Roundtable members are invited to join us at Ballet Hispánico for an IN-PERSON event with OASP’s new Executive Director. Moderated by Roundtable Board Co-Chair Gary Padmore, this conversation will touch on the history of the office and how it influences Paul’s vision for its future. The conversation will also include discussion about the larger role that OASP can play in harnessing the holistic value of the arts to provide creative and healing opportunities for students and schools. Q&A with attendees will follow.
Prior to the conversation, this event will feature a movement activation by Ballet Hispánico and light refreshments. Please scroll to the bottom of the page for more information on accessibility and COVID-19 protocols.
Please note: Due to limited capacity, this event is currently open to members of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable and is limited to no more than two attendees per organization. Individual members may only reserve one spot for themselves. You must log-in to your Roundtable account before registering for this event. Please don’t hesitate to contact Programming & Membership Manager, Kinsey Keck, with any questions (kkeck@nycaieroundtable.org).
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Already a Roundtable member? Register for this event at the link below.
Meet Paul Thompson
In the Fall of 2022 Paul J. Thompson was selected as the new Executive Director of the Office of Arts and Special Projects which oversees arts instruction for the New York City Department of Education’s 1.1 million school children. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Mr. Thompson spent seventeen years serving as the principal of the Urban Assembly School of Music and Art (UAMA), a non-screen title-one public arts high school that he founded in 2005 located in DUMBO, Brooklyn. In this role, he designed and implemented all aspects of the school including curriculum and instruction, arts programming, and youth development. Most recently, his work in conjunction with the Bard Early College established the Bard Early College Academy @ UAMA, where UAMA students can earn college credits while taking classes with Bard Early College professors on-site at UAMA.
Thompson was a 2016-17 Chancellor’s Fellow and participated in the New York City Department of Education’s Advanced Leadership Institute. He previously completed the New York City Leadership Academy’s Aspiring Principals Program Cohort II and was a founding teacher at both the Bard High School Early College, and the High School for Contemporary Arts. Thompson started his career in education teaching music to incarcerated youth for the non-profit, War Child.
Meet Gary Padmore
Gary Padmore currently serves as the Vice President of Education and Community Engagement at the New York Philharmonic, bringing with him decades of experience in education and community work. Prior to the Philharmonic, he was the Director of Education & Community at Orchestra of St. Luke’s where he created a concert series celebrating works by composers of color, doubled enrollment in its youth orchestra program, and increased school and community partnerships. Gary also led education programs at Midori & Friends and Brooklyn Philharmonic, served as an adjunct lecturer at Queens College, and was a teaching artist at several local organizations. As a steward of symphonic music and arts education, Gary sits on the boards of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable and The Dream Unfinished: an activist orchestra. A trumpet player and native New Yorker, Gary has degrees from Queens College and Mannes School of Music. He was named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year in 2019.
About the NYC Department of Education Office of Arts & Special Projects
The DOE Office of Arts and Special Projects is the content, pedagogical, and program leads for arts education for all 1,700 NYC public schools (PreK-12, all five boroughs). Rooted in the Blueprints for Teaching and Learning in the Arts, the office leads arts teacher professional development, instructional resource creation, school supports, and city-wide student programming to support equity and universal access to a robust and sequential arts education for every student. The office works in partnership with NYC’s rich arts and cultural community to support partnerships, including millions of dollars of grants each year to support arts services in schools.
About Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico’s three main programs — the Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships — bring communities together to celebrate the multifaceted Latinx diasporas. Ballet Hispánico’s New York City headquarters provide the physical home and cultural heart for Latine dance in the United States. Through its exemplary artistry, distinguished training program, and deep-rooted community engagement, Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies Hispanic voices in the field.
The Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) programs are the heart of our mission to increase access to dance through community outreach, engagement, and education. CAP programs include dance and Latinx culture workshops, Performances for Young People, school-day and after-school dance residencies, and the Diálogos panel discussion series. CAP enriches communities through culturally relevant and sustaining methodologies, bringing dance pedagogy opportunities to tens of thousands annually at home in NYC and around the globe.
