MEDIA RELEASE

Sydney Hip-Hop Artist Talks Human Rights in Austria

Released 22 October 2007

Information and Cultural Exchange
PO Box 4033 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
T: +61(2) 9897 5744 / F: +61(2) 9897 5766

ARIA-nominated hip-hop artist MC Trey is one of 25 people invited from across the globe to travel to Graz, Austria, to contribute to an intensive four-day retreat on human rights starting on 29 October.

The retreat, organised by the Netherlands-based group Equal in Rights, will focus on how to put human rights theory into practice. Artists, activists, anthropologists, key thinkers and educators will converge at Seggauberg Castle to discuss ways to promote human rights through all sectors of society.

MC Trey is one of Australia’s leading hip-hop artists. Her crew Foreign Heights are currently in the running for the Best Urban Release ARIA for their Get Yours Remix. Trey is also well known for her work in community development and education.

As the coordinator of Hip-Hop 101, Trey works with Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE) to train artists from Western Sydney to develop their lyrics, perform, use digital music programs and record their songs.

Trey was invited to attend the retreat after participating in the international Our Media Conference, held in Sydney in April this year with ICE as the community partner. Participants in Trey’s course, who are primarily at-risk, unemployed or excluded young people, performed at the conference.

According to Lena Nahlous, Director of ICE, Trey’s input will help make complex theories on human rights accessible to excluded youth. ‘Her work with culturally diverse young people from Western Sydney combined with her strong connections to hip-hop culture within the region give her unique knowledge that will contribute towards the conference,’ she said.

‘I am passionate about my work, and human rights are fundamental to it,’ says MC Trey. ‘It’s about supporting expressions and voices that don’t get heard and giving people a platform to tell their stories. Human rights underpin my philosophy for every program I design.’

Trey’s hip-hop courses at ICE are supported by the Vodafone Australia Foundation ‘We have been proud to support the work of Trey at ICE, and the uniqueness of her program is what has made us passionate about it,’ says Elaine Leong of Vodafone. ‘Trey is committed to working with young people who are often excluded and who are disadvantaged to make a difference in their lives.’