Skate Night!

An outdoor screening of two locally produced skate films. One, a documentary titled ‘1979: EARLY AUSTRALIAN SKATEBOARDING' a film about the first Australian Skateboarding champion. Two worlds meeting: the now, young street skaters, and the veterans who built the sport in Australia. The other locally made film titled ‘Technical difficulties’ highlights some of Newcastles current and best skaters as they skate and hit locations across the city.

Drop in after hours, wander through 'Shralp', an exhibition curated by local skateboarder and writer, Jim Turvey and meet Australian Olympian skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen.

5:30pm – Book signing - The Colourful World of Poppy Starr Olsen (available for purchase)
5:30pm – 'Shralp' after hours exhibtion entry (until 7pm)
7:00pm – Film screenings in Museum Park

Free event, BYO chairs or picnic rug
Event will move inside incase of wet weather

About the films:

1979: EARLY AUSTRALIAN SKATEBOARDING
Filmmakers Geordie Anderson (director), Joshua White (producer) and Sean“Gravel Burns” Mussett (subject expert) present a piece of Australian skateboarding history.“ 1979: Early Australian Skateboarding” follows youngskateboarder and skate filmmaker, Tahnee Sams, as he meets and skates with the first ever Australian skateboarding champion (1979), Robert “Wedge” Francis. This mini-documentary delves into how skateboard veterans, as well as young skaters, feel about the future of skateboarding, with its recent move into the Olympics and mainstream sports. The film is about two worlds meeting: the now, young street skaters, and the veterans who built the sport in Australia.

Director, Geordie Anderson
Producer, Joshua White
Content Expert, Sean 'Gravel Burns' Mussett
Photography, Ange Maloney
Sound Design, Rob Preston
Special Effects, Mick Hearne
Artwork, Liam Christie

Technical Difficulties 
Tahnee Sams
(Shot on VHS)

About the book:

The Colourful World of Poppy Starr Olsen 
A novel inspired by the life of the Australian Olympic skateboarder 
Illustrated by Poppy Starr Olsen 
Written by Jess Black 
30 August 2022 
Published by Puffin

A fresh, funny and heartwarming novel for young readers illustrated by Australian Olympic skateboarder and creative soul Poppy Starr Olsen. Written by Jess Black, author of the bestselling Kaboom Kid series.

Poppy Starr Olsen grew up on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. Her whole life has been spent moving and creating, from surfing, swimming and skating to drawing, painting and jewellery design.
 
Poppy took up skating at age eight, and in 2014 she was crowned world under 14s champion, continuing her reign the following year in the over 15s category. In 2016, Poppy was the first Australian woman to compete at the Summer X Games, and in 2017 she won bronze in the women’s skateboard park as well as gold at the inaugural World Roller Games in Nanjing, China. Fast forward to 2021 and Poppy burst onto the world stage when she made her Olympic debut in the women’s skateboarding in Tokyo, finishing fifth overall. 

Poppy featured in the documentary Tall Poppy, has done a TedX talk and been interviewed for many television shows. She is mentored by Layne Beachley and sponsored by Vans and Visa. 

Jess Black is an award-winning author of more than forty children's books. Jess has written the Tales of Mr Walker series about a dog who comes to live in the fanciest hotel in town. Jess has also written the Kitty is Not a Cat series, Little Paws series and the Keeper of the Crystals series; and is co-author of the hugely successful Bindi Wildlife Adventure series, the Kaboom Kid series and the Animal Tales series.