With never more than 200 campers, and always at least 50 staff, everyone knows everyone, and our camper-to-adult ratio is always 4:1 or better.

There are no awards, prizes, or inclusion and exclusion based on judging, scoring, or grading of any type. We want the experience of art-making to be rich and fulfilling, and for every camper to have ample opportunity for personal growth without external pressures.

There are no handbooks to read, no forms to fill out, no computerized scheduling. During the first days of camp, every camper tours the camp and gets a one-on-one meeting with a teacher in each of our activity areas to ask questions and express their interests. This is the beginning of a conversation that lasts for the whole session: children and adults communicating and working together to make the most fruitful use of their time.

No bells ring, whistles blow or loud speakers blare to announce the end of one activity and the beginning of another. Every camper chooses their own activities, and has a unique daily schedule. As one of our parents said, ‘Ballibay is the most structured – unstructured arts camp…’

While a few campers choose to fill their days to the brim with activities, most campers prefer to maintain a balance of activities and free time. This leaves time to take a walk, talk with friends, practice an instrument, write a song; time to write a letter home, read a book, or listen to music.

‘It’s the Journey, not the Product’ has always been a basic tenet of the Ballibay philosophy. The road that leads to a completed project, artwork or performance is the most valuable to the student, regardless of the final outcome. If the process of development and discovery is positive, then valuable learning and growth have occurred.

Campers have the autonomy to create their own schedules through our individual choice philosophy and the one-on-one conversations at the start of the session. Our expectation of the campers is a commitment to the activity and the staff member. If campers wish to change commitments, they do so in cooperation with their teachers. In the same respect, if campers want to add a new activity to their time at camp, they are able to do so through a conversation with the counselor in that area.

The campers have no access to phones or social media while at camp, but electronic devices are allowed if they do not have cellular data capability. Phones and cellular tablets with SIM cards removed are not allowed.

Our campers are young artists, musicians, dancers. They need their music, and they love to have devices with cameras. So many will come with iPads, iPod Touches, Nintendo Switches, and similar devices. Some are writers, composers, or animators, and will have tablets or computers with them for these purposes. Also, many campers read from Kindles or listen to audiobooks.

Since they will not receive Wi-Fi passwords, they will not have access to social media or the Internet.