The legendary rapper Nas released his iconic song »Street dreams are made of these« during the mid-nineties Golden Era of rap. This track not only defined hip hop culture at the time but also offered a contextual glimpse into life on the streets and its intersection with pop history. Today, hip hop has evolved into a billion-dollar global industry, but the question remains as to what drives individuals in urban life, hip hop culture and urban arts and, furthermore, how do they address pressing social issues through their content, and what creative strategies do they develop and employ to combat these challenges? Spearheaded by Pottporus e.V., the local urban arts scene takes up these questions in a new festival ›STREET DREAMS‹ in Essen Katernberg, at PACT Zollverein and the Werkstadt. Across a four-day curated exploration of urban culture, visitors can engage in artist talks, workshops, a club night, DJ sets, street art showcases, open mic sessions, a graffiti library, readings, film screenings, and urban dance performances.

Focusing on self-empowerment, creative conflict resolution, and raising the visibility of marginalized perspectives, the festival is all about community spirit and the utopia of a better tomorrow where dreams can be realized through fun creativity.

At PACT, the WerkStadt and in the surrounding local district of Essen-Katernberg.

STREET DREAMS is organised by Pottporus e.V. in collaboration with PACT Zollverein.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of NRW.