Bertz Associates and Children of the Diaspora are proud to present ‘Rolling at The Tower’, a community documentary funded by an Everyday Heritage Grant from Historic England.
This documentary uncovers the stories of Victorian roller-skaters, who campaigned for a rink to be opened, Pat Kirkham, a roller-skating legend who broke 4 world records during her career, and Birmingham’s skaters today, who are creating a community in spite of civic opposition.
Dating back to the 1800s, Birmingham’s roller skating scene is a flourishing, diverse community – but it lacks dedicated spaces. This community documentary explores the history of one roller venue, The Tower Ballroom, and considers what it tells us about the power of community action.
For nearly 150 years, the Tower Ballroom was a hub for the community, providing an intergenerational and multicultural space. It was closed in 2017, and tragically demolished in 2022 despite campaigns to save it. The local community have contributed to the documentary by sharing their stories, memories, photographs and films of the Tower.
The film will be screened at Midlands Arts Centre on Sunday 16 March at 4pm. It will be followed by a Q&A hosted by Sipho Ndlovu with executive producer Iris Bertz, directors Yonatan Tiruneh and John Hill-Daniel, star of the film Empress Gibbs, and local rollerskater Paige Clarke-Jeffers.