Preparing for WeCanFly2
I am currently working on a Ph.d Proposal and have decided to combine my role as an educator with my passion for Skateboarding for this research. My proposed Ph.d research centres around the notion that skateboarding can be used in an educational context to inspire creativity and build and enhance perseverance and resilience. As part of my preparation for this, I would like the second series of WeCanFly interviews to focus on these concepts.
I put out a post on social media to see if there were any potential skater artists out there interested in featuring in WeCanFly 2. Amazingly, Tom Quigley, creator of Varial Magazine contacted me. Interviewing, Tom, a photographer/Skater from Nottingham allowed me to try out a new set of questions aimed at supporting my understanding of how skater artists see and understand their own learning in relation to skating. These questions will form the structure for the next series of interviews that I hope to release in the summer of 2018:
Have you always been creative?
Did you do well at school?
Did you have any educational barriers?
Do you think skateboarding helped you at all whilst you were growing up?
What has skateboarding taught you?
Do you think skateboarding culture supports learning?
Would you call yourself self-motivated?
Do you think skateboarding toughens you up?
What skills do you think you have developed through skateboarding?
Can you describe how skateboarding community spirt has benefited your creative endeavours?
I travelled to Nottingham at the end of October 2017 to interview Tom and also attend a skateboarding art show at the local skatepark. Flo-Skatepark is located on borrowed land and like many skateparks across the country runs as a non-profit organisation. The Nottingham Skate scene, (like many British Counties) is continually facing defiance from the privatisation of land and has lost many of its beloved skate spots and DIY parks. The famous Broadmarsh banks for example has now been reduced to one bank. The Nottingham skaters have built a gallery space above the skate park and I was lucky to attend the opening of The Section 144 Gallery, curated by local graffiti artist and Skateboarder, Mr Carrot Boy. Tom and Carrot boy are amazing examples of people who are uniting skateboarding and creativity and making waves by doing so.
Tom Quigley’s part for WeCanFly 2
I released a taster of the two interviews for social media. I gained a great deal from these interviews, including an understanding of Tom and Carrot boys educational journeys. A lot of what they said in response to my questions supported what I already knew but i was surprised to here that both had had no real educational barriers and had been high achievers at school. What was inspiring though was how skateboarding had had a huge influence on their academic decisions and routes.
Carrot Boys part for WeCanFly 2
What the Nottingham skate scene are doing to celebrate art and skateboarding sets an example for the rest of us. Their community spirt, support and motivation to maintain their alliance is inspirational. I am looking forward to exploring some more amazing skateboarding communities and meeting more skater artists in 2018.
