#Skateistan10: Of the past: Charles Antoine Bodson, The Skateroom (Major Donor)
As Skateistan celebrates 10 years, founder Oliver Percovich caught up with some of the most influential individuals that helped Skateistan to grow from its early beginnings in Kabul, into an award-winning international organization. Charles is the founder of The Skateroom, a social enterprise that collaborates with contemporary artists to create limited editions of artwork using skateboards as the canvas. The Skateroom first began working with Skateistan in 2013, donating a percentage of their sales to supporting our programs and, notably, funding the construction of the Johannesburg and Phnom Penh Skate Schools.
Oliver Percovich: How did you find out about Skateistan?
Charles Antoine Bodson: I learned about Skateistan about five years ago from a friend in Brussels. He was in my office and showed me the website. I immediately contacted you on the phone and you told me about the first project in Phnom Penh.
OP: We first met at our old office in Berlin. Skateistan’s Deputy Executive, Claire, was part of the meeting and she said we were talking so much it was impossible for her to get a word in. Do you think a strong connection was made to Skateistan at that first meeting?
CB: Oh yes, totally. It was important for us to meet you guys in order to understand the bigger picture of your projects, the way you were running the existing projects, and of course, it had to link seriously. It made it easier for us to work together because we knew each other. During the last five years, we have learned how to work together, you have understood our projects better, and us yours. I think there is a still a great way to work together in front of us.
OP: What did you initially do to help Skateistan and why were you motivated to help?
CB: When I first connected with Skateistan, it was concerning a collection of skateboard decks that I had. I decided to sell a part of that private collection to support Skateistan, but it was not a business or a full-time occupation. When I went to Phnom Penh for the first time and I saw the result, it sparked a personal change and I realized that is made no sense to work in a gallery anymore. I saw myself much more in developing the Skateroom project as it exists today, supporting Skateistan. I started supporting by giving 20% of the sales of my private collection to Skateistan, and after that I began the Skateroom project and approached major artist foundations with the idea of producing special skate editions using the same economic model.
OP: Do you have a personal memory or story that stands out from the last 10 years of Skateistan?
CB: There are three highlights that stand out from our collaborations in the past years. First was the first time I was in touch with the kids in the Skate Schools in Phnom Penh, when it was still at Pour un Sourire d’Enfant. It totally enabled me to understand what you were doing. Second thing is, of course, the opening of theJohannesburg Skate School with the support of Paul McCarthy, because it was a huge project for us to support, the biggest one so far. And the third one is the Afghanistan trip. I was waiting for many years to go and visit the facility with you. I had the chance to go with you in September and it was an incredible trip and experience. I really liked being in touch with the school and seeing how it works — seeing that the people running the programs are Afghan people and realizing how big the impact is on the kids.
OP: I’ve got wonderful memories, especially of the Johannesburg and Kabul trips. You talking about first donating proceeds from your personal collection and then being motivated more to develop a business out of it. Were there other things that Skateistan influenced–did it change your perspective, your attitude towards Afghanistan or towards your work?
CB: What has truly influenced me is definitely the link between skateboarding, education and youth. I couldn’t understand that at the time — it is because of your expertise and being able to experience the Skate Schools that I fully understood the impact. The willingness to support Skateistan is linked to that. At the same time, I do have a personal goal with the Skateroom, which is to show consumers and retailers that by applying the economic model that we are trying to establish, they can have some marketing arguments that they can use. And to me, it looks more like the upcoming way to consume, than the previous one where retailers, brands, producers are making a lot of money and just using advertising as a vehicle to reach different communities. I think today advertising makes no sense anymore and it’s much more powerful to talk about the impact that retailers can have through sales and that consumers can have through their purchases.
OP: It’s good to hear how the influence of Skateistan goes on to then impact, through you, potentially many other sectors. Touching on the future, and really dreaming big, what would you like to see Skateistan achieve in the next 10 years?
CB: Skateistan has an incredible position in the world of skateboarding and education today. Why? Because of your track record for the last ten years and because skateboarding will be included in Olympics. Of course, the Olympic Committee wants to make it possible for more kids around the world to skate, and with your mission you have been able to do that for the last ten years — that’s your expertise. So, if you ask me to dream big, I would love Skateistan to develop a franchise system. If we can work with bigger retailers, we can donate more money for you to reach different skate projects around the world. Skateistan could become a “label” and not run, but chaperone, all those different projects around the world.
OP: Amazing. Well thank you so much for your involvement in Skateistan over the last six years. It’s been incredible support especially building in Johannesburg through the collaboration with Paul McCarthy. I think Skateistan and The Skateroom have got a really exciting and bright future together.
CB: I’m sitting at my desk at the moment working on all those future projects to support Skateistan, so you can count on us to still support Skateistan, your projects, your infrastructures, and the many new projects to come.
Thanks to the support of individuals and organisations, such as Charles of The Skateroom, we have been empowering children through skateboarding and education for 10 years now. Celebrate and follow this milestone with us on the blog, and get ready for our new campaign to support 10 more years of Skateistan which launches May 10th.
