Seeing a version of yourself reflected on stage can be a powerful antidote to feeling misunderstood or that you don’t belong. With that in mind, Breakin’ Convention has used its platform wisely since beginning in 2004. Talent that might otherwise have been reserved for the streets or tiny venues has toured some of the UK’s finest theatres. Meanwhile, those in the audience have felt heard and inspired, and this year is no exception.

Once again curated and hosted by Jonzi D, the 2026 line-up features a mix of local, national and international acts. Flying the flag for both Glasgow and women in hip hop are Female Funk Fruition, a ten-strong dance group founded in 2023 by Shelltoe Mel and Nadia Sewnauth. ‘We wanted to create something for women, for them to have the opportunity to train and not feel uncomfortable or not good enough,’ explains Sewnauth. ‘Because personally, we’ve been in those circles where we’ve felt intimidated in such a male-dominated environment. So we wanted a safe space for women to enjoy themselves and not feel any pressure.’

Performing brand new work Aye Wonder at Breakin’ Convention, the group will use its colourful, upbeat style to entertain but also tackle some of the issues facing women today. ‘The piece is based on a track I wrote called “Token Female”, about the lack of females included within the hip-hop community,’ explains Mel. ‘So it’s a celebration of the females within this culture who came before us, but it also asks some serious questions and addresses what’s going on in the world right now.’

Everyone involved in Female Funk Fruition fed into the process, sharing their experiences, hopes and fears. And, as the group’s age demographic veers (perhaps surprisingly) towards older dancers, they’ve got a lot to talk about. ‘When we first set it up, we thought we were going to get younger females,’ says Sewnauth. ‘But we actually found that it’s mainly women in their 40s and 50s, who danced at some point in their lives in a class or clubbing, but maybe then had kids and now want to get their life back and just be themselves.’ 

Despite hip hop’s gender imbalance, Mel is a stalwart of the scene and indeed no stranger to Breakin’ Convention. She first danced at the festival in 2005, as part of Flying Jalapenos, and as far as she’s concerned, the genre has no age barrier. ‘Hip hop has been part of my whole life,’ says Mel. ‘So just because I’m ageing, I’m not going to stop doing it. Breaking is obviously more acrobatic, but styles like locking, popping and freestyle rocking are good for any age and help build stamina. We’re also aiming to keep the traditions of the dance alive because not a lot of people in Scotland do locking and freestyle rocking.’

Just as lived experience fed into Aye Wonder, Ivan Michael Blackstock’s Olivier Award-winning piece Traplord is also rooted in real life. Blending dance, theatre and spoken word, the work questions stereotypes of black men in western society and was partly inspired by a series of all-male sessions Blackstock facilitated in 2015. Gathering in east London, the men sat in darkness so they could focus on, as Blackstock says, ‘how we find the light within ourselves’. Sharing childhood memories, present-day friendships and difficult connections, these deeply personal conversations helped the men ‘relook at how we navigate our lives and our relationships’ and later fed into the creation of Traplord.

Trained at London Contemporary Dance School, Blackstock’s early cultural education in music and movement took place on the streets. Initially, he found sharing aspects of himself in his choreography hard, but watching others give of themselves inspired a desire to try. And those conversations in darkness helped illuminate a path.

‘As a creator, you’re trying to find your voice,’ he explains. ‘But at first, I was scared to create work that was personal. I thought, that’s not your business, that’s my business. But through my experiences working in commercial dance, in theatre and the underground scene, I realised that’s how you actually engage people and find a universal connection. Watching great artists, the ones who really shine through are the people brave enough to show parts of themselves.’

Blackstock’s collective share Breakin’ Convention’s Glasgow date with Los Angeles-based trio Femme Fatale, Ill-Abilities members from Brazil and the Netherlands, and homegrown talent Heavy Smokers Krew, SK Dance and Corey Owens. All of them will offer a unique take on hip-hop culture, with Blackstock promising us something particularly hard-hitting. ‘I think Traplord is different from what Breakin’ Convention usually presents, because we don’t hold back in terms of intensity. And that’s something I’ve wanted to do with my work because it had got to a point where I felt like I was putting filters on things. And I don’t want to do that, because then I’m not giving you the full me; I’m cheating you.’

Although the intended audience for Blackstock’s piece is young black men, he’s worked hard to ensure it has broad appeal, including paying homage to one of the most famous works in 20th-century literature. ‘One of the big inspirations was William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies,’ he explains ‘because the full name of the piece is Traplord Of The Flies. Traplord is just a kind of nickname. We’ve found tools and narrative devices for other people watching to jump in and hold onto it. But my target audience is young men; for them to feel like they’ve been seen and heard.’

Breakin’ Convention is touring the UK until Saturday 6 June; main picture: Martin Windebank.

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