Arts+CultureDoc XLondon’s underground rollerskatersEwen Spencer captures the quad skaters reinvigorating roller disco by bringing their four-wheels to the streets of east LondonShareLink copied ✔️April 22, 2015Arts+CultureDoc XTextAshleigh Kane Ewen Spencer is a subcultural maverick. Spotting the subversive scenes that aren’t always obvious to the everyday eye, the filmmaker/photographer's previous Dazed collabs, Brandy & Coke and Open Mic – both part of Channel 4's Music Nation series – shone a light on England's garage and grime music scenes. His latest project, jam&cheese, is a film centred on a group of quad skaters, tearing up the streets, shopping malls and last remaining roller-rinks of London. Friday evenings are spent doing all-nighters, perfecting their styles – jam skate, speed skate, street skate – and converting their old ice skates into bespoke four-wheeled footwear. “It takes everything away, it’s like I’m flying,” says one female skater. Scouting out rinks in Wembley, King's Cross and Vauxhall, Spencer follows a new generation of skaters, all who are increasingly finding their youth clubs falling to property development. Kicked out of public spaces, one skater explains: “If there’s two things the Mayor wanted to get rid of, it was the pigeons and the skaters.” Spencer finds the four-wheeled fanatics taking to new spaces, including Stratford Mall – an indoor pedestrian thoroughfare open 24-hours a day now known as a 'mecca' for skaters. “I think the police are probably quite pleased to have so many young people in one place having such a great time,” he says. Keep an eye on his Instagram and Twitter for a series of scrapbook images from jam&cheese as we catch up with the photographer/filmmaker below. How did you first come across these skaters? Ewen Spencer: I heard about this group through my friend Ratty (creator of Lord of the Mic’s grime DVDs). His intern Emms is a quad skater and told me about the Stratford Centre scene. Ratty’s young boy gets down there too. What do you think draws people to this style of skating? Ewen Spencer: Its mobility – therefore freedom – for young people. Autonomy. Getting away from your day-to-day and meeting new groups of people with a shared interest. It looks good gliding along and is something that is shared. Is this a revival of the culture of rollerskating or is it something that's always been quite subversive, and never really gone away? Ewen Spencer: I don’t think it's ever gone away since the 70s. The difference today is that more people are finding different terrains to skate on. The Stratford Centre is a great example of this. The boots are developing and the skills are becoming more elaborate. “The nation's youth clubs are closing down due to their funding being withdrawn and a group of kids have taken over a shopping centre at night to skate – it's brilliant” – Ewen Spencer When the kids are at Stratford Mall skating, what's the public's and police's reactions? Ewen Spencer: The skaters turn up relatively late on in the day. The centre is a public right of way as it's one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares to the neighbouring Westfield mall. This means they are obliged to keep the centre open and lit 24-hours a day. The skaters are moving around people walking through the centre but most people are either beginning or coming to the end of a night out, scattered, with the odd commuter. Why do you think it's important that we celebrate and support these subcultures? Ewen Spencer: I enjoy the inventiveness of subcultures like this. The style the music and, in this case, the reappropriation of a huge de-prioritised space in a densely populated part of the capital. It shows the brave inventiveness of youth. The nation's youth clubs are closing down due to their funding being withdrawn and a group of kids have taken over a shopping centre at night to skate – it's brilliant. What kind of a future do you think roller-skating has? Ewen Spencer: I think it will probably grow and keep evolving. Hopefully this film and other interest in the scene will help in that development. Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREWhy did Satan start to possess girls on screen in the 70s?Learn the art of photo storytelling and zine making at Dazed+Labs8 essential skate videos from the 90s and beyond with Glue SkateboardsThe unashamedly queer, feminist, and intersectional play you need to seeParis artists are pissed off with this ‘gift’ from Jeff KoonsA Seat at the TableVinca Petersen: Future FantasySnarkitecture’s guide on how to collide art and architectureBanksy has unveiled a new anti-weapon artworkVincent Gallo: mad, bad, and dangerous to knowGet lost in these frank stories of love and lossPreview a new graphic novel about Frida Kahlo