KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 3, 2024

High school students may immerse themselves in the arts at the collegiate level

Kennesaw State University's College of the Arts is pleased to offer high school students and rising college freshmen an opportunity to experience the arts on a collegiate level in summer 2025. In this year’s Summer Arts Intensive programs, students may choose from acting, dance, design tech, music, musical theatre, or the visual arts. 

Two new programs are being offered: Marching Band Drum Major Leadership, and Basic Patternmaking & Construction in Textile Design. The programs will be offered at the beginning of the summer; most offerings run for a full day for one week, although Music offers some half-day programs. 

Interim Senior Associate Dean Dr. Leslie J. Blackwell is spearheading the Summer Arts Intensive programs. She says, “ArtsKSU is excited to once again welcome aspiring young artists to experience a week of intense, in-person instruction from our faculty. This year, we have added a couple of new intensives, like the Marching Band Drum Major Leadership intensive, and have also added an overnight option for our Choral students.” 

Choral students may now join Dance and Theatre students and stay overnight in a residence hall on the Kennesaw campus for the week. This add-on option sold out quickly last summer, so students are encouraged to register early as space is limited. Registration opened December 2, and the overnight add-on option deadline is March 1, 2025, or until filled, whichever comes first.

The Bailey School of Music will offer half-day intensives in Brass, Choral, Percussion, Piano, or Strings.  The School is also offering a full week’s program in Choral Singers, including the new overnight option. Also new this year is the Marching Band Drum Major Leadership intensive, which provides high school students a chance to enhance their skills and become inspiring leaders. 

Under the guidance of Brandon Meeks, Director of Athletic Bands, the Marching Band Drum Major Leadership program will focus on effective communication, conducting techniques, and team-building strategies, empowering participants to lead their bands with confidence. Through hands-on workshops and collaborative activities, students will develop their leadership styles while forging lasting friendships with fellow musicians. 

The School of Art and Design will host its intensives on the KSU Marietta campus, bringing back its popular lineup of art-centric classes plus a new intensive. Many of the offerings highlight popular subjects such as digital animation, comics, and characters, including 3D Digital Modeling and Character Development, Creature Design and Scientific Illustration, Original Character Design, and Visual Storytelling in Comics and Sequential Art. Students interested in fashion illustration may want to take the new Basic Patternmaking & Construction in Textile Design. 

Topics will include fashion illustration, pattern engineering, machine components, set-up, basic sewing construction and finishing methods. At the end of the program, each student will see their fashion illustration into a designed, draped, and constructed garment or accessory.  

Theatre buffs may choose from Acting, Musical Theatre, or Design/Tech from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, held on the Kennesaw Campus. The Acting Intensive centers on the actor's approach to auditioning, including core acting work, technique, and professional insights into casting processes. The Musical Theatre Intensives features acting, dance, and vocal skills workshops led by KSU faculty and local professionals. The Theatre Design and Technology Intensive covers different aspects of working backstage, including scenic, costume, lighting, props, and sound. 

The Dance Intensive offers intermediate to advanced level dance students the opportunity for technical and artistic growth in dance in a supportive and creative environment. Held on the Kennesaw campus, the Dance Intensive allows dancers to participate in a myriad of dance classes, such as modern, ballet, African, jazz, choreography, and dance history, all led by KSU Department of Dance faculty. The intensive will culminate in a performance at the end of the week. 

Interested students should register as early as possible to secure their desired intensive options. All intensives are held on the Kennesaw campus, except for School of Art and Design's intensives, which are held on the Marietta campus. Learn more about the College of the Arts. 

--Kathie Beckett