Arts & Wellbeing at the Kennedy Center is an expanded focus on the intersection of art and science.
In collaboration with partners at The National Institutes of Health, the Sound Health Network, and beyond, Arts & Wellbeing brings together ideas from across the arts and culture sector to highlight how art inspires and benefits our everyday lives.
By partnering with scientists, researchers, doctors, and artists, Arts & Wellbeing programming helps us understand and advance scientific research, while giving us all creative tools to enhance our health—mind, body, and spirit.
Illustration by Jovaney Hollingsworth
Sound Health Network
Dance for Parkinson’s Disease
Oct. 20, 2025 - Jun. 22, 2026
Join local Dance for Parkinson’s Disease certified instructor Lucy Bowen for free classes where participants are empowered to explore movement and music in ways that are refreshing, enjoyable, stimulating and creative.
The Sound Health Network, a partnership between the Kennedy Center and National Institute of Health in association with the National Endowment of the Arts, brings together scientists, music therapists, artists, and the public to explore music’s impact on the brain, health, and wellness.
The Fulbright / Kennedy Center Fellowship for Performing Arts & Science, a component of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, provides an opportunity for a Fulbright visiting scholar to connect with artists, staff, educators, and audiences at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This fellowship is made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the Kennedy Center’s departments of International Programming and Arts and Wellbeing.
The Kennedy Center x Your Brain On Art is part of the Arts and Wellbeing series that puts center stage the findings from the bestselling book Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us.
This series of workshops, performances, and gatherings focus on three facets of the book—Mental Wellbeing, Community Building, and Flourishing—sharing the science of the arts and bringing its impact on our health and wellbeing into practice.
19-episode series on the intersection of music, neuroscience, and healthcare.
Research and resources on music and childhood development.
Explore our Digital Stage video library of Sound Health Network content.
Arts-centered, standards-based resources for the classroom.
A selection of articles covering current approaches to arts integration in the classroom.
PreK-2 teachers make mindfulness thrive in the classroom when they integrate WORD Movement and practice conscious media selection.
Watch highlights from the 2023 Surgeon General’s Medallion Celebration at the Kennedy Center.
