Breakin’ Convention, the influential festival of hip hop dance theatre, announced its national tour for 2020, from Saturday 2 May – Saturday 6 June at various venues.
Hosted and curated by UK hip hop theatre legend, Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, the festival features DJs, graffiti artists and freestyle sessions taking place all over its venues. The tour takes in venues from London to Doncaster, Poole to Brighton.
Showcasing local talent alongside global sensations, international artists include South Korea’s gravity-defying Jinjo Crew. Made up of some of the world’s greatest b-boys, the crew is the first to achieve Grand Slam status after five major international wins. The programme also includes French hip hop company Géométrie Variable who explore the popping technique of tutting with a style resembling the inner mechanics of a timepiece. The full line-up for Breakin’ Convention on Tour is yet to be announced.
Breakin’ Convention has previously toured globally, taking in locations as far-reaching as Denver and Colorado. In 2017, the festival visited 16 cities in four countries, with 32 shows, each with a unique programme of international artists and local acts. Reaching 39,698 people and involving hundreds of local artists, the programme also hosted five Open Art Surgeries – mentorship programmes to create new work in just one week – in four cities, in three countries with 80 artists, with some going on to perform as part of the Breakin’ Convention tour.
2020 marks Breakin’ Convention’s 17th anniversary. Perhaps best known for its flagship annual festival, the year-round programme aims to grow UK development in hip hop theatre, and encompasses professional development initiatives such as Back to the Lab, a two-week training and mentorship initiative leading to performance; a broad education programme; and alternative performance platforms such as Breakin’ Convention Presents.