Taiwan
From May 21 to June 3, 2024, five Hip Hop artists traveled to Taoyuan and Taitung, Taiwan as part of the Next Level program. Artist-educators Dez (Dancer), Rah Digga (MC), DJ Rugged One (DJ), and Jurne (Aerosol Artist) joined Site Manager Phes to perform for audiences and collaborate with local artists to promote cross-cultural creative exchange and conflict transformation. Local partners Taoyuan Arts Center and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) were critical to the program’s successful implementation.
Next Level, a cultural diplomacy program that uses Hip Hop to create connections, is an initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center. The program promotes conflict transformation, entrepreneurship, and artistic and professional development among younger and underserved audiences around the world.
During the Next Level Academy, the residency’s artists each hosted workshops in their respective disciplines, focusing on dancing, emceeing, DJing, and aerosol painting techniques. Additionally, the residency hosted two days focusing on conflict transformation and entrepreneurship, with a series of discussions and moderated panels to engage participants and encourage their professional and artistic development.
During the first week of the residency, the Next Level Academy was held at Taoyuan Arts Center. On May 25th, the residency held a jam session at the Taitung City Art Museum. Throughout the performance, local artists were in attendance, presenting traditional music, indigenous culture, and modern songs. Moreover, outside the venue, two walls were set up for live painting, where residency artists collaborated with their local counterparts.
On May 30th, the residency was invited to perform at an event in Taipei in conjunction with AIT and the program’s student collaborators. The final performance was held at Zhong Yuan Park and was attended by the AIT Director, Taoyuan’s Mayor, and multiple Taiwanese senators. AIT also invited popular local artists Green Father and E1land to perform, resulting in an on-stage collaboration between the performers and the Next Level dancers.
Altogether, the workshops had 52 participants, and the outreach programs connected with over 500 people. Between the unique performance opportunities, connections with local artists, and cultural events attended by the residency’s artists, Next Level Taiwan represented a diverse range of experiences that both the artists and their collaborators enjoyed.
