Academy Breakin’ Convention

Hip Hop Education at Sadler's Wells East

Academy Breakin’ Convention is the ABC of hip hop theatre, offering a full-time further education programme for creative and talented 16 – 19 year olds. Academy Breakin’ Convention will cover the foundations of hip hop ensuring graduates are well versed in all ABC elements: Breaking, DJing, Emcee, Graffiti, Music Production, Popping and Hip Hop Social Dance. ABC will provide global perspectives of the socio-economic studies around the communities that create hip hop with a focus on creating theatrical performance. 

Created by Breakin' Convention, ABC is the brainchild of Jonzi D and one of the major initiatives at Sadler’s Wells East. Based at Sadler’s Wells recently developed fourth venue in East London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, ABC will be part of East Bank, alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. The site will form a new cultural hub for young creatives, presenting opportunities for collaboration and innovation between organisations and communities.  

ABC offers young people of all background an exciting, energetic and inclusive approach to education. We encourage creativity and originality whilst acknowledging the values of hip hop culture; peace, love unity and having fun. Students will receive high quality training, studying the technical elements to prepare them for further studies, performance work and opportunities in the wider creative industries. Hip hop is part of our creative future and ABC will nurture artists to become cultural contributors and future leaders. 

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Why Academy Breakin’ Convention?

By Jonzi D, Artistic Director and Founder of Academy Breakin’ Convention

Hip hop culture has produced the fastest growing artistic movement on earth. Every country around the world with access to a TV has been part of this global shift since it was immortalised in celluloid. Films like Wildstyle, Beat Street and Breakdance the movie presented the cultures original artistic elements of DJing, breaking, popping, rapping and graffiti.

From the concrete battlefields of the Bronx, the spirit of conflict resolution gave birth to this movement. Gang violence was taking the lives of many young people in the late 60s early 70s. Cindy Campbell’s purpose was to organise parties with her brother DJ Kool Hercules for the youngsters in the neighbourhood, to save them from the threat of gang initiation.

Young people would battle with their skills instead of battling with knifes. The DJ would cut with his turntables. Dance became weaponised. Graffiti became a competitive way of showing creativity and bravery. Emcees would dissect an opponent with clever rhyming schemes. And as iron sharpens iron, the technical level of hip hops artistry has risen to superhuman levels.

Over the decades, hip hop has spread across the world and has influenced culture everywhere. From its humble beginnings in apartheid America, where black and brown communities developed the artistic ethos of the form, hip hop has become a major part of the artistic establishment.

In the UK, mainstream TV dance competitions have seen the likes of Flawless and Diversity become household names. BRIT winners Stormzy and Dave have headlined Glastonbury, and collaborated with classical orchestras. Many actors have roots in emceeing, from Will Smith, Mark Wahlberg and Queen Latifah, to Kano, Lady Leshurr and Ashley Thomas. Breaking, popping and Krump technique is shaping the future of contemporary dance. Award winning companies like Far from the Norm and Boy Blue Entertainment claim hip hop as their root. Graffiti art from UK based Banksy and Temper has been featured in galleries around the world. Hip hop music and rap is featured in advertising campaigns, TV idents and anything that requires targeting young people. Breaking is now officially part of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Hip hop is clearly an integral part of culture in society today. 

‘Each one, teach one’. Hip hop has thrived within a peer to peer teaching structure. It’s not quite self taught, although originality is one of the most important qualities of the culture. Once the foundation of the technique is shared, each artist must find their own pathway to greatness.

“We need to adapt our institutions to accommodate the everchanging artistic environment. We need to find new ways to embrace new forms. We need to redefine excellence. We need a Hip Hop Theatre Academy” – Jonzi D, Academy Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director