Due to the Corona-Virus we were unable to present our pitch to the council as we were meant to. This presentation has been recorded and you can find it in the link below.
I am proposing a skate hub community centre for the Margate and Thanet district in the old and vacant Sunshine Cafe of Dreamland. The Skate hub will be open to anyone and will be a safe space for young people and other members of the community to come together and unite.
This current scenario Diagram highlights the endless cycle for young people in Margate. One of the most deprived areas in the country, the Thanet District is high in crime, higher than the average in Kent and the rest of the UK. This in turn creates a negative perception of young people which then leaves then without many or no opportunities to move past this negative perception. Because of the lack of opportunities available to young people they have less need to want to aspire for more in the future so near 25% of young people in the district leave education with inadequate or no qualifications. The last of educations, opportunities and aspirations then leaves young people not wanting to give back to the community thus returning to more crime and continuing the endless futile cycle.
This diagram highlights the positive cycle for young people in Thanet District if The Beach Rat Skate hub was put in place. Young people would be occupied and have a purpose thus meaning that there is less crime in the area and people have more of a positive perception of young people. This means that there is then more opportunities for young people meaning young people want to aspire to more gaining adequate and good qualifications. Then due to the positive attitude towards young people and more opportunities they will be more willing to give back to the community resulting in less crime and so the cycle continues.
My manifesto consists of six points. A skate hub for the people of Margate in the old Sunshine Cafe. The Skate hub will have the identity of the brand Beach Rat which will also be a project taking over by the skate community. Beach Rat merchandise will be on sale on site alongside an on site cafe for the skate community, as well as the wider community and tourists welcoming them to a new trendy hot spot, putting Margate back on the map. The Skate hub will also have mentors to teach people how to skate and support the local community and young people. Beach Rat will hold in house events and events with the wider community to unite a divided community. The positive change in Margate and the uniting of a community will then reduce crime help changing the reputation of Margate.
This diagram shows how the manifesto will happen. With the renovation of the sunshine cafe with community help and effort the local people will be able to create a skate hub, a safe space for the young people in the local area. The Beach Rat identity will be a project for the local skate community to get involved in. Local business and creative people can also help the Beach Rat community make the project a successful and give young people the skills they require to produce a successful project. The group project will then work together to sell their designed and made products from start to finish on site where there will also be an on site cafe. Giving jobs to the local people and again welcoming outsiders in the community. With the mentoring that will take place in the Skate park there will be an element of education and young people learn skills and gain confidence as they learn to skate. The mentoring and the sense of community then connects a divided Margate community. The Beach Rat community will then host and plan events and workshops to educate the wider community. With a purpose and understanding of the wider community, crime will reduce in the area making Margate once again a safe space.
An example of a successful skate park is Southbank Centre in London. It has been a skate space since the 1970’s and is known as a place of urban culture and freedom of creativity. This skate park is a popular spot and attracts many visitors bringing together a skate community.
This is a community made skate park in Bolivia, Pura Pura. The local community came together with the campaign ‘Make Life Skate Life.’ The skate park has been a successful community spot. They also were successful in creating a community skate house where youth clubs, workshops and educational workshops could take place creating a safe space for the community.
This programmatic Diagram shows a rough proposal of what could happen to the Sunshine Cafe. Towards the right side of the plan show the kitchen and seating areas of the cafe as well as Beach Rat Merchandising stands. The left area of the space shows the uniquely designed skate park for the community.
This shows the possibility of what could happen with the space. I have edited my conceptual models in the Sunshine Cafe space and shown how the space could be used.
This shows another perspective of the Sunshine Cafe and what could happen with the space, again with edited conceptual models which are used in wthe skate zone of the Hub.
Recording of Proposal
Rachel C Clarke Portfolio 