The U.S. Consulate General in Alexandria is pleased to bring a group of talented hip hop artists to Alexandria and Cairo during the month of December through Next Level, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Meridian International Center. Next Level uses hip-hop music and dance to foster cross-cultural creative exchange in diverse communities, and builds on the historic legacy of the Department of State’s Jazz Ambassadors, who first traveled the world in the 1950s to connect with people through music. As part of the Consulate’s work in the field of entrepreneurship, this program will also focus on cultural entrepreneurship, conducting workshops and discussions on best practices today in the creative economy field.

According to Consul General Nancy Corbett of the U.S. Consulate in Alexandria, “Every day I am excited to witness the amazing cultural artists here in Alexandria. When we first heard about this program, we knew that Alexandria was the right place to bring them in Egypt. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to facilitate collaboration between American and Egyptian artists, and we hope that this leads to more opportunities for young Egyptians in the cultural field.”

Next Level artists Kerwin Young (Beatmaker), Ryan “Future” Webb (Dancer), Desi Mundo (Writer/Aerosol Artist), Mikiea “Miki Vale” Perkins (MC) and Junious “House” Brickhouse (Dancer) will be conducting workshops and collaborating with local artists in Alexandria from December 4-13. Their final performance, exhibiting the results of their workshops and collaborations, will be held at the Bibliotheca Alexandria’s Great Hall on December 14 at 7:00pm. The performance is free and attendees are encouraged to appear one hour before the event is set to begin.  The artists will then travel to Cairo from December 15-18, where they will conduct additional workshops and a performance for local communities at the Maq’ad Sultan Qaitbey in the City of the Dead.