Upside Arts Summer Camps! Day and Overnight Theatre Programs for Ages 7-17.

Upside Arts is a theatrical production company offering day and a overnight summer camp programs for Seacoast area youth and teens that aims to build confidence, sense of self, and empathy through thoughtful, original, and creative storytelling.

2026 Day Camps

Day Camp Location:
Rockingham Ballroom in Newmarket – Central to Stratham, Exeter, Durham and only 10 mins from Portsmouth.

Upside Arts Day Camp (open to ages 7-17) provides a unique summer experience with original shows written specifically for the campers! Students work together to build confidence, creativity, and develop skills needed to perform on stage, while rehearsing for a fully staged production.

Upside Arts Day Camp offers an immersive, thoughtful and one of a kind theatrical experience which focuses on teamwork and the creative process. Through each two week session, campers have the unique opportunity to work collaboratively together and with our staff on an original musical. Every camper plays a character written specifically to showcase their unique and special talents.

Our playwrights for summer 2026 are Miles Burns, Joshua Goldberg, Nick Tavares, and Phin Samdperil. Burns and Goldberg have worked with countless young performers over the years creating new plays and musicals for kids. Between them, they have written and premiered nearly 50 original works for seacoast area kids since 2012. Tavares is an Upside Arts alumn and student at UNH where he is studying theatre education. Samdperil is an Upside Arts alum and recent graduate of Oberlin College where he wrote and produced multiple original musicals.

Open to ages: 7-17
Camp Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
2026 Tuition: $775 per camper/session
An Upside Arts Day Camp T-Shirt is included with your registration!

DISCOUNTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

REFERRAL DISCOUNT
Refer a new camper and receive $50 off tuition. Discount will not be applied until the new camper is registered; if tuition is already paid, it will be applied to your account as a credit.

SIBLING DISCOUNT
$50 off tuition for each additional registration.

​FULL SUMMER DISCOUNT
Join us for all three sessions and receive $150 off.

CIT DISCOUNT
$300 off tuition (Ages 15-17, must apply)
*The CIT Discount may not be combined with other discounts.*

Limited scholarships are available.

Register!

SESSION I

The Dirt Girl
June 22 – July 3, 2026
Performances Friday, July 3 at 2pm & 5pm

An Original Musical by Miles Burns & Nick Tavares

In a dusty mill town where stories spread faster than the river runs and gossip is gospel, one mysterious girl captures everyone’s imagination. Known only as The Dirt Girl, she’s seen each day digging through the earth with her bare hands—and no one knows why. The townspeople don’t know who she is or where she came from, but that hasn’t stopped them from filling in the blanks. As rumors swirl and legends grow, the town must confront what’s real, what’s imagined, and what lies just beneath the surface.

Location: Upside Arts, Newmarket
Dates: 6/22/2026 – 7/3/2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Ages: Ages 7 – 17
Cost: $755.00

Register!

SESSION II

Treasure Island
July 6 – 18, 2026
Performances Saturday, July 18 at 11am & 2pm

An Original Musical by Joshua Goldberg

Adapted from the book by Robert Louis Stevenson

Set sail with cabin boy Jim Hawkins in this swashbuckling tale of buccaneers and buried gold. When Jim is given an old map by the mysterious seafarer Billy Bones, he leaves behind his mother’s inn and joins a ship with a secret mission: a search for lost treasure. He’s taken under the wing of Long John Silver, the ship’s one-legged cook, but when Silver reveals himself to be a bloodthirsty pirate Jim is thrust into an adventure more exciting – and dangerous – than he ever could have imagined.

Location: Upside Arts, Newmarket
Dates: 7/6/2026 – 7/18/2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Ages: Ages 7 – 17
Cost: $755.00

Register!

SESSION III

Totally Tubular: A Wavy Tale
July 20 – August 1
Performances Saturday, August 1 at 11am & 2pm

An Original Musical by Phin Samdperil

A big-city fairy tale! A magical dust, caught in the wind, brings to life anything it lands on: statues, mascots, and – in the case of our story – a wavy inflatable car retail tube man named Reuben who floats along to the big-city in hopes of pursuing his dreams to become a traffic cop. The dust, as it turns out, was a creation of Vamerney Corporation that spilled during an accident. Now a containment crew is on the hunt for anything the dust has touched, including Reuben! Antics and hijinks ensue… but not shenanigans.

Location: Upside Arts, Newmarket
Dates: 7/20/2026 – 8/1/2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Ages: Ages 7 – 17
Cost: $755.00

Register!

2026 Teen Theatre Lab Camp

TEEN Theatre Lab
August 3 – 7, 2026

In this one week camp (open to ages 12-17), students will work together to create a portfolio of work through playwriting, devising, improvisation, and monologue and scene study. Campers will have the opportunity to explore acting, directing, stage management, and design while preparing for a final showcase!

Location: Upside Arts, Newmarket
Dates: 8/3/2026 – 8/7/2026
Time: 9am-4pm
Ages: Ages 12 – 17
Cost: $300

​Register!

2026 Overnight Camp

Upside Arts Overnight Camp (open to ages 8-17) will be creating whimsy and singing “The Friendship Song” this summer on the beautiful Worthley Pond at Camp North Star in Poland, ME!

Upside Overnight Camp offers top quality training in theatre arts from working industry professionals as well as swimming, hiking, low ropes, gaga ball, sign language, and workshops in everything from ballet to bubbles! Evening activities include campfires, Carnival, Outdoor Movie, Olympics, and Talent Shows.

Daily electives include classes in Musical Theatre, Acting, Dance, Improv, A Cappella, Songwriting, Outdoor Adventure, Arts & Crafts, and much more!

Campers will live in cabins with 6-10 of their peers, plus a Counselor in Training, and one or two Counselors. Cabin life is an opportunity for your child to find their independence in a well-supervised, supportive environment. They will learn how to coexist with their cabin-mates, learn from each other, and form bonds that will last a lifetime.​

Our campers are in the best hands during their stay! Our professional staff have years of both camp and theatrical experience under their belts. Staffers come from all over including the Seacoast, Boston, New York City, and beyond!

Open to Ages: 8-17
2026 Dates: August 17-25
Camp Theme: TBA
Camp Location: Camp North Star in Poland, ME
2026 Tuition: $1,695 per camper
An Upside Arts Overnight Camp t-shirt and dog tag are included with your registration!

DISCOUNTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

REFERRAL DISCOUNT
Refer a new camper and receive $50 off tuition. Discount will not be applied until the new camper is registered; if tuition is already paid, it will be applied to your account as a credit.

SIBLING DISCOUNT
$50 off tuition for each additional registration.

CIT DISCOUNT
$250 off tuition (Ages 16-17, must apply)
*The CIT Discount may not be combined with other discounts.*

Limited scholarships are available.

Register!

Please contact alden@theupsideartscompany.org with any questions regarding Overnight Camp!

Upside Arts
(207) 977-4190
info@theupsideartscompany.org