Hip-Hop Arts Residency Program

Following OMAI’s 2022-23 partnership with the Division of the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Artist Residency Program (IARP), the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA) has continued funding for a new initiative in celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary: the Hip Hop Arts Residency Program (HHARP).

The 2022-23 IARP collaboration presented a series of four (4) short-term interdisciplinary arts residencies with five artists-in-residence:, and Jay Adana and Zeniba Now (October 6–16, 2022), Jasmine Mans (October 31–November 5, 2022), Porsha Olayiwola (February 24–March 4, 2023), and Eve L. Ewing (March 30–April 1, 2023). Each visiting artist in the series represented the three pillars of OMAI: academics, arts, and activism. The short-term interdisciplinary arts residencies hosted highly esteemed and established artists, engaging in educational experiences through curricular and co-curricular activities and building bridges between arts departments and multicultural campus groups at UW–Madison and with Madison community organizations.

HHARP will take place five (5) times per academic year, over the course of 4-10 days. Each residency will feature a professional artist whose work represents Hip Hop and/or urban art culture, with notable accomplishments in their field nationally and internationally. All residencies center Hip Hop and urban arts through academic, campus, and community engagement, providing spaces for interdisciplinary and intergenerational interactions. The residencies will coincide with OMAI’s existing initiatives, such as Just Bust! Open Mic Series, Passing the Mic Intergenerational Hip Hop Theater Festival, Line Breaks Hip Hop Theater Festival, and others. This strategic scheduling will deepen the impact of OMAI’s visiting artists beyond the First Wave Program, offering high impact engagement with campus and local partners.

Please sign up here to stay updated on UW-Madison’s inaugural short-term HHARP residencies – including information on the series artists, events, and campus engagements