Dansa för livet, a school project that began at Polhemskolan in Lund, now involves schools in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Kenya, as well as Åland. Dance is used as a shared activity and a starting point for conversations about mental health. This school year, the project team hopes to visit a Finnish school and meet more participants there.
What happened?
The project began in 2021 and became national in 2023. Soon after the first national edition, the team was contacted by the Kenyan organisation Diplomats for Health In Resilient Community, which works with young people’s mental health. The Kenya collaboration continues while schools in Finland, Åland and Denmark also participate.
Four teachers lead the work. Two teach psychology among other subjects, while the group also covers physical education and health, entrepreneurship, science, civics and Swedish. This range reflects the combination of physical activity, pupil engagement and conversation.
Location
Lund, Skåne län
Impact and significance
Dansa för livet starts from the idea that conversations about wellbeing do not always need to begin with words. Movement or a shared activity can first create contact and community, after which experiences can be discussed. Project representatives describe dance as a way to bring pupils together across languages and borders.
The article presents the schools’ approach and ambitions. It does not report a controlled study of dance’s effects on mental illness and should not be read as suggesting that the project replaces professional support or healthcare.
Background
According to the project, international contacts have shown schools facing similar questions around youth mental health even when education systems and methods differ. Its stated short-term ambition is to involve the whole Nordic region. The vision of reaching the rest of the world is longer-term and not an agreed timetable.
The team identifies continued engagement from pupils and colleagues as the basis for the initiative’s growth from one school.
Latest update
Lund Municipality published the international update on 8 September. Participation already exists in the locations named, while a visit to Finland during the school year is still described as a hope. The current activity should be distinguished from the project’s future goals.
Sources
Related analysis
Reviewed: 2026-09-08. Independent editorial content. WUA Sverige is not affiliated with any political party.