Skateboarding has come a long way since the days of bowl skating in empty swimming pools. In 2020 it will debut at the Olympics, as well as on the theatre stage, illustrating what skaters have known all along: that it’s not just a sport, it’s an art form.
On several Saturdays through to July 20, you can catch an early glimpse of the show Skate, a multimedia production that combines skateboarding with sound and light projections. At the 60-minute performances (dubbed Transitions) you’ll be able to watch excerpts of the under-development theatre show, and see how skateboarders use movement to trigger light and sound in a fast-paced live performance.
For skateboarders of all ages and abilities, there’s also a chance to skate the show’s underground venue, the Cutaway at Barangaroo. The vast polished-concrete space spans an area the size of 30 tennis courts and has been turned into a skate park for the show. In other words, it’s a skateboarder’s wonderland.
Both the Open Skate sessions and the Transitions performances are free to attend, thanks to the show’s producer Big Hart, an arts and social-change organisation. You'll find the events at The Cutaway on 1 Merriman Street, Barangaroo. Registration is required, so visit the show’s website for more information and to sign up.