The Heart & Sole Workshop is offering a free camp for Bibb County students while they are on Spring Break from Macon 20-24. The camp will be held at the Mill Hill Community Arts Center (213 Clinton Street) each day with drop off running from 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. and pickup from 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

“All these children are our children and a reflection of our community,” says Randy Heart, Heart & Sole Workshop Teaching Artist. “Someone must have the heart and desire to see these children do better and grow into the amazing adults they can be!"

“We want to show children they can have a powerful voice for good in the community through the arts and self-expression,” says Julia Morrison, Heart & Soul Workshop Project Manager. “It also allows us to provide to families by offering a free childcare option while school is not in session.”

The camp will focus on helping the students become a citizen artist and will also allow them to conduct a large community art project in the neighborhood. During the day, students will be able to paint, learn about photography, play games, and learn how to do shoe restoration. Lunch will be provided for students, but parents are asked to send lunch if their child has food allergies or specific nutritional needs.

“I pray they learn to think creatively and solve the problems around them without violence. I pray they cultivate healthy relationships and environmentalism...and how to coexist productively and harmoniously in a family,” adds Heart. “I pray they see the light in themselves.”

The Heart and Soul Workshop is funded with $25,000 from the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) program through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG). It’s an alternate school break program providing mentorship for children ages 6 through 12 with interactive projects that teach them how to be a citizen-artist by master teaching artists.

In previous camps, students have created positive murals along a block of Main Street on a retaining wall that encompasses two blighted properties and cleared the block of trash and debris – this is a traffic calming measure and allows for better pedestrian access. Students “upcycled” 16 pairs of used shoes, learning about sneaker art and shoe restoration techniques, and donated them to Brookdale Resource Center.