Hip Hop festival set to spin

Sydneysiders are in for some high-powered locking, popping and breaking this month as the Platform Hip Hop Festival transforms CarriageWorks into a creative playground for its fourth year running.

Award-winning Bondi Hip Hop artist, performer and director Morganics is just one of the genre’s big names joining international and local artists in what will be four weeks of all things Hip Hop.

“It’s Australia’s only all-elements Hip Hop festival,” he says.

From dance, music and film to theatre and street art, the festival will see countless artists showcasing their talents. It will also provide an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to hone their Hip Hop skills and learn something new.

Morganics, who has worked as a Hip Hop instructor for socially and economically disadvantaged Australians and also in isolated Aboriginal communities, says the festival has a distinctly Australian flavour, reflecting the rainbow of people living in Sydney.

“It is unique in terms of the broad range of people involved,” he says.

According to Morganics the festival has strong support from the Hip Hop community and will provide a real insight into the Hip Hop culture.

“Everyone looks forward to it,” he says. “It’s one of those rare things that has real integrity and there’s a really nice sense of community about it too.”

He also recognises the role it has to play in the growth of the Hip Hop scene in Sydney: “It’s pulling in the new edges and elements to Hip Hop culture such as Hip Hop cinema and theatre.”

Morganics will run a beat boxing workshop and host an event called Flexing Skills, which he describes as Hip Hop’s version of theatresports.  The festival will also preview his upcoming feature film, Survival Tactics.

Asked to pinpoint the highlight of the festival, Morganics nominates the audience and the vibe.

“The highlight for me is just when you look around the room and see who’s there,” he says. “You see people’s eyes bugging out. They can’t believe what they’re seeing sometimes.”

The Platform Hip Hop Festival will take place at CarriageWorks from March 12 until April 2.

– By Erin Holohan