Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts

We believe kids are happier, healthier humans when they’re creating.

 At Usdan, creativity and kids meet up and become friends for life. The dream of this place since 1968 has been to open up a world for young people to develop their creativity and artistic skills. Usdan is the nation’s preeminent not-for- profit day camp for the arts. We bring world-class teachers and visiting artists—actors, directors, playwrights, painters, sculptors, musicians, composers, dancers, poets, and novelists—to teach and collaborate with Usdan campers ages 4 to 18. It’s a two-way exchange, because we know experienced artists and young creators learn from each other.

Campers can choose from nearly 70 classes in five arts disciplines (art, creative writing, dance, music, theater) and three other specialty areas (chess, nature, and recreational arts). Our goal is to give each Usdanite a way to explore an existing passion in depth while also sampling other intriguing offerings. 

Usdan is a place that calls to the artist in everyone. Each summer, campers whose personal lives and stories represent a multiplicity of ages, abilities, talents, races, genders, and economic and geographic backgrounds converge to create. Our highest hope is that the Usdan experience will instill in campers the courage to make creative contributions to their worlds for the rest of their lives.