WAMFest 2026: ARTS in Health
FDU and ARTS By the People are hosting Words, Arts, and Music Festival (WAMFest), a two-day festival of creative workshops and performances designed to engage nursing, psychology and allied health students at the University as well as regional health workers while encouraging collaboration with FDU’s arts communication and humanities programs.
The festival will be held on Wednesday, April 8, and on Thursday, April 9, at the Florham Campus. Workshops will be limited to 20 participants and RSVP is necessary. Admission is free.
The list of events and activities is as follows:
April 8, Wednesday
Lenfell Hall, Hennessy Hall
Check-in — 9–9:30 a.m.
Fiber Arts Workshop, “Stitching Together” — 9:30–11 a.m.
Samantha Dooley, behavioral health clinician, Morris County Sexual Assault Center (Atlantic Health System)
Basic hand-sewing techniques to prevent secondary trauma. Learn about secondary trauma and techniques to manage it by sewing, creativity, breathwork and relaxation.
Break — 11–11:30 a.m.
Collage Workshop, “Finding Comfort Through Conversation and Collage” — 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Gwen Charles, multidisciplinary artist
Participants discuss sentiments on their wellbeing, take time to breathe together and create collages to explore ideas of comfort and rest. Each participant will leave with their collage and a limited-edition artist print from Gwen Charles.
Lunchtime Presentation (By Invitation Only), “Stories in Motion,” — 1–2:30 p.m.
Paul Rabinowitz, writer, photographer and founder, ARTS By the People; Kelly Guerrero, freelance dance, choreographer and arts administrator; and Micaela Camacho-Tenreiro, poet, dancer, translator and StoryCorps facilitator.
Poetry Workshop, “Living in the Fractures: Writing Poetry as Self-care” — 2:30–4 p.m.
Moriah Cohen, certified listener poet
Future medical professionals will use imagery and figurative language to write poetry about their challenges. By exploring life’s “fractures,” participants will find new ways to process and make sense of their experiences.
Break —4–6 p.m.
Buffet and Refreshments — 6–7 p.m.
The Platform, Lively Open Mic — 7–9:30 p.m.
Hosted by Micaela Camacho-Tenreiro, poet, dancer, translator and StoryCorps facilitator, with David Daniel, FDU professor of creative writing and director, MA in creative writing and literature for educators
First-time writers and published authors are welcome to share original poetry or prose. Each reader will be allotted three to five minutes (depending on number of sign-ups) on the mic. Registration not required for attendees.
April 9, Thursday
Hassan Orangerie, Monninger Center for Learning and Research
Horticultural Therapy Workshop, “Understanding Nature’s Impact on Health and Well-being” — 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Anne Meore, horticultural therapist
Explore the manner by which nature serves as a source of healing and restoration. Participants engage in creating a restorative desktop garden and understand the foundational concepts that support wellness through nature engagement.
Lunchtime Presentation (By Invitation Only) — 1–2:30 p.m.
Tara Rynders, nurse, dancer, artist and scholar
Movement/Storytelling Workshop, “The Clinic” — 2:30–4 p.m.
Tara Rynders, nurse, dancer, artist and scholar
Using movement, storytelling and play as medicine, participants will experience what it feels like to receive care and practice collective care in community, leaving with tangible practices for sustaining resilience.
Buffet Dinner and Keynote — 4:30–6 p.m.
“In the Belly of the Whale,” keynote by Thomas Dooley, inaugural resident poet, University of California San Diego’s Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, and program manager for humanistic medicine, Atlantic Health System
Performance, “Stories in Motion: What Does Empathy Mean to You?” — 6–7:30 p.m.
Paul Rabinowitz, writer, photographer and founder, ARTS By the People; Kelly Guerrero, freelance dance, choreographer and arts administrator; and Micaela Camacho-Tenreiro, poet, dancer, translator and StoryCorps facilitator.
Culminating participatory performance at intersection of listening, movement and storytelling, with ARTS By The People teaching artists will guide exploration of empathy. Registration not required.
For information go to WAMFest Arts in Health.