A documentary about Dulwich Skateboarders turning a disused car park into a skate park during the Covid lockdown will be released on December 16.  

Filmmaker Nick Vieweg made the documentary, The Grove, to show the importance of the place and its value to young people in the local community.  

The Grove, which was premiered at Vladimir Film Festival in Croatia in September, will be available to the public via Free Skateboard Magazine this Friday.   

Although the documentary has not been officially released yet, Vieweg said the response he received at the festival was very positive:

“The film resonated with skateboarders from all over the globe, especially because of the strong sense of community – which is true to skateboard culture in general”.  

The Grove Pub, on Lordship Lane, was left to rot after its closure in 2012 due to a fire in the kitchen. The documentary shows the development of the Grove DIY project, in which a community of skateboarders brought this neglected site to life.  

What started as local skaters on furlough, buying cement and building ramps without experience, became a huge community-based operation during the lockdown. 

Tilly Yoyo, the caretaker of the project, believes that Dulwich residents realised through the Grove DIY that a “wacky project” like this was needed in the area. “I believe the Grove enriches the local profile in its own way,” she added.  

Even though the site has been closed for years, it is still owned by Dulwich Estate, and the pub chain Stonegate Pubs has a lease until 2025.   

The Grove DIY has had its fair share of challenges as it was built on land owned by someone else. 

Vieweg said:

“Hopefully, the documentary can be used as a tool to help people understand what is actually going on at the space, especially those who want the skatepark gone or think negatively of it.”  

The feedback from the local council has been positive overall to the Grove DIY. “They are supportive in terms of offering legal guidance or information when needed,” said Yoyo.