Claim the Spot: Skateboarding, Public Space, and Empowerment

A conversation as part of the Pop-Kultur Festival

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  Anna Gross, Fotografin: Caren Pauli – Anna Gross, Fotografin: Caren Pauli

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  Katharina Gehling, Fotografin: Sonka Hinders – Katharina Gehling, Fotografin: Sonka Hinders

Pop Culture Comes to the Museum at the Kulturbrauerei!

Skateboarding is more than just a sport: it’s a subculture, a DIY practice, and a community. What once began as a male-dominated counterculture is now increasingly shaped by FLINTA* and queer communities, who are creating their own spaces and viewing skateboarding as a practice of empowerment, participation, and solidarity.

Against this backdrop, the talk explores how skateboarding has changed and what role community and self-organization play in this transformation. What perspectives do FLINTA* and queer skaters bring to a scene that has long been male-dominated? How do spaces emerge where diverse experiences and identities become visible, and what significance do networking and mutual support hold for a more diverse skate culture?

The discussion will also focus on the role that public space plays in social participation. How can skateboarding help challenge existing structures and make self-empowerment a tangible, practical experience? Together, the panel will discuss how skateboarding straddles the lines between sport, culture, and activism—and what potential this connection holds for a more open society.

Panelists:

Anna Groß, co-director of the Berlin-based music label Springstoff and co-organizer of the international FLINTA* skateboarding contest Suck My Trucks. She has been deeply committed to diversity and empowerment in music and youth culture for years.

Katharina Gehling, photographer and cultural studies scholar. In her artistic and academic work, she focuses on subcultures, the do-it-yourself culture, and its exploration through photography and cultural analysis.

Velten Schäfer is a journalist and author. He writes about politics, culture, and society and published *Dogtown and X-Games*, a highly acclaimed cultural history of skateboarding.

Additional events as part of the Pop Culture Festival will take place on August 28 and September 29 in the museum’s studio.Translated with DeepL

Next date:

• Date Friday, 28/August/2026 18:30
• Venue Museum in der Kulturbrauerei
• Address Knaackstraße 97, 10435 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg