Pictures by Jeff Crossly, Tim van Asdonck and Tom Critchley
Our June residency at Stranded FM was broadcasted from the Caribbean shoreline of Bull Bay, Jamaica. Over three months we are working with Concrete Jungle Foundation on an ambitious research project to record the impact of The Freedom Skatepark one year after construction. The research project is split into two sections: first we are measuring behavioural traits of the children enrolled in the Edu-Skate Programme based on the Self Determination Theory of which the curriculum is designed around to see how they develop over a three month semester. Secondly, we are administering a more general survey for all users of the skatepark to record the impact it is having within the community it serves. The general themes of this is to enquire about youth empowerment and social cohesion at The Freedom Skatepark.
Our radio show explores the research project with Maggie Wilmot - Bull Bay community figure, Chrissana Wilmot who is part of the research team, and Tim van Asdonck who is the Programme Manager for CJF in Jamaica. We set the scene by discussing Bull Bay's historical links to surfing and skateboarding whilst mapping out the day-to-day life of the community who use the skatepark. We then move on to talk more generally about The Freedom Skatepark and the Edu-Skate Programme including the Self-Determination Theory that underpins the curriculum. We outline how the research project is attempting to measure the Edu-Skate Programme, and how research more generally can benefit improved programming at the skatepark.
