The Dr. Phillips Center and Florida Hospital have announced a partnership to create an arts and wellness educational facility and program.
The already existing Dr. Phillips Center School of Arts will now be the Dr. Phillips Center Florida Hospital School of Arts & Wellness, in the hopes of creating a nationally leading center of excellence for performing arts and wellness education.
According to their press release, the Dr. Phillips Center Florida Hospital School of Arts & Wellness will integrate healthcare and therapeutic, educational programming into the literary, visual, dance/movement, music, and performing arts curriculum.
As part of the partnership, an Arts and Wellness Advisory Council comprised of five national and community leaders will be formed. Members include the CEO and President of the Dr. Phillips Center, a Florida Hospital representative, Margery Pabst-Steinmetz, a healthcare clinical specialist with arts and wellness expertise appointed by Florida Hospital, and a nationally recognized arts educator, administrator or philanthropist selected by Florida Hospital and the Dr. Phillips Center. In the first year the Council will develop a Strategic Plan that defines the programming for the arts center’s educational arts and wellness initiatives.
The goals of the School of Arts & Wellness include:
- To explore, integrate, and foster the ability of expressive, performing arts to further health, well-being, and quality of care for individuals, families and caregivers.
- To empower individuals, communities, and vulnerable populations with challenging conditions such as autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, trauma, chronic illness, mental health, anxiety disorders, age-related conditions, and other conditions, through direct and innovative performing arts-based programs and curriculum.
- To realize the potential of performing and expressive arts to further social change and public health.
