Heal the Hood Project (HTHP) is a hip hop organisation. It started in 1998 as an informal community based volunteer organisation by the youth for the youth with a passion for Hip Hop. HTHP is a Section 21 Company with NPO status, located on the Cape Flats.

Our passion is to produce and promote contemporary hip hop events for Cape Town, South Africa and Africa. The purpose of our activities is to provide an alternative cultural experience for historically disadvantaged youth. Since 1998 Heal the Hood has steadily grown to the extent that we now produce the largest hip hop event in Southern Africa, but firmly rooted in the Western Cape. We successfully host three annual events, regular workshops and have produced our own CDs, DVDs, books, magazines and t-shirts. Our three main annual events, held in Cape Town are:

1. Shut Up Just Dance (March / April)
2. African Hip Hop Indaba and Battle of the Year (September)
3. African Battle Cry (December)

These events are supported by workshops throughout the year. The combination of ongoing workshops coupled to our three main events feed into each other and underpins our philosophy of the importance of growing new audiences.

In addition, we have produced the following Heal the Hood publications:
DA JUICE is a full colour magazine and to date we have published 13 editions. The content covers all aspects of hip hop culture: issues affecting youth, hip hop and other achievements of youth not covered in the mainstream media.
R.A.P.S.S is Rhyme, Poetry, Short stories and Sketches and is a book that showcases the work of Local community and hip hop artists.

Our aim is to make hip hop art publications as accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Traditionally contemporary hip hop art books are difficult to find in South Africa and reach a very small audience.

Values:
- Development: Heal the Hood views hip hop as crucial to ongoing youth development that is vital to transformation.
- Diversity: Heal the Hood crosses socio-economic, cultural and geographic divides, empowering young South Africans with a sense of creative identity rooted in the oral traditions of Africa whilst developing positive youth networks – locally, nationally and internationally.
- Sustainability: Heal the Hood recognises the unique realities of South Africa and redefines cultural youth practice for an international and local audience.

Impact:
Our activities unleash the artistic energy and cultural diversity of contemporary South Africa in an innovative manner. Heal the Hood connects Cape Town to the African continent and provides international opportunities for historically disadvantaged youth creating a sustainable youth network whilst developing cultural networks and partnerships globally.

Heal the Hood continuously engages at a grassroots level with youth, facilitating local discussion across South Africa, fostering greater social cohesion and collaboration, and bridging the multi-cultural divide (urban / rural, skilled / unskilled) through its projects and ongoing workshops. We stimulate cultural development through ongoing contact and workshops and contribute to economic and social upliftment in South Africa that is in alignment with developmental policies.

Aims and Objectives:
The promotion and exposure of young talented South African artists, with regard to:
- Integrated youth development that encompasses life skills and entrepreneurship.
- To use hip-hop as a platform for delivering ongoing awareness of the dangers of substance abuse, gangsterism, HIV / AIDS and xenophobia.
- Job creation and experience: in that we offer exposure to youth in respect of short-term job opportunities and experience at each event.
- Transfer of Knowledge: production, film, technical, safety and security.
- Nation building and a sense of pride in being African.
- Gender awareness – the promotion of the involvement of female artists (currently we hold free weekly Saturday class at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone for children and girls only).
- Performance adjudicated at international level for the African Hip Hop Indaba / Battle of the Year.
- To assisting and empowering young artistic people emotionally, financially and creatively.
- Establishing a national network through which resources and information can be shared and through which youth artists can eventually distribute their work.

The above objectives are aimed at youth through the direct promotion of hip hop supported by our local, national and international stakeholders and cross cultural exchanges with youth from other countries. To date we have sent more than 150 youth from our programme to participate in hip hop events in countries across the world – with our most recent trip in May 2008 being to Korea at the invitation of the Korean Tourism authority. Other countries visited: United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, United States, Botswana, France.

Beneficiaries and Outcomes:
Upon completion of our events and workshops, Heal the Hood will have:

- Directly engaged with thousands of historically disadvantaged youth, including their parents. In one year we would have accessed approximately 25 000 to 30 000 young people and their parents.
- The scope of this endeavour reaches across the Western Cape province, rural, urban and peri-urban communities and involves other provinces participating in our events.
- Parental involvement and extended family members support and applaud their achievements (a surprising number of parents attend our events).
- Delivered integrated messages aimed directly at the youth about the soul-destroying effects of substance abuse, gangsterism, HIV / AIDS and xenophobia.
- Encouraged positive teenage social networks.
- Awareness that arts and culture is at one with the concept of ubuntu and self-esteem.
- Created demand by principals, teachers, learners and parents on the importance of a creative outlet for youth not that interested in sport as our programme caters not only for dance, deejays, emcees but also intellectual ability in respect of rapping / poetry sessions.
- Awareness of the role art plays in the mainstream and entrepreneurial economy.
- Awareness of social issues dealt with in the contemporary art form of hip-hop.
- Utilised peer pressure as a positive tool for change.
- It is a socially and culturally empowering programme that assists in the creation of social capital.

The Cultural Industries sector is one of the key potential areas for growth, development, job creation and community upliftment, viz:
- Cultural enrichment and awareness revitalized to the benefits of the youth
- Civil society developed through the transfer of knowledge
- Nation Building / Promotion of (South) African culture ensured
- Respect for cultural diversity developed and the adverse affect of globalisation countered
- Opportunities for cultural contact, dialogue and exchange globally.
- Stimulates economic activity in the arts as well as in other sectors e.g. transport, public utilities, accommodation, catering and other support services

Sustainability: Our events are increasingly popular and a proven strategic element of audience development as part of the trend towards transforming the lives of youth across cities, regions and countries.

Promo clip on YouTube

Operates in: Cape Town, Western Cape
Established in: July 1998

Non-Profit Organisation Number: 059-606
Public Benefit Organisation Number: 930029601
Section 21 Company Number: 2004/026636/08
Trust Number:

Contact person: Tanswell Jansen
Phone: 021 706 0481
Fax: 021 706 0481
Email:

Website: www.healthehood.org.za

Physical address: 167 3rd Avenue, Grassy Park, Cape Town
Postal address: P O Box 31184, Grassy Park, 7941