Producer’s Speak: MaggZ – World+
PRODUCER’S SPEAK: MAGGZ – WORLD +
Producer in Residence, MaggZ (@magg._z), reflects on their journey crafting and curating World + lab and event during her time at Next Wave.
World + is a series of conversations, development, and in-person events aiming to reimagine and reconceptualise the notion of ‘battles’ within the street dance culture based in Melbourne. Through the process of co-designing with industry peers, mentors and active community members from the street dance sector, this program aspires to shine light on the voice of the youth and to investigate the current complexities within the battle culture, as well as to extend the infrastructure and modality of ‘battles’ with the notion of world-building whilst honouring the socio-political context and the history of street dance.
World + Event is a game
World + Event chooses your own adventure
World + Event is however you imagine your reality to be
World + Event cultivates curiosity and trial-and-error with care
The Producer in Residence and Creative Leadership programs are generously supported by VicHealth through their Future Healthy initiatives.
MaggZ
Yujia Zhu aka MaggZ is a Naarm-based (Melbourne, Australia) queer Chinese movement artist, creative director and producer, trained in ballet and now specialised in waacking – a freestyle dance originated in 1970s LA from the Latinix and African American queer community, predominantly involving arm movements.
Traversing amongst street dance battles, performances, installations, creative direction and producing, MaggZ’s practice centres aliveness, stillness, persistence and agency and aspires to honour the authentic self and living experience through transdisciplinary explorations in both physical and digital landscapes.
MaggZ was appointed as a Producer in Residence at Next Wave (Naarm), and producer/performance art consultant at Collide24 (Berlin, Germany). MaggZ’s recent achievements include the recipient of the Young Creative Awards in 2020, nominated four times by the Green Room awards, and the winner of Destructive Steps allstyle 2v2 dance battle in 2022.