Uprock Urban Arts Festival

The Uprock Park Jam will be an urban arts festival for the community of Canterbury / Bankstown incorporating a national breakdancing championship and a legal aerosol art display.

The project aims to use hip hop as a medium of positive social change in a fun, safe and supportive environment.

A breakdancing competition will be open to junior (under 18 year old) and senior competitors. The junior competition will give young people an opportunity to perform in public for the first time and build their skills, confidence and networks. Junior winners will receive a cash prize. The senior competitors (18-25 year olds) will compete for an opportunity to represent Australia at a World Breakdancing Championships in Taiwan in December.

We anticipate that dancers will travel from across Australia to compete in the event. This means that local community members will have the opportunity to see some of the nation's best dancers in action at a local venue.

International adjudicators (Lego Sam from Malaysia and Bboy Enoch from China) will facilitate the day's proceedings.

A legal aerosol art display will also take place over several hours during the main proceedings. This will be a way of bringing art out of the gallery and back to the street. The medium is one that many people interested in hip hop can relate to and enjoy. Leading artists will be engaged to facilitate the live art display.

Funded by Sydney (September 2016)