Hip hop meets gaming in world premiere at Arts House

The worlds of hip hop, gaming and contemporary performance will collide at Arts House this month with the world premiere of GG, CONJAH and PSUEDO from August 26 to 30.

Created through the creative partnership CONJAH and PSUEDO, the experimental work explores gaming culture, avatars, autonomy, play and collaboration through movement.

Leading artist Ooshcon, an award-winning hip hop theatre choreographer and performer of Samoan and Palagi heritage, brings a practice shaped by street dance, animation, contemporary movement and Pasifika perspectives.

Based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Ooshcon has performed and choreographed internationally, including his solo work Glitch and the award-winning experimental hip hop theatre production Blueprint. He also directed Aotearoa’s first Krump-theatre work, HYPAMASS.

Known as “The Decipherer of Circles”, Ooshcon said the name reflected his connection to the cypher – the circle traditionally used in street dance communities as a space for movement, expression and communication.

“Decipherer of circles comes from being connected and committed to street dance cultures,” he said.

“There’s often a coded language that, if you aren’t aware of, you might not be able to decipher.”

That idea of movement as a language sits at the heart of GG, where hip hop provides the foundation for a performance influenced by gaming and animation.

“Hip hop is definitely one of the cores – the core pillars of this show would be gaming, culture, avatar and autonomy,” Ooshcon said.

The production also marks another chapter in Ooshcon’s eight-year creative partnership with Jahra Wasasala through CONJAH.

For Ooshcon, the world premiere is also an opportunity to consider the relationship between performer and audience.

He said artists had a responsibility when audiences chose to give them their attention.

“When someone does give the time and privilege of their attention, what you share can impact their lives in a positive manner,” he said.

Rather than prescribing a single response to the work, Ooshcon said he hoped audiences would leave having felt something.

“What I would hope is that they feel something because I think if anything in this world, apathy is the cause of so many problems,” he said.

“The solution is empathy, which can be encouraged and even generated from good art.”

GG, CONJAH and PSUEDO will have its world premiere at Arts House from August 26 to 30. •