AUstin dean ashford
Austin Dean Ashford is an emcee, poet, musician, PhD student, and theater performer born and raised in the Bay Area, CA. During his time in Marshall Texas he competed for the Great Debaters of Wiley College, where he earned 21 national championship titles. Ashford went on to pursue a Dual MFA in Acting and Playwriting at the University of Arkansas, graduating with the class of 2019.
During that time, he earned Best One Man show Off-Broadway, top honors at the Kennedy Center, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the San Diego international Fringe Festival, and New Zealand Fringe festival. Rapping, singing, beatboxing and playing the ukulele are just some of the key elements to Austin's story telling. He recently released his debut project "Sophisti-Ratchet Soundtrack" which charted #24 in New Zealand & #87 in the USA on iTunes. Austin has been a Onebeat Colombia Fellow joining musicians from around the world to collaborate in writing, producing and performing original music, and developing strategies for arts-based social engagement. In 2021, Austin was nominated for a Latin Grammy for the Song "Negra del Sur" with Diana Burco.
