Street Arts
Lo-Down from Kings of Concrete...Organisers
Skateboarding, Blading, BMXing and breakdancing are all evolving urban sports that have established themselves as favoured youth activities on every continent across the globe. For a variety of reasons this faction of youth culture has remained largely unsupported and underdeveloped in Ireland. For too long we have had to find street spots off our own bat just to participate in the sports we are most passionate about. These spots typically have been unofficial and illegal. All too often security have removed skaters abruptly calling to a halt an otherwise perfect day. Subsequently we have had to become more resourceful and find new and interesting places to play. Most of these sites were privately owned buildings, centres of commerce and government offices. As we identified new spots the security grew in both presence and voracity.
Dark days for Irish youth culture ensued! If the security didn't prevent skateboarding the permanent skate stopping architecture did and to top it all off insurance for Irish skate parks has been near impossible to secure. Thankfully those dark days will soon be behind us. Due to the efforts of progressive politicians, active skate lobbyists (check out our links page) and some modern thinking in local authorities there has been a revolutionary breakthrough elevating the status of these activities to their rightful place in Irelands alternative sports portfolio. In 2006 the Irish government allocated E2million to develop 21 concrete skate parks around the country. These facilities will allow skaters / bladers / BMX'ers to develop and fine tune their skills. It will foster up and coming talent and give people the opportunity to become as good as their contemporaries anywhere in the world.
Kings of concrete is a celebration of this recent transformation. We hope to help build and sustain a platform to promote the wonderful variety of activities available for youth culture in Ireland today such as skating, inline blading, BMX, break dancing and graffiti amongst others.
Kings of Concrete MySpace
- Lsd Magazine Interviews Iranian Street Artists - Icy & Sot
If you peer past the stereotypes, endless propaganda on both sides of the divide and the dark theocratic veil of Iran, it won’t be long before you touch both the not so silent underground and the extraordinarily nuanced pathos of Icy and Sot’s art....
- Beat 4 Battle Belgium
Forum for the “Scratch-activist”: Beat4Battle Belgium Beat4Battle has its roots in France. In five years it has become a successful format as a “Scratch-activist Forum” in the Hip Hop and turntablism scene. “The evolution is very fast” says...
- A Visual Feast — Irish Street Art Book
The Irish economy might be in dire straits at the moment but hasn't deterred Rua Meegan and Laurenn Teeling who have just compiled Irelands first Street Art book. A Visual Feast — Irish Street Art was launched last Thursday night in Dublin's...
- More Of Less
East London design shop and gallery Concrete Hermit have updated their online website and it now features an online shop and community network where you can join in. Concrete Hermit also have a new exhibition open in their gallery space this Thursday...
- Rip
Apologies to any of my regular readers for the lack of posts over the last week or so, been out of the country at my Grandmother's funeral in Ireland. The Irish poet SEAMUS HEANEY once described my Grandmother as "the Madonna of the Manuscripts",...
Street Arts
Kings of Concrete - Ireland 2009
Lo-Down from Kings of Concrete...OrganisersSkateboarding, Blading, BMXing and breakdancing are all evolving urban sports that have established themselves as favoured youth activities on every continent across the globe. For a variety of reasons this faction of youth culture has remained largely unsupported and underdeveloped in Ireland. For too long we have had to find street spots off our own bat just to participate in the sports we are most passionate about. These spots typically have been unofficial and illegal. All too often security have removed skaters abruptly calling to a halt an otherwise perfect day. Subsequently we have had to become more resourceful and find new and interesting places to play. Most of these sites were privately owned buildings, centres of commerce and government offices. As we identified new spots the security grew in both presence and voracity.
Dark days for Irish youth culture ensued! If the security didn't prevent skateboarding the permanent skate stopping architecture did and to top it all off insurance for Irish skate parks has been near impossible to secure. Thankfully those dark days will soon be behind us. Due to the efforts of progressive politicians, active skate lobbyists (check out our links page) and some modern thinking in local authorities there has been a revolutionary breakthrough elevating the status of these activities to their rightful place in Irelands alternative sports portfolio. In 2006 the Irish government allocated E2million to develop 21 concrete skate parks around the country. These facilities will allow skaters / bladers / BMX'ers to develop and fine tune their skills. It will foster up and coming talent and give people the opportunity to become as good as their contemporaries anywhere in the world.
Kings of concrete is a celebration of this recent transformation. We hope to help build and sustain a platform to promote the wonderful variety of activities available for youth culture in Ireland today such as skating, inline blading, BMX, break dancing and graffiti amongst others.
Kings of Concrete MySpace
- Lsd Magazine Interviews Iranian Street Artists - Icy & Sot
If you peer past the stereotypes, endless propaganda on both sides of the divide and the dark theocratic veil of Iran, it won’t be long before you touch both the not so silent underground and the extraordinarily nuanced pathos of Icy and Sot’s art....
- Beat 4 Battle Belgium
Forum for the “Scratch-activist”: Beat4Battle Belgium Beat4Battle has its roots in France. In five years it has become a successful format as a “Scratch-activist Forum” in the Hip Hop and turntablism scene. “The evolution is very fast” says...
- A Visual Feast — Irish Street Art Book
The Irish economy might be in dire straits at the moment but hasn't deterred Rua Meegan and Laurenn Teeling who have just compiled Irelands first Street Art book. A Visual Feast — Irish Street Art was launched last Thursday night in Dublin's...
- More Of Less
East London design shop and gallery Concrete Hermit have updated their online website and it now features an online shop and community network where you can join in. Concrete Hermit also have a new exhibition open in their gallery space this Thursday...
- Rip
Apologies to any of my regular readers for the lack of posts over the last week or so, been out of the country at my Grandmother's funeral in Ireland. The Irish poet SEAMUS HEANEY once described my Grandmother as "the Madonna of the Manuscripts",...