Ottawa will be holding its first Hip Hop Theatre Festival this winter, showcasing the contributions the unique lyrical form has had on Canadian and global culture.
The festival will focus on lyrical traditions such as battle rap, spoken word, and staged reading, as well as more traditional concerts. The festival will kick off with a free show called “the Cypher”, in which local MCs jam together and spontaneously riff of each other’s verses.
Performances throughout the festival will include creative works such as the multidisciplinary “Freedom: A Mixtape”; spoken word event “The Old Black Maple”; “Twisted”, a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist; and the one-man production “Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera.”
The line up also includes concerts from emerging Canadian artists Asuquomo, S.O.A.P., DijahSB and Charmaine, as well as a panel discussion with the Hip Hop Headucatorz educational group and other events meant to highlight the diversity in modern hip hop. The festival is curated by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin and Nina Lee Aquino for the National Arts Centre and is modeled after similar Hip Hop Theatre festivals, which have been held around the globe. Festivals like this often use urban-inspired graphic design and social media to help attract a diverse and vibrant audience.
The Ottawa Hip Hop Theatre Festival will take place at from January 31 to February 10 at the National Arts Centre building.
