01
Monday
Meet your monster
Invent a name, a personality and a story — and draw a full monster character sheet to anchor the week.
Algarve Arts Academy · Half-Term Camp 2026
Dream Factory:
Making Monsters
Every monster starts as a wild idea. Here, it becomes real: drawn, sculpted, sewn and painted.
A studio where wild ideas come to life, one brushstroke at a time.
Five days to invent, sculpt, sew and paint your very own monster.
Kids work in two age groups with professional art teachers — small enough that every monster gets real attention, big enough to share the wild ideas.
On Monday the monsters are born. By Friday they're hanging on the gallery wall, ready for their close-up. Families are invited to the Monster Gallery to see what their young artists have made — and to take the creatures home.
5
Days, half-term week
12
Maximum children
2
Age groups, two studios
Studio 1
Monster Makers
A playful introduction to character-making — drawing, modelling clay, hand-sewing felt and painting a portrait to take home.
Studio 2
Creature Design Studio
Older artists learn how game and film designers build creatures — wire-armature sculpting, machine-sewn softies and gallery-ready canvases.
A day in the life of an artist.
Six slow hours to make something strange and beautiful — with time to think, snack, get messy and start again.
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10:30 – 11:00
Opening mood-circle and warm-up lab
A short group check-in and a quick drawing game to wake up the hands. Light snack served.
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11:00 – 12:30
Outdoor Monster Hunt
A sketching mission around the studio neighbourhood — leaves become scales, fences become claws.
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12:30 – 13:30
Lunch break
Bring a packed lunch or add our hot meal at booking. Optional hot meals: €10 per day or €50 for the week.
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13:30 – 15:30
Immersive art lab
The deep-work block — the day's main craft, with one-to-one guidance from professional art teachers.
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15:30 – 16:30
Reflection circle and chill studio
What worked, what didn't, what's still missing. A relaxed studio hour to keep tinkering. Light snack served.
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16:30 – 17:00
Pickup
Families collect their artists — and any monsters that have survived the day.
The week, day by day.
From blank page to gallery wall — five acts in the life of a young monster designer.
02
Tuesday
Sculpt it
Clay monsters take shape. Older artists start with a wire frame so the form holds its pose.
03
Wednesday
Stitch it
A soft felt monster. Hand-sewing for younger makers; machine sewing with an adult for the older studio.
04
Thursday
Paint it
A monster portrait on canvas — colour, mood, background, signature. Ready to hang.
05
Friday
Monster Gallery
Families are invited to the exhibition. Creatures go home — and onto bedroom walls — at the end of the day.
Practical information.
Three small things to know before the first day — so the only surprises are on the page.
Wear clothes that can get messy
Paint, clay and felt dye have a way of finding the nicest outfit. Send your young artist in something you're happy to ruin — aprons are provided, but sleeves happen.
Bring a water bottle
A labelled, refillable bottle — six hours of drawing, sculpting and painting is thirsty work. Light snacks and water are provided;
lunch is not.
Minimum-number guarantee
If we don't reach the minimum number of children to run the camp, your payment is refunded in full — no small print, no fees.
Ready to make monsters?
Twelve spots. Five days. One studio full of paper, clay, thread and paint. Reserve your young artist's place before the gallery wall fills up.