Rain Crew

Founded in 2009, Rain Crew’s mission to make the world move, has taken them beyond London to Africa as part of an ongoing quest to reimagine the world through art and experience, the unique interpretations and expressions of art and culture all people have to offer. ‘In our vision, we see a world connected through dance,’ they explained, ‘where every person’s artistic expression is celebrated and valued’.

‘Connecting with others has been a constant source of inspiration and reinvention for Rain Crew and sharing these experiences of forming serendipitous connections is a core part of our purpose. Stepping outside our own experience and seeing it from another angle helps us to better understand who we are’. It’s an ethos which has put Rain Crew’s members in some unique situations. ‘In 2015 we arrived in Morocco with no plan and the only map we had, had been drawn on one of our group’s forearm at a petrol station when we asked for directions.’

But such fleeting moments as this are what Rain Crew are all about. ‘Hip-hop has always been about creating unique moments. The beauty of hip-hop is in part due to the intimacy of a unique moment between creator and audience. Freestyle dance moves that will never be seen in exactly the same way again, graffiti writing that disappears within an hour of going up, impromptu rap cyphers and DJ mixes only remembered through stories.’

Art that speaks this language inspires Rain Crew. Art that is both personal and communal, art that celebrates authentic artistic expression and helps us to reimagine and recreate the world. Art that makes the world move. Art by Artolution, Freedom theatre, Boy Blue, Crxss Plafxrm, KingOffTheStreetsKenya and many more’.

This isn’t Rain Crew’s first Southbank Centre appearance. You might have been lucky enough to catch them on our Riverside Terrace back in 2019 when they delivered Cloudcastle with Ivan Blackstock’s Crxss Platfxrm, which saw artists were put into teams and given challenges to see how far they could push their creativity. ‘We had a blast!’ they told us, ‘we’re looking forward to working with the Southbank Centre again for another unmissable experience’.

And what will that experience involve? ‘This time we’re taking away some of those constraints and inviting audiences to witness and be part of the battles the way our culture does it. The Rain Crew Summer Jam is our thank you to the culture that birthed us and an opportunity for us to create the type of event that we always wanted to attend. Each jam challenges us to do things differently, so although the vibe is always true to who we are, there’s always a twist. With DJs, Workshops, and amazing dancers from across the UK, this one is going to be a blast and we’re inviting everyone to be part of the fun’.

That idea of inviting everyone to be part of the moment is definitely something that connects with this year’s festival curator. ‘Absolutely. So much of what Christine and the Queens’ Meltdown festival stands for speaks to Rain Crew and our own values and purpose. Chris has curated an exciting programme of artists, who might never normally meet, sharing their unique art forms and perspectives to inspire and celebrate everyone’.

‘Having a Southbank Centre audience alongside some amazing performers with a riverside view and a mix of food, music and artists throughout the festival will be a hype! We can’t wait!’ Neither can we.