Building a Vibrant Workforce Through Arts in Education
Joining with 20 cities nationwide, the Arts Fund is hosting the MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series in Atlanta this spring. Presenting new research and advancing the knowledge of how the arts to develop the workforce of tomorrow, the Arts Fund will bring national thinkers together with local leaders for forums with the Atlanta community. This is your chance to join a national discussion and hear from innovative experts in education and the arts. Register online now.

The Value of the Arts in the Workplace
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
5:00PM Reception // 6:00-7:30PM Program
Theatrical Outfit, Balzer Theatre at Herren's

A talk by Eric Booth, actor, author, businessman, professor at Juilliard and Stanford and renowned speaker on the value of arts in education and building a creative workplace. Booth wll be introduced by Dr. Beverly Hall, the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools.

PROGRAM

Research affirms that learning in the arts makes a real difference to workplace preparedness. Many employers swear by the reliable value of employees with arts backgrounds or even ongoing amateur arts practices. Why is this so? What does arts learning embed in a young person that translates into workplace effectiveness?

Explore these questions with Eric Booth who has lived that interface between arts and business, and who has designed training programs for artists at conservatories and in programs across the country.

Having started and run an extremely successful small business (a trend analysis publishing company with a staff of 13 artists), and been a nationally syndicated futurist, Booth will illuminate the overlooked essential skills, attitudes and habits of mind from the arts that make a distinctive difference in business.

A wider investment in these skills could provide a company with a crucial competitive advantage--it could be true nationally and internationally. No, the U.S. can't beat most foreign countries for cheap manufacturing or service sector labor, but the invisible skills of art can reinvigorate the entrepreneurial and creative competitiveness that led the U.S. into economic leadership.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Eric Booth

As an actor, Eric Booth performed in many plays on Broadway, Off-Broadway and around the country. As a businessman, he started a small company, Alert Publishing, that in seven years became the largest of its kind in the U.S. analyzing research on trends in American lifestyles. He was a frequent public spokesperson on trends with three books and regular appearances on CNN, NBC and in major print media. As an author, he has had four books published. His most recent, The Everyday Work of Art won three awards and was a Book of the Month Club selection.  He has written dozens of magazine articles, has a column in Chamber Music magazine, and was the Founding Editor of the new quarterly Teaching Artist Journal.

In arts learning, he is currently on the faculty of Juilliard, and has taught at Stanford University, NYU, Tanglewood and Lincoln Center Institute (for 25 years), and he has given classes for every level from kindergarten through graduate school; he has given workshops at over 30 universities, and 60 cultural institutions. He started the Art and Education program at Juilliard, and now leads Juilliard's new Mentor Program. He has designed and led over twenty research projects, and seven online courses and workshops.

Booth was the Faculty Chair of the Empire State Partnership program for three years (the largest arts-in-education project in America), and held one of six chairs on The College Board’s Arts Advisory Committee for seven years. He serves as a consultant for many organizations, cities and states and businesses around the country—including seven of the nation's ten largest orchestras. Formerly the Director of the Teacher Center of the Leonard Bernstein Center (now on the Board of Directors), he is a frequent keynote speaker on the arts to groups of all kinds.

Dr. Beverly Hall

Under her leadership, standardized test scores have risen, aging facilities have been renovated and a new blueprint for business operations is being implemented. The district’s vision is that by the end of the 2007-08 school year, Atlanta Public Schools will be one of the nation’s highest performing urban school district with 100 percent of schools meeting or exceeding 70 percent of their annual growth targets.

In addition to setting an aggressive reform agenda to accelerate student success, Dr. Hall has also worked actively with the community to gain support for public education in the city of Atlanta. She has developed relationships with the business community, civic organizations, non-profits and government leaders. As a result, APS has an extensive network of “partners” that donate time, resources and volunteers to help individual schools.

Click here to buy your tickets now.

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MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants are made to support health, educational, civic and cultural organizations and programs. Recognizing the vital role the arts play in building communities and educating young people, MetLife Foundation provides grants to cultural organizations throughout the country. Support is emphasized for opportunities to bring cultural experiences to wider audiences and for projects with large and diverse audiences that help promote greater understanding among different cultures and bring communities together. For more information about the Foundation, please visit its website at www.MetLife.org.

The forum is made possible through the generous support of MetLife Foundation and is part of the Arts & Business Council of Americans for the Arts' MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series.

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