Bell Shakespeare.

arden

This creative development is supported by the Australia Council
through its Young & Emerging Artists Fund.

A hip hop theatre adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

Shakespeare was one of the first popular poets. In this adaptation of As You Like It we follow his path by putting contemporary poets and rappers centre stage.

Why in Tennant Creek could young people recite the last 3 Tupac or Biggie Smalls albums in full but couldn't read kindergarten level readers? Because the music engaged them, the story, the persona, the fight... that is what hip hop culture is about, bringing a voice and vision to marginalised people. That is the heart and soul of hip hop culture.

So why present a Shakespeare play using hip hop as a vehicle? Simply put to include young people, to include people of colour, to include diversity and to open their hearts to great storytelling and epic ideas. We see this project as a chance to bring Shakespeare to young and diverse audiences, using their language and their culture as the form of communication.

Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English language dramatist and artistically it is important that we are constantly re-examining his work in new, invigorating and innovative ways. This project will bring Shakespeare’s work to entirely new audience in an original and explosive way.

As You Like It is one of Shakespeare most accessible, funniest and contemporary comedies. The story of two young people (Rosalind and Orlando) persecuted by their elders, forced to flee their home and who find each other (and many complications), explores issues of identity, rebellion, freedom and love.

These themes make this play ripe for a modern re-telling. We will be using hooks, beats and clips from known pop and hip hop music; hip hop and funk dance styles; projection and video to create an inter-textual language familiar to the MTV generation.

Having been at the forefront of hip hop theatre in Australia – from creating Inna Thigh: The Sista She Story for the Sydney Opera House, to The Naked MC at the Old Fitz via Melbourne, Adelaide and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals – we are excited to be partnering with Mind’s Eye to develop this unique project.

CANDY BOWERS

Candy Bowers is a NIDA trained actor, hip hop artist (of Sista She fame) writer, social innovator, director, arts worker, theatre maker, lyricist and social activist. She was brought up in Campbelltown and has been writing and performing on stage and screen across Australia (and the world, well Scotland) for the last 8 years.
 
Her greatest achievements include winning the 2008 British Council of the Arts Realise Your Dream Award, 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival Youth Education Program Award, writing and starring in She TV her own hip hop comedy series for Channel V (Foxtel) and performing original hip hop theatre at The Sydney Opera House Studio, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
 
Candy has worked across the youth arts and community arts sectors in Australia including co-directing H is for Hoodie for the Australian Theatre for Young People (NSW) and The Storytellers for Nyinkka Nyu Nyu Indigenous Art and Culture Centre, Tennant Creek (NT). In 2008 she was the Artist in Residence at Footscray Community Arts Centre (VIC) where she directed an inter-generational, inter-cultural devised hip hop theatre show called Superstitious.
 
In 2009 Candy takes up the role of Youth Engagement Officer, and Theatre Director on the Power Up project for Powerhouse Youth Theatre (Fairfield.) She is a Facilitator for PlayWriting Australia’s Outreach Program and performed in her very own solo show called Who’s That Chik? (a tale of a brown girl with big dreams) at the Old Fitzroy Theatre, Woolloomooloo, in May 2009.
 

LAURA SCRIVANO

Laura Scrivano is a director, dramaturg, writer and theatre maker who occasionally moonlights as a film maker and musician. She graduated from UTS with a BA Communications (Media Arts and Production).

Most recently Laura was invited to World Interplay 2009, the largest international festival of young playwrights, as a tutor/director and was the dramaturg on Who’s That Chik? for Hey Lady Productions/Tamarama Rock Surfers. Her recent directing credits include Chatroom by Enda Walsh for Ashfield Youth Theatre, A View of Concrete for B Sharp, Stars by Anja Hilling for The German Arts Festival/Playwriting Australia and The Naked MC for Sista She/Tamarama Rock Surfers. In 2006, Laura received an Australia Council grant to conceive, co-write and direct The Cronulla Project, a documentary theatre project about The Cronulla Riots.

Laura’s other credits include Three Little Fears: The Chicken or The Egg (ATYP/The Old Fitzroy Theatre), H is for Hoodie (ATYP/Wharf 2), eeni meeni mini mo (as writer/performer) (Siren Theatre Co. /Darlinghurst Theatre), September (Darlinghurst Theatre) and Inna Thigh: The Sista She Story (Sydney Opera House Studio, Brisbane Powerhouse, HotHouse Theatre, Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe). Inna Thigh won the both the YEP Award for Best Show at the Adelaide Fringe and the Director’s Choice Award at the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

In 2007/2008 Laura was the Artist in Residence at Shopfront Theatre for Young People and a visiting fellow at the University of Wollongong’s School of Creative Arts. In 2006/2007 Laura was the recipient of an Australia Council SPARK fellowship for emerging artists and in 2008 & 2009 was a finalist for the British Council Realise Your Dream Award. Laura has recently completed a directing residency with The Wooster Group in New York City and participated in artistic development programs with the New York Theatre Workshop and the New York Hip Hop Theatre Festival.
 

KIM BOWERS aka BUSTY BEATS

Kim Bowers aka Busty Beats is a Hip Hop beats producer, activist, musical director, lyricist, artist, composer, youth worker and writer. She has been around the music traps for the past 20 years and has performed with The Breeders, Powderfinger and Regurgitator and as musical collaborator for Australian films Eleven, Fresh Air, Love and Other Catastrophes and The Well.
 
Kim has been a defining artist within the Hip Hop community recording and producing Australia’s premiere artists such as Icey Clique, ABOMB, King Brown, DJ Jonah, Candy B, African Killa Queenz, Macromantics, Ebony Williams and Polytoxic. She has worked with young people from diverse cultural backgrounds throughout Australia facilitating workshops in rhyming, Hip Hop protocols, beats production and sound design.
 
She has worked as musical director and senior arts worker on Hope Tour with Contact Inc (Queensland), Superstitious with Footscray Community Arts Centre (Melbourne) Palms Up (Palm Island concert) and Stylin’ Up – Indigenous Hip Hop Festival (Regional Queensland).
 
Kim has worked in theatre sound design for the past ten years, composing and designing productions for Belvoir St, Brisbane Powerhouse, ATYP, Darlinghurst Theatre and the Old Fitz. Kim has worked with Hip Hop superstars Sista She for the past seven years as their exclusive beats producer, collaborating on theatre and live music performances. Kim has performed nationally & internationally at festivals including Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Big Day Out, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Sydney Festival and Stylin’ Up. Television appearances include Foxtel Channel V - Sista Philosophy segments, ABC (Stand-up), SBS (In Siberia Tonight) & Girl TV. Awards include YEP (Youth Education Program) Award (Adelaide Fringe Festival 2006), Greenroom Theatre Award Nominations 2005 and Melbourne Fringe Festival Directors Choice Award 2003.

Candy Bowers

Laura Scrivano

KIM BOWERS

aka BUSTY BEATS