Southampton Arts Center has announced its 2014 summer schedule of children’s programming, KIDS@ Southampton Arts Center, which will be filled with free, family-friendly events including concerts, films, puppet shows and much more. The series features partnerships with local as well as national arts organizations, and is set to begin on Thursday, June 26, 2014.

“Our Kids@ Southampton Arts Center program is central to our summer plans and we are thrilled that so much of our schedule will appeal to all ages.” said Director, Michele Thompson. “Our hope is that our events will become a part of your weekly family plans.”

Highlights of the program include, a series of free, outdoor family concerts presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, themed around the role of jazz in the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement and democracy on Saturday July 12, Saturday, August 2, and Saturday, August 23, at 5 p.m.

Pianofest, a Hamptons favorite, is returning. The free children’s concert, which features young, world-class artists from around the globe is on Saturday, July 19, at 5 p.m.

The “Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre” will co-curate a set of free, outdoor children’s concerts and puppet shows that will include classics such as, Red Riding Hood, Robin Hood, and The Three Little Pigs. This series will begin with a performance of the beloved, Punch and Judy on Thursday, June 26, at 4:30 p.m., on the outdoor stage. The puppeteers will include, A Couple of Puppets, Puppet Showplace Theatre, Talking Hands Theatre and WonderSpark Puppets. Astrograss is sure to get kids and their parents dancing and singing together, with a distinctive blend of bluegrass, old time and folk music at an outdoor concert on Thursday, July 31.

Educators from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge brought a few special guests. (Photo: Jennifer Mirsky)

Educators from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge will present a fun and educational, Meet the Animals program on Thursday, July 10, and Thursday, August 21, at 5 p.m. Children will get an up-close and personal view of an owl, opossum, lizard, tortoise, a tarantula, a chinchilla and more.

For budding film buffs, the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) and Southampton Arts Center will co-present a full line up of thrilling outdoor film screenings, which are set to take place on Friday nights at 8:30 p.m., beginning on June 27. The full schedule will be announced in the near future. The family titles (all rated PG) include, “Ghost Busters” on June 27, “Back to the Future” on July 11 and “E.T.” on July 25.

The Southampton Arts Center will host several local summer camps in August. Students ages seven to nine can create their own play during Bay Street Theatre’s, Kids Theater Camp entitled, Land of Make Believe from Monday, August 4, through Friday, August 8. Students ages nine to twelve will use pop music and Broadway’s favorites to discover what it might be like if their lives were musicals in, My Life as a Musical: Camp!, from Monday, August 11, to Friday, August 15. You can register for Bay Street’s Kids Theater Camps at Southampton Arts Center by calling 631-725-0818 ext. 129.

Southampton Arts Center is also partnering with HIFF for two Student Summer Film Workshops from Monday, August 18, to Friday, August 22. The first is, Introduction to Filmmaking, and is for students ages eight to eleven. The second is called, Intermediate Hands-On Filmmaking and is for students ages twelve to fifteen. Students will have the opportunity to join professional filmmakers and learn the digital moviemaking process in its entirety. They will also create their own films, and the program will culminate in a screening of students’ work. To register for The Hamptons International Film Festival’s Student Summer Film Workshops, call 631-324-4600.

Additional family-friendly offerings will be presented throughout the summer season.

The Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information, visit southamptoncenter.org.