Celebrating Next Level: Hip Hop Diplomacy
General admission tickets for $29.03. Discounts available. See details below.
Come groove with this hip hop collaboration, fueled by Next Level, the State Department’s cultural diplomacy program. Since its establishment by founding director and Carolina music professor Mark Katz, the program has sent American hip hop artists to over 50 countries to team up with young people in underserved communities.
In 2024, the program will celebrate its 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, CPA will convene a star-studded crew of global alumni for a week of masterclasses, workshops, jam sessions, and more. Invited participants include rappers, DJs, dancers, and visual artists from around the globe. The week will culminate in an epic final concert on February 2. Tickets are now available for this thrilling performance. Buy now to secure your spot!
EXPERIENCE MORE
Hip Hop Diplomacy: Opportunities and Challenges | Open Classroom Panel
February 1, 2024 from 11am-12:15pm
MUSC 271, Mark Katz; Moeser Auditorium
Join us for a FREE panel conversation on February 1, 2024.
“Critical Approaches to Music: Critical Moves”
Panelists: Mark Katz (Barker Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Barbara Stephenson (vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Dumisani Ndlovu (Dumi Right, Next Level artist), Deirdre Smith (D.S. Sense, Next Level artist), Jill Staggs (Cultural Affairs Project Coordinator at U.S. Department of State)
The event is free, but reservations are required. Reserve Your Spot
Next Level Pop-Up Performance
Thursday, February 1, 2-3PM
FedEx Global Lobby, FedEx Global Education Center
Join Next Level performers for a free preview of their Carolina Performing Arts show!
Open to the public! No registration required.
TICKETS
General admission tickets are available for $29.03. $10.75 UNC-Chapel Hill student tickets available with valid UNC One Card. Additional discounts available. Limits apply. Visit our FAQ page for details.
EVENT DETAILS
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- Intermission: No Intermission
- Additional information: Visit our FAQ page
ABOUT NEXT LEVEL
Next Level is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Meridian International Center. Its mission is to use Hip Hop music, dance, and art to foster cross-cultural creative exchange in diverse communities. We work to promote understanding and conflict transformation in these audiences, and support the professional development of artists in those communities.
Next Level brings people together and encourages greater understanding through the universality of music as a form of creative self-expression. It also 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.
During the exchanges, teams of MCs, DJs, Hip Hop dancers, beatmakers, beatboxers, and aerosol artists conduct public concerts, interactive performances with local musicians, lecture demonstrations, workshops, and jam sessions with diverse audiences.
Next Level activities focus on promoting conflict transformation and interacting with younger and underserved audiences around the world. Next Level programs also focus on musical entrepreneurship, conducting workshops and discussions on global music business best practices today.
Next Level artist-educators are selected on the basis of artistic quality and commitment to education and cultural engagement through an open competition.
This is a program with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by Meridian.
