Arts & Health Collective

The Pabst Steinmetz Foundation is proud to support arts and wellness initiatives that impact and enhance the health and well being of our community.

Everyday there is more scientific evidence proving that the arts can enhance brain function and brain health and this supports the very core of our mission. Also, art has the potential to improve a person’s emotional well-being and their outlook on life.

At Chance 2 Dance, we believe dance is for everyBODY. Dance is a whole-person arts experience that contributes to full body proprioceptive input. Participating in dance positively benefits an individual’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Health and Wellness is at the forefront of our dance efforts as we use movement to help improve balance, focus, confidence, flexibility, stamina, endurance, coordination, agility and so much more!

Children with unique abilities greatly benefit from the positive impact of any form of art. The music and performing art session provided by CFCArts, our community partner, facilitates students’ social-emotional development, promotes their well-being, and enhances their learning experiences. CFCArts instructors always find creative ways to engage students in art activities and bring art and wellness to the classroom environment.

At Orlando Fringe, we believe having affordable and accessible opportunities to create and consume art is vital to the health of a community and its inhabitants. When as many people as possible are given a platform to tell their stories, the result is a vibrant, healthy, and empathetic community. All ticket sales during the Festival (over $446K in 2019) go directly to the producers, and Fringe keeps costs as low as possible to maximize their profits. The result of this process is that people who may not normally have an opportunity to produce due to financial concerns or limited experience are able to bring their art to over 75,000 Festival attendees. This creates a springboard for these producers to continue to create and grow, while simultaneously enriching and enhancing the culture of Central Florida and strengthening the overall health of the community.

Photo Credit: For the Stage Photography

With 15 years of experience, Joyful Music Therapy lives at the intersection of Art and Health. We promote wellness for all ages and stages of life by sharing meaningful musical experiences. Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address individuals’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients’ abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives.

Almost two million people in the United States have aphasia and nearly 180,000 acquire it each year, usually through stroke, head injury, or progressive disease. Aphasia hinders the ability to speak, understand, read, and write. People with Aphasia (PWA) and their caregivers consistently report that they confront not only a lack of awareness of aphasia, but also a lack of understanding of the condition. UCF’s School of Performing Arts is partnering with the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Department of Psychology to empower People with Aphasia (PWA) to develop self-advocacy through story sharing and to create an educational video (culled from those stories) designed to improve interactions with First Responders.

“Through the arts, our clients are able to have meaningful experiences every time they come to one of our Adult Day Centers. Our clients love to dance and sing, create works of art, or even have been known to write a poem. The arts are something present throughout our lives, so it shouldn’t stop when we get older or experience an illness associated with aging like dementia.”

– Richard Connor III; MT-BC, Director of Arts and Music Therapy

At Studio K, we focus each day on bringing the arts, as well as health and wellness to the members we serve! Whether a guest is trying to reconnect to a former passion for the arts, is a professional dancer, or is just looking for a positive and supportive environment to work on their health and fitness goals, Studio K helps to bring it all to life!