The festival programme features Finnish performances and international guests from France and the U.S.A, to mention a few. The festival programme features a b-girl solo, Soli II, from legendary French break group Compagnie Rêvolution; German hip hop and break group 2nd ID; Hamid Ben Hami from other brilliant French break Crew Cie Hors Série; as well as new Finnish performances from Rancid Rockers, and Of(f) Course – a dance performance which melds different dance styles.
URB 07 explores the relationship between art and urban culture. It searches for new perspectives and suggestions for functioning in urban spaces. Performances and events are not restricted to the four walls of the theatre, but can be found outside it as well; in the dialogue between the audience and the environment. Bystander Sessions is a sequence of six performances that take place in public spaces around the city. It takes music and the concert instance into the public domain; into unexpected situations and the everyday lives of people.
Screenings of ”Mambo to Hip Hop a South Bronx Story” (USA, Henry Chalfante, 2006) and “Scene not Heared” (USA, Maori Karael Holmes, 2006) are featured as part of the Black Soil Hip Hop film series. In other films; “You Don’t Realize it Used to Be Different”, a film by Anu Pennanen dealing with the reality of Estonian youths, as well as those with a Russian background; will also be screened. Clubs are organised in cooperation with Club ALAS (Club Redrum) and m-bar.
Carrying on the tradition of past years, URB features a youth workshop. One Minutes Jr. is a free video workshop which takes place in early June at Stoa culture centre in east Helsinki. It is carried out in collaboration with YLE and The One Minutes Jr. The finished products – one minute movies – can be seen in the Youth programmes on YLE TV and at the URB 07 festival.
To add to the hype, URB on Tour, which has been touring the country, reaches its finale at the festival. The festival will also feature the best bits of Plan’s Turpa Auki rap competition results.