2 minute read
PLATFORM FOR STREET SPORTS
by GAME
Everywhere GAME operates, it’s a non-negotiable point of delivery to address and advocate for a local issue.
In Denmark the opportunities for being physically active are numerous. But a lot of children and youth do not participate in the traditional sports associations. For some, the barriers are social, cultural or economical. For others, organized, adult-led sports every Tuesday and Thursday are not attractive. This leaves far too many outside the traditional sports.
GAME‘s Danish Platform for Street Sports’ goal is to unleash and support the entrepreneurial skills among youth on street sports initiatives. The program supports youth on a journey from idea-generation, through applying for microgrants, to implementing the idea, making partnerships and reporting on impact and finance.
In 2019, the Danish Platform for Street Sports turned 153 youth ideas and street sports projects into reality, by microgrants, councelling and networks.
ENTREPRENEURIAL SKATERS
One of these projects is the skateboarding festival, SLIP Festival, with the goal of having more people join skateboarding and to create awareness of the inherent power of social change in skateboarding.
The idea for the SLIP Festival came from the skateboarder, Asbjørn Sand, who wanted to give something back to the skateboarding community. For him, skateboarding provides an opportunity to belong to a community where people can talk across gender, age, ethnic and social backgrounds, and he sees the sport as a means for youth to feel welcome and to take responsibility. These characteristics of the sport are not very recognized, but the SLIP festival has a mission to create awareness of this.
After receiving a grant for the successful first festival, The Platform for Street Sports continued the dialogue and supported the three passionate entrepreneurs behind the festival in fundraising five times the initial amount to secure sustainability of the project.
One of the 153 innovative street sports projects that The Danish Platform for Street Sports supported in 2019 was the SLIP Festival: a five-day skateboard festival to showcase the power of skateboarding when it comes to inclusion and social change. This ramp was first built and then skated by the festival guests. The people behind the SLIP Festival have since been mentored by the Platform to develop the festival even further. Photo: Asbjørn Sand
One of the 153 innovative street sports projects that The Danish Platform for Street Sports supported in 2019 was the SLIP Festival: a five-day skateboard festival to showcase the power of skateboarding when it comes to inclusion and social change. This ramp was first built and then skated by the festival guests. The people behind the SLIP Festival have since been mentored by the Platform to develop the festival even further.