until January 31, 22
until January 31, 22
aware! Residency program & performance series
Seven urban artists from the fields of urban dance, rap/producing and graffiti/street art artistically explored the topic of ‘Postcolonialism in Germany’ as part of a three-week residency programme. The residency programme also included workshop and seminar formats with experts on the topic.
Our residency artists:
Dance
BigMama, Brooklyn Odunsi
Streetart
Melike Kerpel, Gökhan Tuncyürek aka Khan
Rap & Production
mari.ama & Zeyo, Shrimp Cake
Following the residency, the (interdisciplinary) performances were presented and discussed at various venues in the Westphalia-Lippe/Ruhr region: Ringlokschuppen Mülheim, Keuninghaus Dortmund, Jugend- und Kulturzentrum Hemer, LUTZ / Theater Hagen, Cafe ADA Wuppertal
meet the artists
Foto (c) ekkadmicpictures
MELIKE
Graffiti / Streetart
Melike Kerpel is a visual and street artist with over 15 years of experience in graphic arts and design, and 6 years in mural and street art.
Originally from Izmir, Melike now lives in Munich. From 2018 - 2023 she will travel the world to be inspired by different cultures and landscapes. Her art emphasizes the harmony between people, animals and nature and combines traditional and digital techniques.
In 2023 she wins a mural competition in Munich and paints her largest project to date on 350 m2.
Check out www.melikekerpel.com
SHRIMP CAKE
Rap
MC, singer, producer and songwriter from Krefeld. Shrimp Cake impresses his numerous fans with his lyrics and fresh approach to modern hip hop forms with his own releases and freestyles.
Shrimp Cake has already been nominated for the Hiphop.de Award and runs the first Rap Academy in Germany.
His rap style is influenced by The Notorious BIG, Eminem and Lil Wayne and not only convinces his hundreds of thousands of fans on social media.
He made his stage debut as an actor in 2024 in the production MC Messer by the Urban Arts Ensemble Ruhr.
BIG MAMA
dance
Virginia Breitenbaumer aka Big Mama, born in Kenya and raised in Germany. At 12 she discovered her passion for art and especially dance, and at 15 she started teaching hip hop.
After graduating from school, she completed a
classical dance training at the Minkov Academy in Stuttgart and specializes in popping - her main battle style.
Big Mama teaches various dance styles including house, afro, modern dance and jazz.
She also worked as a lecturer at the Institute for Sports & Sports Science / Albert Ludwigs University.
As a dancer, she has performed on stage in dance theatre projects in Konstanz, Stuttgart, Bremen and Zurich.
KHAN
Graffiti/ Streetart
Gökhan aka Khan began his artistic journey in the late 80s in Berlin, influenced by experiences of discrimination as a young person with a migrant background.
In graffiti he finds a way to express himself creatively and to make a statement against discrimination and marginalization. Over the years he has worked with renowned artists from Europe and the USA. Since 2019 he has been adapting graffiti elements in sculptural form and prefers to work with wood. In addition to his artistic work, he works as a psychologist.
BROOKLYN
dance
Brooklyn Odunsi is a multidisciplinary artist from Munich and Frankfurt. Brooklyn has over 10 years of experience in dance, starting with ballet and then focusing on urban dance styles, which she also performs in battles.
Brooklyn has worked as a visual light artist for over seven years and has collaborated with well-known artists such as Honey Dijon and Haftbefehl.
Brooklyn also works as a physiotherapist before deciding to devote herself full-time to her art in 2023. In the same year, she founded her brand бza, for which she works as a designer, pattern maker and seamstress.
ZEYO
Rap
Zeyo is a Sudanese rapper and filmmaker. Growing up in the United Arab Emirates, he discovered his passion for rap at the age of 16 and has released more than 40 tracks since 2016.
Zeyo's music deals with the struggles of the Sudanese people under repressive governments and he is co-founder of the Sudanese Artist Confederation to protect the rights of revolutionary artists. His experiences with colonial continuities in Germany shape his work, which draws attention to racism and the treatment of refugees.
MARI.AMA
Music
Singer and songwriter Mari.ama crosses genre boundaries with her music and, in addition to her solo albums, has worked with artists such as Curse, Max Herre and Twit One.
Born in Sierra Leone and raised in Germany, her music addresses the responsibility that comes with her Afro-European heritage and reflects on racism and structural discrimination. Conscious of the colonial exploitation of her homeland, Mari.ama initiates and is involved in various educational projects.
meet the jury
MEGALOH
Music
Megaloh, a renowned German rapper, music producer and songwriter from Berlin, began his career in 1994. His lyrics are particularly eloquent and witty. Whether it's music for partying or profound social criticism, a diverse portfolio delivered with an impressive, distinctive voice. A one-of-a-kind.
Foto (c) Frederic Blindow
YELIZ PAZAR
dance
Yeliz Pazar is a dancer and choreographer. With her roots in dance cultures such as popping, hip hop, house dance and waacking, she develops movements using artistic approaches for dance theatre productions and movement formats. She is co-founder of the 2012 dance collective nutrospektif, which was named Factory Artists by tanzhaus nrw in 2020. Yeliz is also one of the first generation of Waacking dancers in Germany and organized the first event of the genre with numerous international guests, "THE WAACK OFF" at tanzhaus nrw.
Foto (c) shootsnapper
MASON
Streetart
Mason, who has been active in graffiti writing since the mid-1980s, is one of the most prominent protagonists of this art form. His work has contributed significantly to Dortmund's perception as a writing center with its own local style. Mason also enjoys an international reputation as one of the most independent and historically significant artists of this subculture.
Foto (c) Gerd Schmedes
Funded under the funding program "POWR! Postcolonial Westphalia-Lippe" of the LWL Cultural Foundation as well as by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of NRW, NRW State Office of the Free Performing Arts
