Arts Education Expert to Visit Durham

On March 27, he will lead a session from 9 to 11 a.m. for principals, vice principals and PTA leaders on arts in the school curriculum. The session at Durham Public Schools' Staff Development Center, 2107 Hillandale Road, will be open to the public.

At noon, Booth will speak at a luncheon for business and civic leaders on the role arts education can play in economic development. Later in the day, he will conduct a workshop for Durham Public Schools arts teachers.

Booth is the faculty chair of The Empire State Partnership, the largest arts-in-education experiment in the nation. An award-winning actor and producer, he is a frequent contributor on CNN and NBC television. He holds an M.F.A. in dramatic arts from Stanford University and is artistic director of the mentoring program at The Julliard School in New York City.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the educators and business leaders of Durham to learn from one of the most innovative minds in arts education today,” said Meredythe Holmes, chair of the Education Committee of the Durham Cultural Master Plan Advisory Board. “We’re excited to have him share his knowledge of the benefits of arts education on children’s academic and social development as well as present the most up-to-date research in the field."