College life can feel like a blur of classes, group projects, work, competing deadlines and the occasional question of whether cereal counts as dinner and how long pizza can safely sit out on the counter and still be eaten.
This fall, we are creating a little space in the middle of all that for well-being.
ArtsRx UW is a new arts and well-being initiative from us at the Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT), a performing arts center and out-of-classroom learning lab in the Wisconsin Union at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The initiative’s new Well-Being Concert series invites UW–Madison students to step away from the daily demands of life and spend an hour with live music in community with peers.
The series begins Oct. 13 with a concert featuring Grammy-nominated vocalist, composer, actor and playwright Somi in the Play Circle Theater at Memorial Union. The concert is free and exclusively for current UW–Madison students. UW–Madison students can register for free tickets beginning on a to-be-announced date. Stay tuned to the event page for details.
A Different Kind of Concert
Our Well-Being Concert series is not a traditional sit-in-your-seat-and-face-the-stage experience.
There will be no stage separating Somi from the student audience. Students can choose a chair or settle onto the floor with provided cushions and pillows. We will fill the space with calm lighting.
A host will guide students into the experience of relaxation and connection, including with optional breathwork and intention-setting. This is an invitation to breathe, take a break from life’s stresses and be present with one another and in the live music experience.
Why We’re Making Space for Well-Being
We love the joy and community that happen when artists and audience members share a space. With ArtsRx UW, we are exploring how the qualities of live performance can also create intentional opportunities for pause and self-care.
The initiative is connected to a growing national movement called social prescribing. The idea behind social prescribing is simple but important: shared experiences, such as attending a concert, can play a meaningful role in supporting people’s health and well-being.
Our Well-Being Concerts are modeled after a series developed by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. The findings of a peer-reviewed study of Carnegie Hall’s inaugural Well-Being Concert highlighted relaxation, introspection and interpersonal connection among the ways attendees experienced the concerts.
This helps inform the idea behind ArtsRx UW: the arts can be one meaningful part of a community that supports well-being. Through collaboration with campus partners, we hope to further explore how the arts can contribute to a culture of student well-being.
Beginning with Somi
For the first Well-Being Concert, Somi will share her remarkable voice and artistry alongside her band.
The Midwestern daughter of immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda, Somi blends jazz, soul, and spoken word in her music. Her 2021 nomination for a Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy made her the first African woman nominated for a Grammy Award in any jazz category. Somi’s music often explores memory, identity, belonging and the connections between Africa and America.
For this hour, students’ only assignments are to be present and take time for themselves.
Time for Wellness
Join us for the first ArtsRx UW Well-Being Concert featuring Somi on Oct. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the Play Circle Theater on the second floor of Memorial Union.
The performance is free and only available to current UW–Madison students. A valid Wiscard and a ticket is required for entry.
This concert is hosted by the Wisconsin Union Theater and is created in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. The Well-Being Concert series at the Wisconsin Union Theater is presented with support from Abbott Labs in support of advancing student health and well-being.