What to do Today: Last Chance to See Ethiopia Skate at Boxpark Croydon

This free exhibition at Boxpark Croydon by Berlin-based photographer Daniel Reiter captures the miraculous work of Ethiopia Skate…

Formed in a parking lot in Addis Ababa, young people have been empowered by non-profit Ethiopia Skate since 2013.

Ethiopia Skate at Boxpark Croydon

Reiter began capturing the skate culture of Addis Ababa in 2015, simultaneously contributing to the movement with donations of collected skateboards and street-wear. Visits over the following two years allowed him to track the burgeoning skate movement.

One of the things I love about skateboarding in particular is how it illustrates just how tough and relentless one can be. So when I finally met those kids, they all were hitting up the spots so hard, so determined to leave a mark and to take that slight chance of exposing their skill and style to a wider world. They were moving with unstoppable courage and if they bailed (skate term for falling) they just got back up and tried again. – Daniel Reiter

The photographs in this exhibition capture complex skating stunts as well as the simple pleasure the sport brings young skaters. Conveying a sense of joy among communities in 3rd world countries is a subject close to Reiter’s heart. Jacob Roberts-Mensah, the exhibition curator, similarly sets out to tell stories of real Africans and feats of which young people are capable. Energy between athlete and sport, plus connectivity among members of the community are apparent in the photos, thus meeting these criteria of artist and curator in spades.

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Our community consists of over 150 skateboarders in Ethiopia’s capital and other small towns across the country, with many more eager to join. In April 2016, we teamed up with Make Life Skate Life and a team of over 60 volunteer skatepark builders and skateboarders from around the world to construct Ethiopia’s first and only free-of-charge public skatepark, Addis Skatepark. More recently, in November 2017 we built Ethiopia’s second free of charge community skatepark, Hawassa Skatepark. –Ethiopia Skate

Boxpark Croydon 99 George Street, Croydon CR0 1LD (Directions)
Monday – Saturday 9am—11pm
Sunday 9am—10pm

What’s on this week in the town? And in the country? Check out our culture diaries before you fill in yours.