Girls Rock Camp Vancouver is a project for female youth aged 8-18 years. We give young women the opportunity to explore, access and play music with positive mentors. As our society continues to push unattainable body image values, we want to reassure the leaders of tomorrow that there is more to being included in the music industry than a microphone and size 0 waistline. At Girls Rock Camp Vancouver we teach young women to pick up their instruments and make noise.
We also run programming throughout the year, including Ladies Rock Camp Vancouver , a rock camp in a Women’s Prison, a Downtown Eastside Rock Camp, various workshops for young women, and all-ages music shows featuring bands who formed inside and outside camp.
The first Vancouver Rock Camp For Girls was held from Monday, August 17th through August 21st, 2009, with a final showcase at the newly renovated historical theatre, The Cultch, in East Vancouver. The camp’s space was graciously donated by the Urban Native Youth Association at 1618 Hastings St.
We are currently planning our fourth year of camp, which will be held in July 2012. We’d like to thank the Urban native Youth Association for graciously partnering with our organization once again, and providing a space for camp to happen. We are an entirely volunteer-run organization that relies on community donations and partnerships, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to get more involved.
The objective of our camp is to provide space 30 female youth to build self-esteem through music creation and performance. Throughout the week, campers learn a key instrument and are coached through the experience of playing within a band setting. Campers also attend workshops with talented female mentors in subjects such as Songwriting, Self-Defense, Image and Identity, Zine-making, Screen-printing. The week finishes with the ultimate experience of playing a live show in front of an audience of family, friends and screaming fans. The week includes performances from experienced female musicians, on-site conflict management for bands, and one on one sessions with the youth. Professional support included teachers, nurses and registered councilors was provided in both the planning stages as well as during the camp.
As firm believers in this project and the impact it will have, we are committed to building self-esteem and developing life skills in young women while cultivating a supportive community of peers and mentors.
GRCV is a registered not-for-profit in British Columbia, and is part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance – an established community of camps that are spread all around North America.
The Girls Rock Camp originated in Portland, Oregon over 8 years ago and is now a well-established camp and organization that has inspired and influenced hundreds of young rocking ladies. The camp itself has now expanded into 3 sessional camps with various program options as well as a showcase performance at the end of camp with more than 700 attendees.
If you would like to hear some sounds from the 2009 camp, you can hear a podcast produced by Rock Camp Volunteer and Organizer Sarah Buchanan, here: Life After Radio.ca
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GRCV would like to thank Mint Records and The Vancouver Foundation for their generous Financial Support.