K–12 Experiences
K–12 experiences at Waterville Creates are designed to inspire a love of film, theatre, visual arts, and creativity. Each program is aligned with classroom curricula and the Maine State Learning Results, supporting a well-rounded educational experience.
Waterville Opera House
The WATERVILLE OPERA HOUSE offers a range of performances designed to meet the curricular, financial, and scheduling needs of area classrooms and homeschool groups. Covering topics such as children’s literature, science, and history through plays and musical productions, these experiences are often students’ first exposure to live performing arts.
Attendance: 2–500 tickets (students + adults)
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Maine Film Center
The MAINE FILM CENTER welcomes students and educators from across Central Maine for engaging field trip experiences at the movies. These visits are designed to inspire curiosity and expand access, with the goal of ensuring that many students have their first meaningful moviegoing experience in a shared, cinematic setting.
Attendance: 70–140 students
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Ticonic Gallery
TICONIC GALLERY offers year-round field trip experiences. Through guided, inquiry-based prompts rooted in curiosity, observation, and creative thinking, students engage deeply with the exhibitions on view. Each visit includes a hands-on art-making activity led by Waterville Creates staff, reinforcing connections to the gallery experience.
Attendance: 12–50 students
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Art of Clay Studio
The ART OF CLAY STUDIO offers fall and spring raku firing field trips for grades 9–12. Students will learn the history and science of raku and see how rapid heating and reduction produce unique and often dramatic surface effects. While the kiln is firing, students will enjoy a tour of Waterville Creates and will return to watch the dramatic final stage of the raku process.
Attendance: 5–15 students
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Students
Learning
Innovative
Career
Endeavors
This day-long field trip offers teens an exciting, on-site exploration of diverse careers in the arts (plus a SLICE or two of pizza). This program welcomes 100 students at a time (up to 50 from one school).
Camps
Throughout the year, Waterville Creates hosts several multiday camps for kids and teens looking to learn new skills or further develops their creative abilities! Camps cover a wide range of artistic media, including clay, filmmaking, theatre, 3D-printing, painting, handcrafts, and more.
Theatre Camp
Waterville Opera House collaborates with Missoula Children’s Theatre, an internationally recognized touring group, to present weeklong theatre camps during February and summer vacations for students in grades 1 through 8. Theatre camp provides children with hands-on opportunities to learn about the theatrical process. Each week concludes with a fully realized performance, with scenery, costumes, and props.
Artist + Maker Camp
Throughout the year, Waterville Creates hosts several multiday camps for kids and teens looking to learn new skills or further develops their creative abilities! Camps cover a wide range of artistic media, including clay, filmmaking, theatre, 3D-printing, painting, handcrafts, and more.
All programs eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund
All public, ticketed programs at Waterville Creates are eligible for the Youth Arts Access Fund. Anyone aged 18 or under can activate YAAF to cover some or all of the cost of admission to camps, classes, performances, movies, and more!
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