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    Summer Theatre & Film School in France: Berridge Programs

    Summer Theatre & Film School in France: Berridge Programs

    Details

    • Listing Type: Summer Programs
    • Program Delivery: Residential
    • Destination: France
    • Provided By: Independent Provider
    • Session Start: June, July
    • Session Length: Four Weeks
    • Entering Grade: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
    • Gender: Coed
    • Category: Performing & Visual Arts
    • Sub-Categories: Multi-Arts, Dance, Theatre Arts, Musical Theatre Arts, Filmmaking and Digital Media, Arts, Acting, Art History
    • Selective: No
    • Ages: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
    • Minimum Cost: > $7,000+
    • Career Clusters: Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications
    • Credit Awarded: No
    • Call: (760)6888447
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    Overview

    Welcome to Berridge!

    The Theatre and Film Program at Berridge is one-of-a-kind summer experience hosted in an 18th century French chateau in the heart of Normandy, France.  Part pre-college arts program, part study abroad program and part artists retreat, Berridge is a truly unique place to deepen your craft, connect with like-minded creatives and gain a wider perspective on the world. 

    Artistic Disciplines

    ACTING PROGRAM  The Acting Program offers rigorous, pre-college actor training in a nurturing, process-oriented environment.  Get a taste of college conservatory life as in our five foundational classes: On Camera, Shakespeare, Acting Techniques, Contemporary Performance and Movement. Choose electives from Musical Theatre, Directing, Improvisation or Writer/Performer. The program culminates in performance showcases for each class. 

    FILM PROGRAM  The Film Program offers professional-level filmmaking from concept to premiere in a dream location.  Learn the art of visual storytelling hands-on with industry professionals and explore how structure, theme, character, and tension are translated through the lens.  With classes in The Art of Visual Storytelling, Elements of Filmmaking, Screenwriting, Film Production Lab and Post-Production, you’ll learn very aspect of making a film from start to finish. Film students can cross over into the Acting Program by choosing an elective from Musical Theatre, Directing, Improvisation or Writer/Performer.

    Faculty at Berridge

    Berridge faculty are professional artists who represent decades of experience in their field.  But they are so much more. They are passionate artists, nurturing mentors and enthusiastic collaborators who take your artistic goals personally, putting your creative development at the centre of everything they do. A small  program with only 40 students, you'll enjoy a personal connection with your teachers who will help you work towards your personal and artistic goals.

    Residential Life at Berridge

    Spend your summer living in 18th century French chateau! The program is hosted in a very special and unique location: Chateau le Mont Epinguet in Normandy, France. Summer after summer, our students tell us the nurturing community we create in this historical setting has a profound effect on them both as artists and as people.  Get away from it all and experience life in beautiful rural France as you study Theatre or Film with professional artists and creative teens from around the world. Berridge offers a truly inspiring place to deepen your craft and immerse yourself in history and culture. 

    Excursions/Activities

    You’ll see all that Normandy has to offer including full day excursions to the D-Day Landing Beaches, medieval Bayeux, and Mont St Michel, a thousand year old monastery atop a tidal island. You'll also enjoy trips to local French markets, cafes, châteaus and gardens, the beautiful beaches at Carteret and Bricquebec, a medieval village with a castle dating back to the 11th century.  The program has a full schedule of optional activities including yoga, meditation, film nights, open mic nights, hiking and biking.

    Who is this program for?

    This program is for any young artist interested in living in a unique creative community and studying Acting and Filmmaking. Our students come from all over the world, from every kind of school and with every level of experience.  We welcome applications from students at all levels, from complete beginner to those who want to pursue creative careers.  

    Consider this program if you would like to:

    • build your artistic technique and prepare for college admissions
    • complete a portfolio of work for college or career development
    • Connect  with industry professionals and other like-minded artists
    • Build your confidence, technique, knowledge, and skills
    • Enjoy a unique summer experience combining travel abroad and the arts

    The Berridge Experience

    Berridge offers a nurtuing, non-competitive environment in which to grow as an artist. We nurture what colleges are looking for in arts applicants:  passion for your craft, a collaborative spirit and confidence in your unique artistic voice. Our students find the supportive atmosphere of Berridge gives them the skills and confidence to pursue their dreams through college and beyond and our alumni are currently attending some of the top colleges in the world including Yale, NYU, Brown, Vassar, RADA, Barnard, UCSD and more. 

    Applications now open for summer 2023!

    Berridge Programs are open to all students of all levels of experience with enthusiasm and passion creating. Scholarships are available. Spaces are limited for 2023. Join us for a unique, magical summer experience at Berridge!

     

    Testimonials(3)

    • My summer at Berridge could not have been a more enriching, enlightening, and enthralling experience! Three weeks in a chateau in Normandy, France surrounded by like-minded creatives and artist mentors sounded like a dream, and it was indeed. Despite having done theatre my entire life, I learned a staggering amount of new skills and got insights into the acting business that enhanced my overall understanding of the art and my own performances. Collaboration was a focal objective of the program, and it quickly delivered in the many introduction exercises we did to initiate the program. The trust and excitement between both returning and new Berridge participants made bonding easy, and because of that, the work we were able to present was powerful and uplifted. I learned the importance of feeling empowered as an artist. At Berridge, we could really hone in on our artistry without the cut-throat/ inherent competitive nature of the industry. Of any program I have done this one felt truly like a group effort in which everyone just wanted everyone to do their very best. People were able to bring what they uniquely had to the table and were celebrated for it. It is unusual to be in an environment so supportive. It really enabled everyone to improve and enjoy their work without the pressure to "be the best". We were given a variety of tools to work with in the classes we took, and it's nice because there is not one specific approach to it. You are able to take what works for you and implement it into your own process. Again, having this autonomy over your own work and being able to embrace your singularity is vital in a creative environment. In terms of achieving the quintessential summer intensive goals, Berridge hit all the marks. First and foremost, we were procuring new skills for our own acting purposes, and I'd have been satisfied with just this because it is specifically an acting intensive. However, in addition to that we were exploring Normandy, making new friends, making new connections, eating good food, getting a dorm-life experience, managing our time, and so much more. I wasn't sure what to expect entering the program in late June, and when reflecting on my 3 weeks there I can see that it exceeded anything I could have dreamed. I cannot recommend the program highly enough. Andrea is able to draw in such wonderful groups of people and create a safe and exciting place to be.

      - Honora Bohannon - November 5, 2022
    • I've attended two summers in a row now and both times I've texted my family back home saying, "I have never felt more creatively fulfilled than I do right now." The faculty succeeds at creating a supportive, non-judgmental environment where the students can share and hone their specific talents as well as learn how to work in groups towards a specific goal- whether it be a short film or a play. The weekly talent shows were often the highlight of the week. Performances included anything from monologues to stand-up to poetry to music.

      - Jack Perry - October 4, 2022
    • I went to this program when I was 16 and it was the first time that I had really done anything on my own, away from my family and everything else in my life. I was also only just beginning to get interested in the art of filmmaking. Before coming to Berridge I had a very narrow view of the world as I had never had a strong influence in my life that pushed me towards creativity and I had no concept of what the pursuit of art really looked like. I remember being very overwhelmed when I first arrived at the chateau, however, everyone there welcomes you like you are immediately a part of this huge artistic family. By the end of the program I felt that my entire view of the world had completely changed. You are surrounded by such an authentic part of the french countryside and by artists from all around the world, and you are taught to express yourself and to be emotional with everyone there. It opens you up to this extremely profound world that was (for me at least) something that I never imagined could exist. Berridge sparked a beautiful chain of events in my life. I am now 20 years old, and I am studying filmmaking and pursuing my art in the image of the talented and amazing people that I meant at Berridge. I still look up to every one of them.

      - Alex Renaud - October 12, 2022