This is a free event

This event is part of a timed programme 

Sat 2 Oct @ 2.40pm & 6.50pm – cancelled due to wet weather

Sun 3 Oct @ 2.45pm (rescheduled from 2.30pm) & 5.30pm

Centenary Square

Joseph Toonga works at the forefront of Hip Hop in the UK and internationally. He describes himself as being in a continual search for an authentic reason to choreograph and frequently draws on real-life stories which make his work resonate with people under-represented in audiences for mainstream arts.

Born to Protest is Joseph’s first outdoor work for his company Just Us Dance Theatre. It is part of a Hip Hop dance theatre trilogy he is creating to highlight black excellence and challenge racial stigma. Born to Protest aims to dismantle presumptions about the black male and female figure based on intimidation, danger and isolation, revealing instead character traits around fragility, vulnerability and a constant battle to prove oneself. This hypersensitivity of the black body in space is magnified by Born to Protest’s cast of seven* performing en masse to a soundscape which sets up intense energy with Hip Hop beats and voice over.

Just Us Dance Theatre’s Born to Protest is commissioned by DanceXchange and Punch Records for presentation at Birmingham International Dance Festival 2021 as part of Gallery37 North.

Sat 2 Oct, 3pm performance will be followed by a free taster workshop with the company. No previous experience is required.