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The McNally Smith College of Music in St Paul is offering scholarships designed to encourage more women to enroll in its

. The 18 month program which launched this year teaches both the performance side of hip hop and the business and history too.

The scholarships offer $15,000 which is half-tuition for the course. Applications, which will be accepted through December 11th must include an essay and a three and a half minute audio or visual piece.

Selections will be made by a panel with representatives of B-Girl Be, the sponsor of the annual B-Girl summit, (as featured last week on 

) Intermedia Arts, which hosts the event, and McNally Smith College of Music.

In a release announcing the new scholarships Toki Wright, who co-ordinates the program, and is one of the performers in the video above, welcomed the news.

"Often in the media, the many rewarding aspects and innovations of women in Hip-Hop are overshadowed by their male counterparts. The 'B-Girl Be Scholarship acknowledges that women's contributions are important and essential to sustaining and expanding Hip-Hop culture. The work of MC Lyte, Tricia Rose, Queen Latifah, and countless industry representatives demonstrate the power, talent and tenacity it takes to make it in the culture and business of Hip-Hop. "

Fourteen students are in the first class in the hip hop diploma, and will graduate in 2011.

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Euan Kerr

Author

Program aims to encourage more women in hip hop

McNally Smith offering B-Girl scholarship

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