Join Bertz Associates, Children of the Diaspora, and Skate Buddies for a celebration of roller skating at Circus Mash, supported by Screen B14 on Friday 16 May.
A night of roller skating fun! We’re coming together to discover the long history of roller skating in Birmingham and celebrate the community in Brum today.
We will be screening our recent documentary ‘Rolling at The Tower’, alongside our 2023 short film ‘Rolling Out Brum’ from 7pm, followed by Ethiopian food from Enanny Catering and a roller disco from 8pm – 11pm!
Even if you’re not a skater, this one is for you. Come along, find out more about the skating community, and get involved! There will be separate space for complete beginners to get to grips with being on wheels with expert support from Empress Gibbs, Skate Buddies founder. We have skates for hire, simply add on ‘Roller Skate Hire’ at the checkout.
Tickets required – book in advance to avoid disappointment.
About Rolling Out Brum (2023):
Rolling Out Brum is short-documentary about the roller-skating community in Canon Hill Park that established itself during lockdown and continues to flourish. It is a community collaborative film co-created by Bertz Associates, Children of the Diaspora and the roller-skating community.
About Rolling at The Tower (2024):
Bertz Associates and Children of the Diaspora are proud to present ‘Rolling at The Tower’, a community documentary funded by an Everyday Heritage Grant from Historic England.
This documentary uncovers the stories of Victorian roller-skaters, who campaigned for a rink to be opened, Pat Kirkham, a roller-skating legend who broke 4 world records during her career, and Birmingham’s skaters today, who are creating a community in spite of civic opposition.
Dating back to the 1800s, Birmingham’s roller skating scene is a flourishing, diverse community – but it lacks dedicated spaces. This community documentary explores the history of one roller venue, The Tower Ballroom, and considers what it tells us about the power of community action.
For nearly 150 years, the Tower Ballroom was a hub for the community, providing an intergenerational and multicultural space. It was closed in 2017, and tragically demolished in 2022 despite campaigns to save it. The local community have contributed to the documentary by sharing their stories, memories, photographs and films of the Tower.
The film was recently profiled on ITV X: watch now!
Project team:
Empress Gibbs, Skating Lead (she/her): Empress is the founder and director of Skate Buddies, an organisation who bring people together through the power of Roller Skating.
Iris Bertz, Executive Producer (she/her): Iris is the founder of Bertz Associates. She produces arts and heritage projects which tell hidden histories and shine a light on historically marginalised communities.
Jen Wilbur, Project Manager (they/them): Jen is an arts and heritage curator and projects co-ordinator with a background in Art History. Jen loved skating as a teenager until their local roller disco was closed.
Yonatan Tiruneh, Director and Cinematographer (he/him): Yonatan is a visual
artist, documentary filmmaker and cinematographer who grew up near The
Tower Ballroom.
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