Rawz is the St John's Sound Artist in Residence for 2022

rawz performing

Originally published by St John's College, Oxford on the 1st February 2022

We are delighted to announce that Rawz (Rory Campbell) will be the St John’s Sound Artist in Residence during Hilary and Trinity terms 2022.

Hailing from Blackbird Leys in Oxford, Rawz is an MC and a poet, and a member of the Inner Peace Records collective. Extremely active as a youth worker and teacher, he established the Urban Music Foundation in 2009, through which he delivers mentoring services, tutoring and workshops. He is currently principal investigator for ‘Digging Crates’, a decolonial project supported by TORCH, that collects sound samples of instruments held in the Pitt Rivers Museum collection and uses these to create equitable musical exchanges between musicians and researchers across the globe.

Rawz' residency at St John's will look at the use of hip hop music and culture as a tool set for the exploration of a wide range of themes, from the global impact of colonialism and slavery, to introspective reflections on a person’s choice of footwear. He will lead a series of workshops with students showing them the skills required in this art form, as well as looking at the history and schools of thought that have contributed to this rich genre. This work will culminate in a showcase performance in the St John’s auditorium on Thursday, 16 June.

Rawz will commence his residency with a public screening of the new documentary film Digging Crates on 11th February at 8pm in the Auditorium. Set in the Pitt Rivers Museum, the film follows Rawz and comrades from Inner Peace Records, as they work alongside a team of African musicians to create an original hip hop track, using the museum’s collection of African instruments. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Rawz and other members of the cast and crew. Click here to reserve your free ticket for the event.

We're very excited to welcome Rawz to College! Keep an eye on our website for updates on his residency.