Dance4life
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Countries

In this part you will find information about the countries which actively participate.

Countries United Kingdom / United Kingdom

United Kingdom


The UK has joined the Dance4Life movement as well! To unify young people, empowering and enabling them to break down silence & taboos around HIV AND AIDS. "The innovative approach of Dance4Life covers all aspects of youth culture; their icons, their media, and their favourite music and dance."

Dance4Life UK aims to:

  • raise awareness amongst young British people of the global HIV and AIDS pandemic and its link to poverty and justice
  • raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in the UK, enabling them to make informed choices about their own health
  • empower you to become an Agent of Change – a motivated advocate, campaigner, fundraiser and peer educator

Does this sound interesting to you? Check out their myspace page!

2007

In 2007 there are going to beSkills4Life in the schools covering the topics: HIV and Poverty, Access to Treatment, and being Agents of Change. And of course lots of planning for 2008 to include more schools in Schools4Life and to have a huge Event at the end of 2008!

2006

For the first time in the UK, Dance4Life toured schools across the UK giving 90 minute interactive workshops. The workshop used drumming, music, video and dance to inform students about the HIV and AIDS pandemic and more importantly what they can do to help tackle it.

Dance4Life UK has 22 schools who signed up to take part. They started on 30 October in far flung Torquay! Visiting an average of two schools each day the tour team worked hard to reach out to as many young people as they could; an estimated 4,600 young people in total.

Reactions to Schools4Life:
“Everyone who took part was buzzing from the Dance 4 Life session. I think they all really enjoyed the 'hands-on' nature of Dance4Life - it's an excellent way of putting the message across in a more entertaining way. It was a fantastic opportunity for the year 12's, and we are hoping that they will be able to pass the message down to other year groups through assemblies and the like…I know the students gained so much from the experience and as a school we feel honoured to be a part of such a huge and worthwhile movement.” Naomi, Newport, Wales

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of everyone that was involved on Monday as it was simply an amazing experience. The team were brilliant and were an absolute asset to the Dance4Life organisation. The dancing was great and everbody thoroughlly enjoyed it.” Leonie, Head of school team, Torquay.

“There is a real buzz in school and the kids involved are full of it.”
Gillean, organising teacher, Birmingham.

On the tour Dance4Life UK has:
SPW representative - Caroline Kippen is SPW’s Global Education Coordinator and is taking up the role of tour manager.
RedZebra – four dance facilitators from RedZebra will travel with us on parts of the tour – all experienced dance facilitators they are going to motivate the young people to take part in the workshops and feel united together and with other young people across the country.
Dingase Mvula & Richard Wanzala – visiting the UK from Zambia and Uganda, Dingase and Richard will be fresh off the Student Stop AIDS Speaker tour.
Dingase is a trained peer educator and counsellor actively engaged in peer education initiatives to raise awareness about HIV through school, as a volunteer with the YMCA, as a qualified teacher and volunteering full time on SPW Zambia’s 11 month programme.
Richard became personally involved with the fight to stop AIDS when his uncle died from an AIDS related illness in 1994. A graduate from Makerere University he went on to volunteer as a peer educator for SPW Uganda. He is currently working in support of SPW Uganda’s programme and is studying part time, researching gender issues through the Centre for Basic Research.
Ian Sperring & Tommy Prowse
Dance4Life UK is thrilled to introduce their newest members of the team. Both Ian and Tommy are HIV+ and are coming to talk about their personal experience of living with HIV in the UK. They are hoping to get young people to address stigma and discrimination in their communities. Ian is a member of the Terrance Higgins Trust Speakers Bureau and Tommy is a director for Health Initiatives’ new London drop in centre.

Want to know about the organisation in the UK? Check the National Concept Owner (NCO) of the UK here.

More information for schools can be downloaded here.