Mystic Skateboarding at John Hansard Gallery

About

A panel discussion with Toby Litt, Steve Béga and Amy and Emily of We Skate Soton about skateboarding from a spiritual angle

In this panel discussion, led by Toby Litt, (author of Swedenborg, Skateboarding and Sunlight), Steve Béga from Skate Southampton, and Amy and Emily of We Skate Soton will approach skateboarding from a spiritual angle.What's often seen as merely a physical activity, and a dangerous one, is well known to as a lot more - a direct route to transcendence.

The great skater Rodney Mullen, inventor of the ollie, was once told that his skating was like a prayer. His reaction? 'That was the coolest thing anyone's ever said to me.' But how can this be true? Isn't skating just wheels and bodies jumping off and slamming down on concrete? What spiritual uplift can there be in a wooden board three and a half inches off the ground? The discussion is aimed at both adults and children. Join us to hear, contribute and learn.

Toby Litt is an award-winning novelist and short story writer. He is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Southampton where he runs the Writing Programme. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a member of English PEN. He is an environmental activist and editor of the Writers Rebel website. Publications include Patience (2019), shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, and A Writer's Diary (2022/2023). His run on the comic Dead Boy Detectives is the basis for the 8-part Netflix series.

In 2026, he delivered his talk On Swedenborg, Skateboarding and Sunlight, which was published the same day by Swedenborg Editions.

Steve Béga is a multidisciplinary creative whose work spans public art, placemaking, sculpture, curation and creative strategy. Drawing on extensive experience in environmental consultancy and project delivery, he collaborates with developers, local authorities and communities to create meaningful public-art projects that strengthen connections to place. Steve also curates exhibitions and leads events and workshops that bring people, organisations and ideas together.

We Skate Soton is a women led skate community which aims to make skate-spaces more inclusive for everyone.

Emily is a community builder with a passion for highlighting women and marginalised gender voices in a predominantly male skateboarding scene. Amy is also a multidisciplinary artist with an interest in boundaries and access to the natural world, both are passionate about making skating fun and accessible to all, no matter ability or background.