PAC NYC Introduces New Education, Artistic, and Family Programs

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The expanded programming will bring PAC NYC directly into New York City high schools while also introducing new opportunities for younger audiences and families.

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The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) has revealed a significant expansion of its commitment to New York City’s youth through a slate of new education, artistic, and family-focused programs. Led by Executive Director Khady Kamara Nunez and Artistic Director Bill Rauch , the initiative advances PAC NYC’s mission to enrich the lives of New Yorkers through meaningful engagement with the arts.

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The expanded programming will bring PAC NYC directly into New York City high schools while also introducing new opportunities for younger audiences and families to experience artmaking together at the Center.

Under the leadership of Director of Education and Civic Alliances Jocelyn de Freitas, PAC NYC will deepen their institutional commitment to arts education and launch “Stories to Stages,” its inaugural education program for NYC public high school students in the ’26-’27 academic year.

At each participating school, this education programming will focus on student-led devising, where teaching artists will guide students in forming a collaborative theater ensemble, help them develop the stories they want to tell on stage and learn all how all elements of theatrical production come together, including staging, lighting, and sound.

Participating students will grow the skills to write and perform their own piece of collaborative, multidisciplinary theater based on their lives, interests, and artistic impulses. Each residency will culminate in a public presentation. They will also attend PAC NYC performances, engage with guest artists, and be introduced to theater careers through meaningful, staff-led pre-professional experiences.

This work is an extension of the center’s Civic Alliances work, reflecting the ongoing mission to build collaborations with communities. PAC NYC’s anchor alliances are the Borough of Manhattan Community College, Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, Interfaith Center of New York City, The New York Immigration Coalition; and a foundational alliance with the Lenape Center.

Through these collaborations, PAC NYC works closely with organizations that serve diverse communities across the city, ensuring its programs reflect and amplify the voices and experiences of New Yorkers.

Family arts, crafts and fun at PAC NYC. July 11, 2026 – January 2, 2027

PAC NYC invites its youngest audiences to Creativity Days, a new series of family-friendly art-making classes for ages 6–11. Held on select Saturdays from 11 a.m.–1 p.m., these interactive workshops celebrate the creativity and curiosity of young participants while offering children and families an engaging way to deepen their connection to the arts beyond the stage.

Across the series, PAC NYC’s youngest audiences and budding artists will work on a new project, with new materials, and new ways to see the world.

Each session is led by a resident teaching artist Paloma Nicholas, a bilingual museum educator whose programming credits include MoMA, The Met, the Whitney, the Morgan Library, and the Hammer Museum. Participants will work with a wide range of materials and techniques, including printmaking with flowers and natural pigments, sculpting with air-dry clay, building mobiles and kites, designing miniature worlds from found objects, and creating seasonal pieces like leaf lanterns and beaded suncatchers.

“Creativity Days” reflects PAC NYC’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists and audiences by making creativity accessible, participatory, and central to everyday cultural life.

Turn flowers and leaves into colorful works of art! In this hands-on printmaking workshop, children will explore the art of flower pounding by transferring natural pigments and textures onto paper and fabric. Young artists will experiment with organic materials while learning basic printmaking techniques, color layering, observation skills, and creative composition. A sensory-rich class perfect for curious makers and nature lovers alike! Activity materials: Flowers (various), wood blocks, paper, fabric.

Our young artists will design whimsical hanging mobiles using found objects and handmade treasures. Participants will learn how artists create movement, balance, and structure while developing problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, and creative engineering techniques. This playful workshop encourages experimentation, imagination, and movement through art. Activity materials: Wire, beads, buttons, paper, scissors, cardboard, glue, string.

Let creativity take flight! In this workshop, children will build and decorate their own kites while learning the basics of aerodynamic design and shape. Young artists will explore how form, balance, and movement work together while strengthening fine motor skills, creative thinking, and hands-on construction techniques. A perfect blend of art, science, and outdoor fun! Activity materials: Paper, scissors, glue, markers, wood sticks.

Celebrate the colors of fall by creating glowing lanterns decorated with pressed leaves and seasonal foliage. Children will explore layering, transparency, and natural textures while developing design skills and creative confidence. This cozy seasonal workshop encourages mindfulness, observation, and appreciation for the natural world. Activity materials: Paper, scissors, glue, markers, wood sticks, battery powered LED tea lights, leaves.

What if a tiny world could fit inside a small box? In this imaginative collage workshop, children will transform Altoid tins into miniature environments using paper, found materials, and mixed media collage techniques. Participants will strengthen storytelling skills, spatial thinking, and creative problem solving while building magical pocket-sized scenes full of personality and surprise. Activity materials: Paper, scissors, glue, markers, Altoid box, stickers.

Get into the holiday spirit with handmade clay ornaments! Children will learn basic clay-building techniques using air-dry clay and simple sculpting tools to create unique seasonal decorations. This tactile workshop helps develop fine motor skills, patience, creativity, and three-dimensional thinking while encouraging children to make meaningful handmade keepsakes. Activity materials: Air dry clay, clay sculpting tools (plastic, child friendly), ribbon, string.

Design and build tiny dream homes using clay, found objects, and natural materials! In this imaginative sculpture class, children will create miniature architectural worlds while learning about structure, texture, and creative construction. Participants will strengthen storytelling abilities, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving skills through playful hands-on experimentation. Activity materials: Air dry clay, clay sculpting tools (plastic, child friendly), ribbon, string, leaves, wood, glue, hot glue gun (by lead artist).

Brighten the winter season with sparkling handmade suncatchers! Children will learn the basics of simple wiring and beadwork while designing colorful hanging artworks that catch and reflect light. This workshop encourages focus, pattern-making, hand-eye coordination, and creative expression through playful experimentation with color and texture. Activity Materials: Wire, beads, paper, glue.

PAC NYC’s annual Family Day is a free, fun-filled open house for all ages with engaging activities that explore the magic of the arts. The event brings together local families and artists of all ages with a day of indoor and outdoor performances, parades, live music, dance, interactive creation stations, food trucks freestyle soccer, facepainting, and bubble artists.

At Family Day, PAC NYC welcomes audiences of all ages to immerse themselves in the dynamic world of the performing and visual arts. Now in its second year, PAC NYC is committed to celebrate the stories, voices, and cultures of the city with New York families. PAC has solidified this commitment through the commission and development of three new works by artists Tei Blow , Greg Corbino , Laurie Berg and Amy Khoshbin, all to premiere May 30.

Saturday, May 30, 10am-4pm

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/PAC-NYC-Unveils-New-New-Education-Artistic-and-Family-Initiatives-20260520)._