ChiArts Summer Experience

ChiArts Summer Experience (formerly known as ChiArts Summer Camp) is hosted by The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), Chicago’s first public arts high school. The program provides tuition-free, pre-professional arts training alongside a college-prep academic curriculum, coordinated and taught by ChiArts teaching artists and alumni.

The three-week summer program is designed for middle school students in grades 6-8 (including recent 8th grade graduates) eager to dive into the arts. The Band section also welcomes musicians in grades 4-8. Students embark on an immersive journey exploring their craft through exciting hands-on workshops in disciplines including Band, Creative Writing, Dance, Voice, Theatre, and Visual Arts.

Participants collaborate on a full production to be performed on the final day of camp, giving young artists the chance to create, grow, and discover in a dynamic pre-professional arts environment. Whether on stage, behind the scenes, or creating new work, students expand their artistic horizons and build lasting connections with fellow young artists. The program runs from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and aims to give students a taste of what it’s like to be a scholar-artist at ChiArts, accumulating almost a semester’s worth of classroom instruction over the three-week period.