“City Lights started City Lights North 20 years ago,” Duggan Hill said in a recent email. “We took a dilapidated property 231 Broadway in Farmington and put on a new roof and repaired the Old State Theatre, which was also the Oddfellows Hall. The rehab was a major investment of money and time, but we feel it is worth it.”

“It is very important for us to provide a professional training experience to those kids who can not afford such an education,” Hill’s email continued. “With this education they can be on equal footing with those who can afford such an education. We offer a free performing arts summer camp to all Maine kids. We bring eight to 10 kids from Boston up to teach and we bring 4 Professional Performers to teach from Boston as well for each camp.”

In a later email, Hill gave more background on how Maine Studio City Lights North came to be.

Partner Tiane Donahue after teaching 20 years at Northeastern University decided to take the job of directing the writing program at UMF, he noted. “She was very enthused by there being so many students being the first in their families attending College.

“She was going to buy a small home and then saw the dilapidated State Theatre which was for sale by the Masons,” he continued. “The Masons building was in desperate need of repair including a new roof, new furnaces, boilers and bathrooms, and after 20 years will need the roof replaced again.”

Tiane fell in love with the State Theatre and thought kids from Boston would love Maine and to meet and interact with Maine children, a new and fulfilling experience, Hill wrote.

Boston City Lights brings 10 to 12 youth from Boston who are ready, who are good examples and have learned to teach, Hill noted. A large focus is to teach all to teach, he continued.

“Our kids help to teach kids in Maine as well,” Hill wrote. “Our kids are an example of the professional level. Our older teachers were students and are now professionals in their fields, we keep them in area hotels.”

Camp runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a half hour for lunch at noon. Local children should bring lunch, but will be provided if one isn’t available. All COVID-19 restrictions will be required.

“All students are welcome as long as they are willing to work hard and focus,” Hill wrote. “It’s basically self-selection–those not interested in the hard work usually we don’t see again.

“This year’s focus is as always singing, dancing, acting, fencing with all elements in the final show,” he continued. “Some graffers from Artists for Humanity will be coming to teach graffiti. What is very important is that City Lights uses the music and dance forms currently popular with our children and then slowly exposes them to learning all forms of dance and vocal that they may have never appreciated. So that changes each year with the times.”

Boston City Lights started in 1979 when Hill, a successful, professional dancer and choreographer performing with his dance troupe in cities around the country, returned to his home in Boston with a vision: to create a free, performance arts studio theater and education center for young, disadvantaged kids living in the Boston area.

According to a history of Boston City Lights, Braun Duggan Hill, Hill’s son, grew up in, and with, the Boston City Lights. Braun recently assumed the role of Director of Boston City Lights, taking over from his father and beginning a new chapter in the life and mission of the Boston City Lights. Like his father, he brings his own unique vision and energy to the City Lights, along with his commitment and dedication to kids.

Hill and Donahue are currently in Paris setting up a tour for City Lights Children, its fourth two-week performance and class tour, Hill wrote. The last two tours took students from Maine, he noted.

This year City Lights North began the first winter camp and the kids learned to ski at Titcomb as well as their performing arts intensive, Hill wrote.

To register or for more information, call 207-778-9114.

“I just want all the families to know that this is here for them,” Duggan Hill wrote.