Our Story

In 2015, cofounders Katy Pfaffl and Ben Houghton met teaching music at the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project in Tamil Nadu, India. Both accomplished musicians, educators, and performers, they were inspired by the school's philosophy that one underserved child, given the same opportunities as other children, can break the cycle of systemic, generational poverty for themselves and many others. That belief pushed them to reimagine their own teaching: moving beyond the traditions of technical excellence in which they had been trained, and toward a pedagogy centered on the therapeutic, holistic, and transformative power of an arts education.

Katy and Ben returned to New York determined to ensure that the Shanti Bhavan community would have consistent, year-round access to the arts. So they called up a few of their Broadway friends, put on a benefit concert, and launched the Shanti Bhavan Music Fellowship — and Broadway for Arts Education was born.

They quickly discovered that the need for arts education wasn't only on the other side of the world; it was in their own backyard. New York City, the "cultural capital of the world," was full of public schools with little or no arts programming. With the generous support of the Dionne Foundation, BAE expanded into NYC Department of Education schools — and we haven't stopped growing since. Today, BAE serves hundreds of children each week across India, Haiti, the United States, and Morocco with classes in dance, music, theater, poetry, visual arts, and production, all grounded in a culturally responsive approach that helps young people find their creative voices and dismantle the barriers standing between them and their futures.