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A short documentary film co-produced with FFoto Nant as part of an arts residency at Pontio arts space in Bangor, North Wales.

pontio ‘skate’ project

I was the artist in residence at Pontio arts space exploring and celebrating the local skateboarding scene in the Bangor area in North Wales. After meetings and conversations with the local skate community we decided to organise a skateboarding event in the loading bay at Pontio arts centre. Ramps and ledges were set up for local skaters, young people were able to try skateboarding assisted by experts from the skate community, public walls were used for a temporary chalk mural and musicians performed live in the space .

To collect the memories from this day and celebrate this vibrant community I curated a group exhibition in the public space at Pontio Arts. I painted a temporary mural drawing on window, symbolising the importance of skateboarding in the community and its positive impact on the lives of many globally. The window drawing was designed to frame photographs from the ‘pontio skate’ event within it, taken by talented local photographers. The window mural and photographs were public facing to the outside on purpose, so that anyone walking through the area could see it. Inside the public exhibition space there was more work from the local photographers, a large video project showcasing the event (above), zines created by members of the local skate community and other skateboarding ephemera donated for the purposes of the exhibit. For more details on the residency please see here https://ballawaves.com/project/skate-pontio/

Exhibition contributors:

The skateboarders – their time, energy and commitment 

Jess Balla @ballawaves – artist in residence, window drawing and curation of space

Manon Awst @manon_awst – curator/coordinator

Stewart MacKellar @stewmackellarphoto – photographs within ‘billboard’ and ‘mobile phone’ window display

Jordan Phoenix @jardanphoenix – photographs within ‘mobile phone’ window display

Aled Oddy @aoav.studio – Sglef’ skateboarding zine pages

Dafydd Owen @ffotonant –  a short documentary of pontio Skate day on large screen

Yannick Hammer @blank_echo –  film on small screen

Max Ansell – loan of skateboards in glass cabinet

Young people – drawings