No thanks to Covid-19, the Australian architecture and design industry’s biggest mental-health fundraising event has had a hiatus. But it’s time to dust off your dancing shoes and pull your costumes out of storage, because Dance For Life is back!

With Mental Health Week upon us, what better time to announce the comeback of Dance For LIFE – the event bringing together the architecture and design industry to raise money for ReachOut.

The dance competition sees creative colleagues from across Sydney’s design industry form teams to compete with each other, raising money for Australia’s leading online youth mental health service.

For a generation of young people that are more physically isolated than any before as a result of global lockdowns, supporting Australia’s most accessed online youth mental health service couldn’t come at a more important time. ReachOut offers specific resources for young people and their parents and teachers who are struggling during lockdowns. Furthermore, suicide is the leading cause of death among young people, which means ensuring there are trusted online sources for mental health support is crucial. The free service, available anytime and almost anywhere, is literally a life-saving platform.

All the money raised from Dance For Life goes towards ReachOut. Since its inception in 2012, Dance for LIFE has raised hundreds of thousands for ReachOut as well as much needed awareness for the services they offer for young people experiencing mental health difficulties, as well as the support they offer their parents. The 2017 Icons Of Music themed event saw WMK take out both top prizes for the dance competition and for raising the most money. In 2018, Hassell took out the major dance prize in front of an audience of over 900 people at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, with Vivid providing a stunning backdrop.

After an almost two year hiatus, the anticipation for next year’s event is at an all time high. Scheduled for July, Dance For Life 2022 will be held at The Roundhouse with a re-boot of the Jungle theme that was originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to Covid-19.

Hesitant because you’ve got no dance experience? There’s no need to worry. The team at Dance for LIFE, thanks to the amazing support from all their sponsors and organising partner Haworth, will provide your team with your own professional choreographer; all you need to bring are your shoes and lots of energy.

Now’s the time! Gather up six to ten colleagues, make sure your shoes are shined, and get ready to commence choreography sessions and kick off the fundraising. Once you’ve got your team together get in touch with Dance for LIFE’s founder + organiser Megan Byrne or Haworth’s Natalie Olsson.

Dance For LIFE 2022
When: TBC – July 2022
Where: The Roundhouse, UNSW
What you need: 6-10 colleagues, decent shoes, good costumes and exuberant energy.
Dfl-danceforlife.com
danceforlife.syd@gmail.com

ReachOut
au.reachout.com

Looking for extra mental health resources? Take a look at ReachOut’s Checking in with yourself quiz and 5 Ways to Wellbeing. If you need someone to talk to immediately, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.