If you’ve been in London for a minute you know about the Undercroft. The area underneath Southbank Centre is home to the cities finest boarders and BMX riders, known worldwide to skaters and credited with being the birthplace of British skateboarding. And as for the Southbank Centre itself, the level of inside and outside events, film, theatre, art and music offered in one place is unparalleled to any other one location anywhere else I’ve had the pleasure of living.
By location if nothing else the area offers a unique level of positive commentary on the heart of the city. Tourists and locals walk past the graff writers and sounds of wheels and wood hitting concrete as they head off to attend any number of artistic ventures hosted in the centre. It’s counter-culture, family day-out and establishment all in the same melting point, and there’s something incredibly beautiful about that we’ve always loved. It turns Southbank in to a sort-of Utopian area for whatever you’re in to, and for me is a representation of what makes London, London.
For forty years the Undercroft has existed as such, without harm, violence, crime or becoming a seedy hangout that plagued the skateparks of my youth.
Early last year The Southbank Centre announced plans to turn the Undercroft in to retail units, as part of an unnecessary £120 million pound overhaul. Moving the skate area to a site-specific build underneath Hungerford Bridge was the solution offered at the same time as the proposition, but unfortunately it seems that it’s a plan that’s missed the point.
This is area has history, and remains an important part of the area and the city. London and Southbank are blessed with it, and it’s not something to be taken for granted, or moved up the road to put a few more shops in. Thankfully, the community has responded correctly, and Long Live Southbank (LLBS) was formed shortly after the plans were announced.
Nochexxx dedicated one side of his recent CHXFX single-plate double-album to the cause, which led us to dig a bit deeper, and on to the movement. LLBS seems pretty damn well organised, constantly creating new content and keeping us all updated to their movements. The one year birthday of it’s inception looked like more than a decent day out.
It is a bit of a shame that the bigger picture is lost on those who’ve previously offered to much to make Southbank what it is today, big ups all the skaters giving their time and fighting for the space for future generations.
The more people involved the better, so be sure to check out the below video then head over here to sign-up and find out more: http://www.llsb.com/
via Long Live Southbank
Long Live Southbank presents our educational campaign film showing the 40 year history of one of London’s most unique cultural spots, the 10 month campaign to protect it, and the true story of its intended destruction by the Southbank Centre.
London’s skateboard community and our supporters have campaigned every single day for the preservation of Southbank (Undercroft) since the Festival Wing plans were first revealed. The result was unprecedented public support – from all walks of life, Something the Southbank Centre has failed to achieve.
Our support continues to grow daily. This is not about denying the expansion of access to culture, this is about the questioning of the integrity of archaic hands that seek to stifle and silence culture.We are the voice of young people who stand for the future of artistic and cultural expression in an ever-changing world, for everyone. Not on paper, but in practice.
‘The future is in the eyes of the young, and not the minds of the old.’ LLSB.