This page is dedicated to information for UF Health Greater Gainesville staff seeking Arts in Medicine services for their units or clinical teams.
We acknowledge that many folks have little to no arts experience, while some have active creative practices in their personal lives. The activities outlined here can be tailored to the abilities and interests of each team or unit. No experience is required to host or participate in the workshops.
About Our Offerings
Staff engagements are customized to the needs and interests of each group. Sessions are typically offered on the unit and are designed so staff can participate in about 15 min during an institutionally approved on-the-clock break, as we want to honor their uninterrupted 30 min meal break.
Offerings are usually scheduled during our typical work hours (9am–5pm M–F, Wednesdays 12-5pm). Some flexibility is possible. Let us know your unit or team’s needs and we will do our best to accommodate.
We offer a range of experiences across disciplines, all designed to be accessible and welcoming to people of any experience level, including none at all.
Explore examples by artistic modality below.
Menu of Offerings
Music
Group Sing Activity
Singing, humming, or just listening to music can have a positive effect on the brain and body. AIM music practitioners offer UF Health staff guided singing engagements that mimic a choral rehearsal but without the requirement of reading music or even knowing “how to sing”.
Low-stakes and introductory, no prior singing skills required.
Songwriting Workshop
Explore the art of songwriting with start-to-finish guidance and facilitation from AIM music practitioners.
Leave the workshop having written a song that is unique to your team or unit. No songwriting experience required.
Visual Art
Art-making Activities
Art-making in community is shown to boost mood and enhance connections. Our team can facilitate activities like collage, painting, and simple crafts to offer the chance to rest, connect, and get creative.
The studio or engagement space can be left open for an hour or more so staff can come and go as their schedules allow.
Creative Writing
Writing Activities
Easy creative writing prompts can disrupt routine, get the brain into a creative flow, and facilitate a range of atmospheres from fun and jovial to thoughtful and serene.
Examples of guided activities include
- Pen-to-Page Prompts: Participants read the prompt and guidelines and begin writing independently. Works well for groups of all sizes.
- Poetry Mosh Pit: Group word-building into a collective poem. Highly interactive for a fun atmosphere; Ideal for groups of 6+
- Listener-Poet: Shaping a participant’s spoken words into a written piece and reflecting it back. Ideal for groups of 4-6.
- Erasure Poetry: Creating new writing by selectively redacting existing text. Also known as “Blackout Poetry”. Ideal for groups of all sizes.
Movement
Mindful Movement
For an opportunity to reset and unwind, AIM offers guided yoga or tai chi for staff with a range of experience. Beginners welcome. Yoga mats can be provided, if needed.
Sessions can be 10-30 minutes as desired, and be offered on a rotating basis over the span of an hour to allow all staff to participate. Drop-ins can also be accommodated.
No yoga or tai chi experience required. Closed-toed shoes and loose/stretchy clothing is encouraged for comfort and ease of movement.
Dance
Let an AIM dancer infuse fun and playfulness into your team’s day with an easy-to-follow dance activity.
Start with a gentle warm-up to awaken the body-brain connection. Then, teams may choose to follow a structured, pre-choreographed sequence of movements. Or get creative and offer simple movements based on prompts from the facilitator(s).
Ideal for groups of 2-12. No dance experience required. Closed-toed shoes and loose/stretchy clothing is encouraged for comfort and ease of movement.
Interested in hosting an Arts in Medicine-led activity for your team?
Use the Special Event Request Form to submit your request.
Please provide as much notice and detail as possible.