From Vices to Verses conference schedule announced

​(Photo by stuttermonkey)

As far as conferences go, this one looks pretty awesome. From Vices to Verses: A New Era of Hip Hop and Action will feature workshops, lectures, and performances from rap artists, activists, politicians, poets, and writers over the course of three days at the Weisman Art Museum. Talks will mainly focus on the positive, transformative power that hip-hop culture can have on communities. The event will also cover B-girl ground with talks on feminism in hip hop.

The conference, hosted by the University of Minnesota's Weisman Art Museum (333 E. River Rd.), will run from April 9 to April 11. Subjects covered include the influence of women in hip hop and hip hop and activism. Lecturers include filmmaker Rachel Ramist, poet Tish Jones, photographer B-Fresh, former Green Party Vice Presidential candidate Rosa Clemente, rapper/poet Kyle 'Guante' Myhre, and others.

Spoken word, breakdancing, MC-ing, drumming, and community organizing are all topics of workshops participants can sign up for. Other highlights include a concert Saturday night at the Cabooze featuring local artists Toki Wright, Maria Isa, PosNoSys, Ill Chemistry, and Tru Ruts.

The event is free, but it's best to register beforehand. Check out vicestoverses.blogspot.com for a complete schedule and to sign up.