Hip hop has proved a hit with Her Worship the Mayor of Douglas Councillor Sara Hackman JP after she attended the Isle of Man's first hip hop youth arts festival, King of the Rock, at Kensington Road Youth Arts Centre, Douglas.
Young people came together for a day of fun, learning, competition and spectacular performances hailed by Her Worship as ‘brilliant’. She continued: ‘It was really inspiring to see these young people gain confidence and skills during this fantastic community event, thanks to the professional guidance they received from some of the best in the business.
‘The festival provided a unique opportunity for young people to hear from the experts in sessions such as a graffiti workshop where they learned about the history and culture surrounding street art, the legal dos and don'ts and the basic techniques involved. The lesson then moved outside to some large boards in which the whole group collaborated to form a spectacular piece of artwork and where I was delighted to be able to try my hand at being a street artist.’
The event also included a workshop run by DJ Peanuts, currently 8th scratch DJ in the world, who spent the day introducing his students to the basic elements of mixing and scratching and by the end of the day had some promising young DJs in the making. After the event he said: ‘It was all about the kids, they had access to breaking, graffiti, locking & DJ-ing workshops, all under one roof and taught by some of the UK's finest. I can't wait to go back!’
Her Worship added: ‘The break-dancing workshop was fascinating in the way it not only explained the moves but also the history of the dance. I didn’t try the moves but I thoroughly enjoyed the under 16's Break Dancing championships.
‘The whole experience was truly exhilarating merely to watch, let alone take part in, and thanks must go to the many individuals and groups who made the event possible and contributed to a festival that was a resounding success for the strong sense of community spirit we have in the Isle of Man.’
