Uplift Skate and Art Festival to transform Rotherham town centre into urban playground with skateboarding, music and interactive gaming

SKATEBOARDING stars, rock bands and the chance to step into a “real-life” video game will combine to bring a buzz to the town centre next week by creating an urban playground.

The Uplift Skate and Art Festival is back in town from Wednesday, April 5, to Friday, April 7, with an action-packed programme including BMX and skateboard demonstrations, DJ sets, coaching sesssions and live music.

Rotherham Council said the event was even bigger this year, with the addition of a pop-up roller rink hosted by the Roller Girl Gang and two arenas for skateboarding and BMX.

Admission is free, with most activities running from 11am until 3.30pm and bands including Blood Stained Reputation, Paper Scenes and Friday’s headliner, Black Spiders, playing until 4.30pm.

Pro skateboarder and Great Britain national team member Alex deCunha will be showing off his skills and passing on tips alongside fellow experts Tommy Corbridge and Adam Kay and pro-BMXers Antonio Smallwood and Brandon Steele in the Effingham Square skate arena from 2.30pm until 3.30pm daily.

Creative workshops will also be on offer, with artists Ed Syder, Natasha Clarke and Phil Padfield overseeing activities in Effingham Street, while the Teenage Market will showcase stalls run by young traders and artists aged between 16 and 25.

College Street will become the Actual Reality Arcade, a life-sized interactive zone inspired by classic arcade games.

Game players can dodge barrels and lasers, build Tetris walls, shoot aliens and even become a Pac-Man.

Circus company Ockham’s Razor will bring their brand-new outdoor performance Public to Uplift on Wednesday, blending contemporary circus and visual theatre.

All Saints’ Square will host the roller-skating arena with DJs in action, while the music stage will be in Effingham Square.

For more information and updates, head to the “RMBCEvents” Facebook page.