Creative Wellness Community Day” to Feature Music, Dance and More
Creative Wellness Community Day” to Feature Music, Dance and More
July 27 Event to Take Place at United Health Centers in Winston-Salem
WINSTON-SALEM, NC (JULY 18, 2024)—Arts For EveryBody, a nationwide initiative to bring together artists, civic leaders and community health providers to foster healthier communities, will hold a “Creative Wellness Community Day” in Winston-Salem on July 27. Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is 1 of 18 communities across the United States selected to be part of Arts for EveryBody. All 18 communities will hold events on July 27.
Led by local arts and health leaders, Winston-Salem and Forsyth County’s July 27 event will be held at United Health Centers, located at 2101 Peters Creek Parkway in the Marketplace Mall, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested by going to WSArtsforAll.org.
The local July 27 event in Winston-Salem will include traditional West African dance and djembe drumming, interactive creative spaces for youth and families, food trucks, and live performances highlighting local artists in a variety of disciplines. Free health screenings will be provided in addition to various health resource vendors, all in celebration of Winston-Salem’s commitment to health and wellness through the arts.
July 27 schedule:
10 to 10:30 a.m. Welcome
10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Traditional West African Dance and Drumming with the SUAH African Dance Theatre
Noon to 12:15 p.m. Dance performance by the 2024 Queen Juneteenth contestants
12:15 to 12:50 p.m. Community Voices Stage, hosted by singer/songwriter Londyn Burns, featuring skits by Drama TherOpy; spoken word by Love’ Lemon and Lynette Jones; songs by Zakiyyah Samuels; storytelling by Renee Andrews; and mediation with Mache Chach and RJ Walker.
1 to 2 p.m. Community Performance Stage, hosted by comedian Carla Simpson, featuring HipHop and Afrocentric dance performances by Joel Hurt and Jolie S. Dumay; Morning Light Choir; It’s for His Glory Seniors Dance Team; Curtis Brabham and Youth Rap; NC Brazilian Arts Project.
2 to 3 p.m. Finale featuring a fashion show presented by Dress for Success and Christaline Studios with musical performances by Phase Band and Ground Zero Band.
Programs in all 18 communities are being led by local artists, municipal officials and community health leaders, who are working together to create large-scale participatory arts projects that advance health, equity and community connections. In Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, the key collaborating organizations include five entities: Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, City of Winston-Salem Neighborhood Services, Forsyth County Health and Human Services, Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and United Health Centers.
In addition to Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, other communities that are part of the Arts For EveryBody cohort are Chicago; Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), Chicago; Edinburg, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; Harlan County, Kentucky; Hawai’i Island, Hawaii; Honolulu, Hawaii; Kansas City, Missouri; Oakland, California; Phillips County, Arkansas; Providence, Rhode Island; Rhinelander, Wisconsin; Seattle, Washington; The Bronx, New York; Tucson, Arizona; Utica, Mississippi and Washington, DC.
Arts For EveryBody is led by One Nation/One Project, a national arts and health initiative designed to activate the power of the arts to help repair the social fabric of America and heal the country’s communities. Participating in the arts reduces stress and loneliness, which are risk factors for a wide range of ailments, including hypertension and heart disease.
Arts for EveryBody is supported by research showing the substantial health benefits of arts participation, including a 63% lower risk of dementia, benefits comparable to weekly exercise, improved physical and mental health, and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, older adults who participate in the arts report a 48% lower risk of depression. There are also social benefits—young adults are more likely to stay in school and four out of five young adults who had arts rich experiences are more likely to vote.
