Join Next Level Director Junious Brickhouse and Next Level Founding Director & Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mark Katz, for a discussion with Next Level alumni, dancer Ryan “Future” Webb and DJ Skeme Richards.

This moderated discussion and performance will highlight the goals of the program and underscore hip hop’s ability to grow a global community.

Ryan “Future” Webb is the education director for Urban Artistry, Inc., a cultural ambassador, and community leader. He mentors people of all ages, creates dance curricula, conducts dance research, performs, lectures, and actively participates in cultural exchange, community building, preservation, and innovation. In addition to his work in Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, France, England, Germany, Canada, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, Webb traveled to Egypt with Next Level in 2017.

Skeme Richards is a professional DJ and music connoisseur who traveled to Ethiopia with Next Level in January 2020. He has played for both large and small events, including night clubs, festivals, art galleries, and film premieres, and played guest spots on independent and commercial radio. Skeme Richards has a classic approach to his craft, digging and spinning genres across the board—from hip hop to house, funk and soul classics to disco, nu disco to jazz and beyond —he continuously strives to separate himself from the pack. While maintaining originality, Skeme Richards keeps his first-class status as a true party rocker while being an educator.

Please register here to receive a ZOOM link or reach out to Kara Zelasko with any questions. You are encouraged to post questions for the group to address during the program.  

As a cultural diplomacy 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 to create connections around the world while promoting conflict transformation, entrepreneurship, and artistic and professional development among younger and underserved audiences. To learn more, visit www.nextlevel-usa.org.

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