This year has been a bit of a BEAR.

Hit the reset button at Curiosity Summer Camp!

From August 3 - 16, we're gathering curious and creative grown-ups from around the world to learn new things, make cool stuff and have some summer camp fun! 

 

(Remember fun?)

The clock is ticking, don't miss out!

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LAST SUMMER I SENT MYSELF TO CAMP.

(I'm Karen...Karen Ward...Chief Curiosity Officer at Curiosity Inc. + Curiosity Global. Pleasure to meet you!)

 

In July of 2019, after an intense six months of client work, I decided to take the month of August off. 

 

This felt like a delicious plan until the end of July approached and I started to worry about slipping into a go-nowhere-do-nothing-all-Netflix-all-the-time coma never to be heard from again.

 

At the same time, many of my friends had kids coming home from or heading off to summer camp and I thought, “hey, I wanna go to summer camp!”

 

(I never went to camp as a kid. I spent my early childhood living on a farm and during the summer we prowled around the fields, swung from trees and built forts in the barn.)

 

I wasn't too keen on the kind of summer camp that requires sleeping in bunk beds, sharing bathrooms and eating cafeteria food. 

 

I was more interested in the kind of summer camp I could enjoy while sleeping in my own bed, showering in my own bathroom and eating whatever I wanted.

 

#becausegrownasswoman

 

I was going to design my own summer camp.

 

I started pouring through event and experience listings on various web platforms, combed through meet-ups in Montreal and Toronto and signed up for everything I’d always been curious about, wanted to learn how to do, or just looked weird and worth exploring. 

 

By the end of the month I had learned how to make Montreal-style bagels, authentic chai and concrete planters. I’d gone to see Michael Buble, P!nk and Bryan Adams in concert. I'd screen-printed and hand-stitched my own notebooks, thrown axes, and learned how to embroider. I went on a ghost walk in Old Montreal and took a food tour of Chinatown. I went forest bathing on Mont-Royal and kayaking on the St. Lawrence river. And I spent a lot of time wandering around neighbourhoods I didn’t know very well, just for the pleasure of it. 

 

It was one of the best summer months of my adult life. 

 

By the end of the month I was inspired, energized, brimming with confidence (I made Montreal-style bagels, from scratch, by myself, more than once!) and bursting with creative energy.

 

While I was summer camping around, I shared pictures from my adventures on social media and the response was overwhelming. 

 

People wanted to know what I was doing, if could they sign up, and would I be organizing Curiosity Summer Camp for other grown-ups?!?

 

I hadn’t planned to organize anything beyond my own summer camp experience.

 

But it's hard to ignore a response like that so I posted a short survey asking my community why they were so interested in my self-designed Curiosity Summer Camp.

 

And this is what they said:

I suck at self-initiating fun stuff to do especially on my home turf. I loved the playfulness, joy of discovery and learning you experienced during your Camp adventures. It was inspiring! 

 

I love doing cool new things but I only have time to DO the cool things, not find them. I would love it if someone (ahem, you) would curate a bunch of cool and curious things to do. THAT would be exciting!

I'd like to come to Montreal but I think cultivating curiosity close to home is really important too...could you host a virtual Curiosity Summer Camp next year?

Doing cool stuff, learning new things and meeting new people shouldn't be hard or time consuming or overwhelming.

 

And it does not have to break the bank.

 

(I spent more than $2000 on my summer camp adventure last year!)

 

It can be easy. 

 

Given the year we're having, it has to be easy.

 

Because you deserve to spend your time having the fun, doing the learning, having the meaningful experiences, not the figuring out how and where and when of it all. 

 

So, if you want to have some easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy learning and making and exploring and growing and connecting with people from all over the world fun, you only need to do one thing...

 

Sign up for Curiosity Summer Camp!

 

You had me at "Curiosity Summer Camp"...how could I say no? I definitely want to be there! 

e bond

Artist, Bookbinder, Educator + Question Asker

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

The live version of Curiosity Summer Camp will run from Monday, August 3 - Sunday, August 16.

 

All camp content will be available to registered Campers from August 3 until September 30.

 

So, if you aren't able to join us for the live version, or only part of it, you can curate your own Camp experience from the amazing programming we’ve assembled for you...whenever it works for you.

 

The Curiosity Summer Camp experience has been designed around five core themes:

Explore

Express

Create

Move

Eat

Campers will enjoy content and experiences related to these five themes in three different formats: 

Micro Missions

Small daily adventures that will invite you to explore the world nearby, to look with fresh eyes and create something from what you experience.

 

Workshops

A live or pre-recorded learning experience with an instructor who will teach you how to do or create something new.

 

 

Campfire Convos

A live 45-minute conversation about curiosity, creativity and/or connection with a very interesting person. Includes Q+A with Campers.

 

Each day from Monday, August 3 to Sunday, August 16, Campers will receive a Letter from Camp (by email) that announces the Micro Mission for the day and reminds everyone to RSVP for the Workshops and/or Campfire Convos they would like to attend. 

 

We encourage all Campers to complete the daily Micro Mission because these mini adventures invite you to get out into your neighbourhood, and nearby nature spaces, in a way that is healthy, safe and fun. They’re are designed to help you flex your curiosity and creativity muscles and connect with other Campers around the world.  

 

Beyond the daily Micro Mission, you decide how much you would like to do on any given day. There is absolutely no pressure to do it all.  

 

You choose your own Curiosity Summer Camp adventure!

 

(Live Workshops and Campfire Convos will typically take place early afternoon EDT to accommodate as many time zones as possible.)

We all need something interesting and fun to lift us out of the monotony that is pandemic living. Grown-ups need stimulation and inspiration too. I'm delighted to contribute to and participate in Curiosity Summer Camp.

Maggie Frank-Hsu

Writer + Big Idea Coach

WE ARE GOING TO CAMP AROUND THE WORLD.

Because life has felt pretty constrained this year, we wanted to create a camp experience that felt expansive...one that would open your eyes to what’s just around the corner, and to who and what is happening and being created on the other side of the world. 

 

So, we fired up the Curiosity bat signal and called in all the curious and creative people we know to come and teach and talk and share. The response has been AMAZING.

 

And even though this is a virtual experience and the Curiosity Summer Camp meeting place will be online, we are doing everything we can to facilitate a blended experience that nudges you out into the fresh air and sunshine while staying connected to Campers around the world.

 

All workshops will be available in video and audio and be accompanied by a workbook that includes a materials/ingredient list and instructions. We want you to learn and grow where and when and in the ways that work best for you.

 

Here is a tiny sneak peak at some of the people you’re going to learn from and play with at Curiosity Summer Camp this year...

 

QUESTION ASKER

e bond

e bond is our opening Campfire Convo guest and she is going to talk to us about her recent 100 Days of Questions project. e is an artist, writer, educator, designer and book binder who loves living and working in the question(s).

 

 

BIG IDEA COACH

Maggie Frank-Hsu

Maggie is is a writer and Big Idea Coach who helps entrepreneurs go from invisible to high profile. Maggie is going to share her signature Be About Something framework and help us uncover and express the ideas—our ideas—that really matter.

 

TEXTILE PIRATE

Karine Fournier

Karine is a fibre artist who works with people of all ages to create street art installations using textiles in unusual ways. She is going to share her Ghost Mushrooms project and teach us how to make and install these phantom fungi in our own neighbourhoods.

MIXOLOGIST

Trevor Burnett

Trevor is a mixologist and spirits ambassador who has been teaching people all over the world how to make great drinks for more than two decades. He's going to teach us how to make an Anne of Green Gables Raspberry Cordial Mojito. Best Canada/Cuba mash-up ever! 

BAKER + STORYTELLER

Karen Theunissen

Karen is an entrepreneur, attorney, children's book author and storyteller. And she's also an excellent baker! Karen (and her daughters) are going to talk about the importance of storytelling in everyday life and teach us how to make a classic South African dessert.

FIBRE ARTIST

Marina Dempster

Marina is a sculptural fibre artist who loves exploring the paradox of the human condition. In her workshop she is going to explore the way the words we use and surround ourselves with can shape our reality. And she is going to teach us how to make + send love notes...to ourselves.   

CIRCUS ACROBAT

Aaron Felske

Aaron is a Cirque du Soleil acrobat and former Celine Dion back-up dancer and Broadway actor who has been performing for more than 20 years. He is going to lead a movement class inspired by his training and performance work as a professional acrobat. Suitable for all levels. 

PILATES INSTRUCTOR

Kristen Iuppenlatz

Kristen is a pilates instructor who believes strongly that play, laughter and aligned movement can lead to a beautiful pain-free life. She is going to lead a Laughter Pilates workshop that will help us incorporate better movement into the activities we do every day.   

FLORAL ARTIST

Elena Mencarelli

Elena is an artist, art curator and floral designer who is passionate about encouraging and teaching creative expression in many forms. She is going to lead a Secrets of Floral Art + Design workshop that explores art history, fine art concepts and the art of floral design.

OLYMPIAN

Neville Wright

Neville is a three-time Canadian Olympian, speaker, performance therapist and high athletic performance coach. He's going to lead a Recovery Techniques workshop that will help us activate our bodies safely and recover well after any activity, even sitting at our desks.     

EMPANADA EXPERTS

Alejandro + Pilar

Alejandro + Pilar own an Argentine restaurant in Medellín. Alejandro learned how to make empanadas from his grandmother and now he and Pilar show people around the world to do the same. They will be teaching us how to make SIX different types of Argentine empanadas. 

MAP MAKER

Anne Ditmeyer

Anne is a creative coach in Paris who believes "travel is not about where you go, but how you see the world." An avid traveler, she is passionate about maps and how they represent not only where we want to go but also what we value. Anne is going to take us on a map-making adventure. 

HUMMUS VIRTUOSO

Nada Badr

Nada is a professional Lebanese chef who has been delivering delicious Lebanese culinary experiences for 20+ years. She is going to teach us how to make authentic hummus using a special secret ingredient. And she's also going to show us how to serve hummus beautifully. 

  

COLLAGE ARTIST

Maria Llamozas

Maria is a Venezuelan collage artist living in Barcelona. A journalist who started exploring collage as a hobby, she is now a regular exhibitor and her work has appeared in Spanish Vogue. She's going to teach us a variety of techniques and guide us through making our very own work of collage art.

VISUAL STORYTELLER

Amy Walsh

Amy is life-long artist, entrepreneur, branding expert and self-confessed culture nerd. She is going to join us as a Campfire Convo guest and talk about how important it is for grown-ups to get good at being bad and how let go of perfection and embrace the beginning with curiosity.

CABARET ARTIST

Caitlin Fahey

A former corporate litigator, Caitlin is an award-winning New York City cabaret artist and dramaturgy coach. She is going to lead a live voice workshop that invites us to explore the power of using our voice as a tool for personal expression and as a way to boost our happiness and reduce our stress levels.  

CHAI MAESTRO

Gabriel Svaldi

Gabriel is an entrepreneur, chai artisan and ‘dégustateur de thés’ based in Montreal who has travelled the world learning about tea from the masters. He is going to teach us how to create our own custom chai blend and then use it to make delicious, authentic chai.

 

TRUTH TELLER

Christa Couture

Christa is an award-winning performing and recording artist, non-fiction writer and broadcaster. She's also proudly Indigenous (mixed Cree and Scandinavian), queer and a mom. Christa is going to join us as a Campfire Convo guest and talk about and do a reading from her new book, How to Lose Everything

ORIGAMI ENTHUSIAST 

Hiro Nakanishi

Hiro is a cafe owner, tour guide and passionate origamist. As a child he had to spend a lot of time indoors so he taught himself how to make almost 100 origami objects. He is going to teach us how to make cranes and talk about the significance of the thousands of cranes found at temples and memorials in Japan. 

STAR GAZER

Tifin Dillon

Tifin is a certified co-active coach who has been fascinated by the night sky, astronomy and astrology her entire life. As a Campfire Convo guest she is going to talk to us about what's going on astrologically during Camp and she's also going to lead a Wonders of the Night Sky workshop.

INK ALCHEMIST 

Anne-Laure Bixquert

Anne-Laure is a pattern designer and serigraphy artist based in Montreal. A few years ago Anne-Laure discovered natural inks and fell in love with the colours and the process of making them. Now she's going to teach us how to make a variety of different coloured inks from red cabbage. Yes, red cabbage!

WOOD WIZARD

Lisa Leckie

Lisa is a design researcher who grew up hanging out on construction sites with her architect/engineer dad. So, building things runs in the family! She is going to teach us how to make a Modern Herb Planter using supplies you can find at your local hardware store and tools you already have at home.

AREPAS AFICIANDO

Jessica Khairallah

Jessica is an HR professional by day and a passionate yogi, foodie and maker of delicious things the rest of the time. Originally from Venezuela, Jessica now lives in Montreal and she is going to teach us how to make arepas and fresh avocado and chicken filling from scratch.

 

MASTER STORYTELLER

Marsha Shandur

Marsha (from Yes Yes Marsha) is a storyteller, storytelling coach and host of True Stories Toronto, the city's largest storytelling show. She knows, loves and lives for great storytelling!  And she is going to teach us how to tell captivating stories that will foster connection, insight, empathy and trust. 

WANDERER + MAKER

Karen Ward

Karen is the curator + producer of Curiosity Summer Camp. She is going to issue our daily Micro Missions, show us how to make Montreal-style bagels, lead a Street Wisdom walkshop and teach a daily craft workshop. Save those toilet paper rolls!

 

PATTERN DESIGNER

Sumayyah Petrus

Sumayyah is an artist who fell in love with Islamic patterns when she was traveling in Yemen in 2012. She is going to lead a workshop that explores the history of Islamic patterns (and their many influences) and teach us how to create an Islamic pattern design of our very own.  

SABOTEUR SPOTTER 

Sara Smeaton

Sara is a certified coach who helps people thrive in midlife. She is going to lead us through a series of exercises to identify, and work with, the saboteurs, or "should monsters" who show up when we're moving toward the things we really care about. 

ELEPHANT WRANGLER

Janice Johnson

Janice is the founder of the Eating with Elephants dinner event series and she is passionate about fostering deep conversation and connection. As part of the Camp closing ceremonies, Janice will guide us through a delicious Eating with Elephants meal experience.

BREAKFAST ARTIST

Burak

Burak is a passionate tour guide and experience leader who loves sharing Turkish food, landscapes and culture. He will be leading an Art of Turkish Breakfast session that will introduce us to the delicious food and rituals associated with the morning meal in Turkey. 

MINDFUL MOVER

Mimi Rahneva

Mimi is a Canadian Olympian who competed in the skeleton event in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. She is going to guide us through a mindful movement session full of stretches and yoga postures that will help us connect to our mind, body and breath.  

MOROCCAN CHEF

Najlea el Rhazi

Naljea is going to welcome us into her kitchen in Marrakesh and teach us how to make Moroccan tagine, a special type of Moroccan crepe called msemen, and a delicious Moroccan pastry called ghriba. We will enjoy it all with mint tea and tales of Moroccan family life. 

I was drawn to Curiosity Summer Camp—as a teacher and a Camper—because I want to spend time with people who are eager to remember what it feels like to be a kid...to be curious, free and open to possibilities.

Kristen Iuppenlatz

Instructor, Laughter Pilates

EIGHT REASONS WHY GROWN-UPS NEED TO GO TO CURIOSITY SUMMER CAMP.

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will invite you to try new things in a judgement-free space. Camp is the perfect place to explore and experiment. It doesn't matter if you're good at whatever you try. Camp is designed to help you get better at being a beginner. It's absolutely glorious to be ridiculously bad at something. There is so much freedom in giving something a go and not giving a flying duck if you do it well. 

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will fill you up with new ideas, people and possibilities. Being exposed to new and novel things is so good for our brains. It helps keep them stretchy and it gives them more to work with when we're trying to solve a sticky problem. Steve Jobs famously said that creativity is connecting things—connecting disparate dots—in new ways. That's true. And if creativity is about connecting dots, curiosity is about collecting them—ideas, experiences, the perspectives of diverse and interesting people—so we have plenty on hand when we need to make fresh new connections and come up with new ideas. Camp is a great place to collect dots and get better at connecting them.

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will boost your confidence. Even though it does not matter if you suck at some of the things you try at Camp, learning how to make Montreal-style bagels and a super cute Should Monster from a toilet paper roll will make you feel like a rock star. 

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will help you see yourself differentlyFor anyone who has ever been told they weren't creative or crafty or curious or brave or athletic or active enough, Camp is where you'll realize that just isn't true. You are all of those things and more.

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will make it easy to meet new people. It can be hard to make new friends as a grown-up, especially at a time when you're being asked to stay close to home and interact with a small group of people. Camp makes it easy to build new friendships with like-minded people around the world, and around the corner. We've seen this happen again and again with the My Curious Eyes project. We know it's going to happen at Camp too. 

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will foster gratitude. It will nurture appreciation for your gifts, and the gifts of others, for the amazing people around the world who are doing interesting things and teaching others and spreading a sense of hope and possibility. And it will help you appreciate the beauty and magic that is all around you everyday, even when things are hard.   

 

Curiosity Summer Camp will boost your resilience. New friendships, a sense of gratitude and belonging, increased confidence from failing and succeeding with panache, and super charged curiosity and creativity...learning, laughing, making, moving, wondering, wandering and growing alongside like-minded people is resilience rocket-fuel.

 

Curiosity Summer Camp is going to be fun. Remember fun? We're going to have some of that. There will be wigs and prizes, funny walks and late night talks. We're going to paint and build and hide secret treasures in the forest. We're going to stretch and grow, oh the places we'll go.

 

And one more reason to come to Curiosity Summer Camp...we've got great goodies to wear and share. Check out the Camp Store.

 

I’m thrilled to be part of this joy-filled, curiosity-boosting summer adventure. It's easy for the days to blend into one another so coming together with like-minded folks to learn new things is such a welcome and much-needed injection of energy and optimism.

Sara Smeaton

Midlife Coach + Saboteur Spotter

AND NOW IT'S TIME TO REGISTER FOR CURIOSITY SUMMER CAMP.

Two joy-filled weeks, 14 daily Micro Missions, more than 20 curiosity and creativity-boosting Workshops, and collection of Campfire Convos that will leave you feeling nourished and inspired for months.

 

That's what we're going to do at Curiosity Summer Camp.

 

Now let's get you signed up.

 

(The Curiosity Summer Camp 2020 cart closes at midnight on Thursday, July 30. Don't miss out!)  

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$247USD/camper

100% Privacy. We Will Never Spam You!

I said yes to Curiosity Summer Camp because I love everything Karen does. I'm excited to meet new people from around the world and share my passion for making and creating with natural inks. You won't believe what red cabbage can do!

Anne-Laure Bixquert

Artist, Designer + Natural Ink Enthusiast

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some of the questions we've been asked many times we've been working on the Curiosity Summer Camp program. 

Can I do Curiosity Summer Camp with my kids?

Could I sign my team up for Curiosity Summer Camp?

Is now the right time to be hosting a summer camp? Aren't there more important things to do? 

Can't I just create my own Camp like you did last year? 

Of course you can.

 

If you've got the time and money and discipline to design your own experience, I highly recommend it!

 

The benefit of joining Curiosity Summer Camp is that the content, programming and people are all in one place, thoughtfully chosen, lovingly produced and accessibly priced. At $247 USD, this year's Curiosity Summer Camp is a fraction of the cost of the one I designed for myself last year, And at Curiosity Summer Camp 2020, you get to learn from and play with people from all over the world...I was limited to Toronto and Montreal last year.

 

Finally, many of the Workshops and all of the Campfire Convos will only be available at Curiosity Summer Camp...they have been produced just for our Campers. You won't find them anywhere else. 

What time are the live Workshops + Campfire Convos going to be held? 

Aren't you a Canadian company? Why are you charging USD?

What if I can't participate in the live version of Camp? 

What is the time commitment each day for Camp? 

I've heard rumours of a Curiosity Camp Store...where's that?

Is Curiosity Summer Camp going to be interesting and fun? 

© 2020 Curiosity Inc. All Rights Reserved.