BronxBerlinConnection: A Transatlantic Bridge for Young People

BronxBerlinConnection:
A Transatlantic Bridge for Young People

The BronxBerlinConnnection engages young people from New York City and Berlin, Germany in a year-round cross cultural exchange program that uses the mediums of spoken word and music—particularly, rap and hip hop—to explore and express the unique experiences of urban youth around the world, the critical challenges they face and the solutions necessary to enact change in their communities. Using the same beats, common lyrical themes and different languages on two separate continents this program works to not only produce multi-lingual, cross-cultural poems, songs and albums, but more importantly it seeks to engage today’s youth in a continual process of cultural exchange, raising forth critical dialogue and fostering mutual understanding. Thus far the BronxBerlinConnection has developed 2 full-length records, facilitated 3 international cultural exchange trips and filmed and released dozens of music videos and mini-documentaries.

April 17 – 26, a delegation of 18 German youth emcees, singers, beatboxers, visual artists and dancers will be in New York City on a Hip Hop cultural-exchange trip. They will be performing, attending workshops and meeting with youth from throughout the five-boroughs to engage in critical discourse about global urban youth culture and the medium of Hip Hop. If you would like to find out more about the BronxBerlinConnection, please contact Farbeon, NYC Program Director, farbeon@saywordentertainment.com.

Collaborating Organizations:
(Germany)
Gangway e.V.
American Embassy, Berlin
House of World Cultures
Goethe Institute
East Pak
Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung (Kreuzberg Children Foundation)
A variety of Youth Centers throughout Berlin
(United States)
Say Word Entertainment
New York University
City University of New York
CUNY Prep
Urban Word
German Consulate, New York City
Fordham University
Urban Art Beat
Queens Community House
Bronx United Parents
CultureHub
Urban Arts Partnership
DJ Scratch Academy
A variety of Hip Hop pioneers such as Afrika Bambaataa and Joe Conzo

Check out the following clips for more information:

Program Documentary


Promo video of our performance for the U.S. Ambassador to Germany


Project participants reflection from our most recent trip to Berlin for NYC youth.