Norton, VA – Pro-Art is thrilled to announce the return of its children’s theater camp for Summer 2026. Camp Create! will center around a musical theater production of “Hadestown: Teen Edition” by Anaïs Mitchell, a production Newsday hailed as, “Achingly beautiful, thought-provoking, powerful and prophetic.” All youth ages 10 to 17 are encouraged to apply.  There is no required cost to attend this year thanks to the increased support of the Rapha Foundation, but donations to the sustainability of the camp are appreciated.

“Hadestown: Teen Edition” is a folk-inspired retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, thoughtfully adapted for performers and audiences ages 10 and up. Rooted in classic Greek mythology, the production encourages conversations about compassion and hope, and is school-friendly and age-appropriate, with explicit content removed. The musical is deep but not dark, poetic rather than provocative, and reassuring for parents while still captivating young performers.

A curricular foundation in music, theater, dance, craft, and design will accompany the experiential work of putting on a performance. The day camp will run Monday through Friday, June 29th through July 25th from 1 to 5 p.m. daily. The program will operate out of Central High School in Norton. A parent or guardian must provide transportation to and from the camp each day. Limited transportation will be provided by Wise County Public Schools for their students between central locations in Wise County and the camp program. Please ensure that students are available for the duration of the program prior to registering. Orientation and auditions will be held on Sunday, June 28th from 2:30 to 5 p.m. No transportation will be provided on this day. If students are unable to attend, they can audition on the first day of camp.

“The team and I are incredibly excited for this summer,” said Camp Create! Director Ashlyn Mullins. “Each year brings new challenges, and we’re ready to embrace them alongside our students. This production is one we believe audiences will want to ‘sing again and again.’ More than anything, we hope our students feel supported, inspired, and proud of the work they create together.”

Thanks in part to the generosity of the Rapha Foundation, there is no required cost to student’s families. Instead, Pro-Art is asking participant’s families and the wider community to contribute to the sustainability of the camp program at any amount that is meaningful to them. “We want everyone to be able to participate in this program, but we also want it to be sustainable financially going forward,” said Pro-Art Executive Director Michael McNulty. “We hope that we can foster a community that sees the immense value of this program and helps to make it last well into the future for the children of our region.” Please make checks payable to Pro-Art (with Camp Create! in the memo line) and mail to P.O. Box 179, Wise, VA 24293, or visit proartva.org to donate online.

Camp Create! spots are limited. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. For more information and to register please visit proartva.org/campcreate. Applications open on Tuesday, March 17th and close on April 20th, or when all spots are filled. There will be two public performances, one on Friday, July 24th at 6 p.m. and one on Saturday, July 25th at 6 p.m. There is no cost to attend. Please contact Camp Create! Director Ashlyn Mullins via email at mullinsashlyn7@gmail.com with any questions.

Camp Create! is made possible in part thanks to the Rapha Foundation. Pro-Art is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the C. Bascom Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and Mountain Empire Community College.

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