Mogelijkmakers

Talent Development “Mogelijkmakers” (Enablers)

We believe the strength of hiphop and street culture lies in community engagement. Everyone has a role to play, is needed, seen, and is valued-whether as a practitioner of one of the Hip Hop disciplines or as a creative contributor.

IBE plays an active role in strengthening the community. We are committed to connecting our core activity—the annual IBE festival —to our new all year round talent development project ‘Enablers’ (‘mogelijkmakers’).

Special attention will be given to communities/partners from the Province of Limburg. Furthermore, we will collaborate with leading organizations  focused on urban communities across the country and invest in a special international partnership.

The current situation in the cultural sector

We have been observing for years that the system is focused on talents from the community who (often unconsciously) contribute to innovation, rejuvenation, and strengthening of the traditional field and established venues and institutions. The development of ’talent’ is considered successful when the talent has gone through the stages from artist/creator to ‘maker’. The reality is that the product these ‘makers’ present often must partially or fully conform to a specific image or expectation of the established field. The result, which is more the rule than the exception, is that the community sees this as a diluted byproduct of the discipline. Nike sneakers, fitted caps, and Patta sweatshirts must make way on stage for bare feet and dull vintage clothing.

How do you do justice to talent within the values of the community?

The Notorious IBE has been working for 27 years to strengthen the connections within the community. The Notorious IBE is committed to the “raw talent” within the community. Facilitating the creative power within the community, in whatever form it presents itself, with the condition that the community determines the form.

The urban community is not solely focused on further developing and professionalizing an artist into a ‘maker’—and certainly not the kind of maker who must make concessions to their performance or product. Within the community, the principle (each one, teach one) prevails, meaning that everyone who contributes has value. It is the task to pass on what has been learned to the next generation. While outsiders may focus on the skills of performance or practice, within the community, it is about the transfer of unwritten rules, respect for originality and authenticity, and the power to create opportunities and bring about change from within the community where necessary.