General Information about Taking a Workshop
Staying at Celebration Barn offers an immersive experience designed to give artists the opportunity to deepen their craft and build meaningful relationships with their collaborators.
In what follows, we have attempted to capture the experience and to address some of the logistics of taking an in-person workshop at the Barn. If you have questions or feedback, please send us an email at info@celebrationbarn.com.
The Campus
Celebration Barn occupies an eleven-acre campus located on the homeland of the Wabanaki, including the Abenaki, Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations, in what is today known as South Paris, Maine in the Oxford Hills region of the state.
Celebration Barn strives to be good caretakers of the land it occupies and to be a good neighbor to the more than human kin, including plants, animals, and fungi, with which it shares the earth and its resources. The campus includes walking trails that wind around its rolling hillside. There is also an apple orchard and other fruit-bearing plants that grow on the property. We encourage all artists at the Barn to enjoy the campus, both as a site of relaxation and a creative playground.
Performance Spaces and Studios
Celebration Barn has a number of performance and studio spaces that are used during the course of a given workshop.
The primary workspace is located on the first floor of the theater. The Barn’s founder, Tony Montarano, converted the horse barn, originally built in 1902, into a performance space in 1972. The theater has a wide proscenium stage and a fixed seating bank that seats up to one hundred and fifteen audience members, as well as lighting, sound, and projection systems. In addition, the theater has a long corridor that runs the length of the first floor.
The theater also has two studios on the third floor, including a large studio with mirrors, and another that houses the Barn’s collections of costumes, props, and other equipment. Throughout the second floor of the theater, there are smaller studio spaces and a reading room. In addition, the Barn has an outdoor stage.
Housing
The Barn offers housing to all artists, whether instructors or students. Students may choose a single or double-occupancy room. We have two different areas in which artists reside during their time at the Barn: the cabins and the farmhouse.
Solar-Powered Sleeping Cabins
Most students stay in one of the Barn’s four solar-powered sleeping cabins. Each student has their own twin-sized bed, nightstand, lamp, hooks, dresser drawers, and charging station. Because the solar-power charging stations are not optimized to charge electronic devices, especially overnight, we provide a charging station in the theater during workshops to keep your devices powered and connected.
Although the solar-powered cabins are neither heated nor air-conditioned, they are well insulated and a cross breeze provides energy-efficient cooling. The cabins are secured with a lock that requires a code.
Students staying in the cabins use the kitchen, bathrooms and showers located in the theater. For more information, see “Food and Meals” below.
The Farmhouse
Instructors and seasonal staff stay at the farmhouse, although we do sometimes house students in the farmhouse if the need arises. The farmhouse has two stories, each with a bathroom and kitchen.
Camping
Students may also choose to camp or tent. Those who select this option must provide all of their own outdoor equipment, as the Barn does not rent camping supplies. The workshop fee is the same whether one chooses to stay in a double-occupancy room or camp.
Bedding and Towels
The Barn offers students a bedding bundle, which includes twin-sized bedding, towels, and a washcloth. You may also bring your own sheets and towels. Feel free to email us with any housing questions at info@celebrationbarn.com.
Laundry
The Barn does not provide on-site laundry facilities. We do, however, have a clothesline. There is a laundromat located a short drive away in South Paris, which provides a drop-off service.
Food and Meals
To prepare their meals, students staying in the cabins have access to the Barn’s large, well-equipped kitchen, which has two stoves, refrigerators, freezers, a storage pantry, appliances, dishes, and utensils.
Students are responsible for bringing and purchasing their own food. The Barn will, however, help coordinate trips to the local grocery store, including a trip at 8:00 PM on the Sunday of arrival. In addition, students are typically able to order groceries and other provisions via Instacart and other food delivery apps. If students are driving to the Barn, we encourage them to bring food with them, so that the Barn can prioritize transporting people to the grocery store who arrived in Portland via air or train travel.
On the Sunday of arrival, the Barn often picks up food from a local restaurant where students are able to place an order. More details about this meal will be made available closer to the date of your workshop.
Both lunch and dinner will be scheduled as approximately ninety minute breaks, providing time for meal preparation and clean-up.
Arrival & Departure
Sunday of Arrival Schedule, all times are approximate:
- 2:00 PM – The shuttle picks up students from Portland Jetport and Transportation Center
- 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Students arrive
- 4:30 PM – The shuttle picks up students from Portland Jetport and Transportation Center
- 6:30 PM – Dinner
- 7:15 PM – Orientation
- 8:00 PM – Trip to the Grocery Store
Saturday of Departure Schedule:
- 7:00 AM – The shuttle to Portland Jetport and Transportation Center departs the Barn.
- 10:00 AM – All students depart the Barn’s campus by this time
Students taking back-to-back workshops may stay at the Barn over the weekend between the two workshops, provided they are courteous to our cleaning schedule as preparations are made for the following week.
Getting to the Barn
Please review our recommendations before booking your travel.
You are responsible for making all your travel arrangements, including shuttle reservations.
A taxi shuttle service between Portland and Celebration Barn will be offered on the Sunday of arrival and the Saturday of departure for a one time fee of $100. It is imperative that you reserve your spot on the shuttle at your earliest convenience and no later than one week prior to the beginning of the workshop.
Workshop Shuttle Times:
- Sunday (Arrival): The shuttle departs Portland at 2:00 PM & 4:30 PM
- Saturday (Departure): The shuttle departs Celebration Barn at 7:00 AM
Click here for more travel information.
Acceptance
When we receive your application and deposit, your information will be reviewed. We will notify you within seven days whether or not you are accepted into the workshop. Please do not book any travel prior to receiving this official confirmation email.
Age Requirement
In general, students must be eighteen years old to participate in a week-long, in-person workshop. Exceptions, however, can be made and are at the discretion of Celebration Barn staff.
Please note that no one under eighteen years old is allowed to stay overnight on the campus of Celebration Barn. Unfortunately, we do not make exceptions to this policy.
If you or your child are not yet eighteen years old and wish to apply to take an in-person workshop, please email info@celebrationbarn.com.
Children & Pets
Unfortunately, the Barn is not able to provide childcare and, thus, students are not able to bring their children to the Barn. We recognize that in some cases this makes it more difficult for people with caregiving responsibilities, and we are exploring options to lower this barrier in the future.
The Barn does not allow students, including those who are camping, to bring pets to the Barn.
Workshop Fees
A non-refundable deposit is due upon registration. The remainder is due on the day you arrive at the Barn. All payments must be in US currency.
Cancellation Policy
In the event that Celebration Barn needs to cancel a workshop for any reason, either prior to or during the workshop week, the student will be refunded 100 percent of their fees paid to the Barn, including non-refundable deposit.
If a student needs to cancel because they have tested positive for Covid-19, they will be refunded 100% of their fees paid to Celebration Barn, including the non-refundable deposit. In this case, the Barn requires proof of a positive Covid-19 test result.
If a student needs to cancel prior to the beginning of the workshop for any other reason, Celebration Barn will retain the non-refundable deposit. This deposit may be applied toward a workshop during the current or following season, whether in-person or online.
If a student needs to cancel or interrupt their participation after the workshop has begun, no refund will be given.
Note: Fees paid to Humanitix are non-refundable. Celebration Barn does not refund or reimburse for travel expenses for any reason.
WiFi and Cellular Service
There is WiFi in the theater and the farmhouse. There is no WiFi access in the cabins.
Most cell phone companies, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and more, provide reception at the Barn.
What to Bring
In addition to what has been covered above, such as bedding, here are some items that we recommend all students bring:
- A water bottle
- Warm clothing. It gets cold here, even in the summer.
- Cool clothing. It can also get hot!
- Rain gear. It also gets wet!
- Flashlight
- Small backpack/tote bag
- A swimsuit (there’s a lake only 10 minutes from the Barn!)
- We recommend bringing flip-flops or sandals for indoor spaces and a good pair of walking shoes for enjoying the outdoors.
- Props, costumes, music, scripts, and so on that you want to work with during the course of your training. Your instructor will inform you of any particular items you should bring for the workshop. We also have a large costume closet and various props on-site that you are welcome to use during your time here.