Rom Skatepark Celebrates Its Heritage with New Film, Community Mural and Open-Air Back to the Future Screenings

17th July 202617th July 2026 Francesca Lilleystone 0 Comments Havering London, Open Air Cinema, ROM Skatepark min read

Havering London, in partnership with Rom Skatepark, will present Skatepark Revived on Saturday 25 July 2026 – a day-long celebration of the world’s only Grade II listed skatepark, featuring the premiere of a new short film co-created with local young people, the unveiling of a permanent mural and open-air screenings of Back to the Future, alongside live music.

The event marks the culmination of a heritage project that has brought together young people from Havering with Essex artist Scott Irving (Brave 1) and filmmakers Paul Gonella (Strong Island) and Adam Whitaker (Lawker Media) to explore Rom Skatepark’s unique history and help shape its future. All three artists have longstanding connections to Rom Skatepark, having skated there themselves as young people.

Paul, Adam and Scott all have long associations with Rom Skatepark. “Romford Skatepark was the first skatepark I ever visited as a kid, back in 1987 — I’ll never forget arriving through the garage and seeing the Rom concrete for that first time. I’ve now been skateboarding for 40+ years and filming my friends since 1992,’ says Paul. ‘The best part of our jobs is supporting and empowering people with new skills to discover the impact of their authentic voice through creativity. The skatepark has a rich, lived history we’ve drawn from, but the group have explored themes from their own experiences and use the skatepark as a unique canvas for their story.”

Visitors will be among the first to see the new film and permanent mural, both created through the project, before the day concludes with two outdoor screenings of the 1985 classic Back to the Future. Shown on a large LED screen overlooking the skatepark, audiences will be able to enjoy food and drinks before watching the film from Rom’s iconic reservoir.

The film was chosen to celebrate the era in which Rom first opened, with both the skatepark and the film becoming enduring icons of 1980s popular culture.

Andrew Bawden of Rom Skatepark said ‘It’s brilliant to be working with Havering London on projects like this. Skatepark Revived is a great example of what happens when you bring young people’s creativity into Rom’s unique space — they bring energy and ideas we wouldn’t get anywhere else. Rom simply cannot survive as a single-purpose skatepark. That’s why we’re keen to try new fun events and activities to appeal to more people. This outdoor screening is a perfect example — it’ll be the first of its kind in the local area, and a great event to have during summer under the stars.’

Visitors are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite Back to the Future character, with prizes for the best fancy dress. The second screening will also feature a live performance from Finn Sexton, frontman of indie band Monumental.

Free afternoon programme (2pm–4pm)
The afternoon is free to attend, though booking is required, and includes:

● Free skate party for under-16s, with games, prizes and open sessions to skate, ride and scoot

● Premiere of a new short film co-created with young people from Rom’s community, made with filmmakers Paul Gonella (Strong Island) and Adam Whitaker (Lawker Media)

● Q&A session with the creative team behind the film

● Unveiling of a new permanent mural celebrating Rom’s history, created by young people alongside Essex artist Scott Irving (Brave 1)

Evening programme — Back to the Future screenings

Two ticketed screenings will follow in the evening, each including a repeat showing of the short film, a view of the new mural, and prizes for best Back to the Future fancy dress:

● Screening 1: 4.15pm–6.45pm

● Screening 2: 7pm–10pm, with a live set from Finn Sexton, frontman of indie band Monumental

Food and a licensed bar will be available in the evening. Wheels are permitted in the park until 4pm. Family tickets are available, and advance booking is required for both evening screenings.

About Rom Skatepark

Built in 1978 in Hornchurch, Rom Skatepark is the only Grade II listed skatepark in the world, recognised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of English Heritage, as “nationally important and of special interest.” Spanning 4,000 square metres and designed by Adrian Rolt and G-Force, it opened a year after Britain’s first commercial skatepark, Skate City, on London’s Southbank. It remains one of only a handful of parks from that era to retain its original features, including a field of concrete moguls, a half-pipe and a kidney-shaped skating pool. Rom Skatepark is currently included on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

About the Artists

Film Commission

Skatepark Revived has commissioned a short film co-created with young people and children, led by two filmmakers who have deep personal roots at Rom Skatepark.

Paul Gonella, Strong Island Media
Paul first visited Rom in 1987 as a young skater from Chelmsford, drawn by photographs he had seen in the magazines. More than 40 years later he is back, this time as a filmmaker with over 15 years of experience and a passion for empowering young people to find their authentic voice through creativity. Paul founded Strong Island Media in 2012 with the aim of bridging the very best of commercial and community filmmaking. He is also a trustee of Southsea Skatepark.

Adam Whitaker, Lawker Media
Adam has been visiting Rom since he was eleven years old. A graphic designer, filmmaker and lifelong member of the skating scene, Adam brings over 30 years of creative experience to the project spanning graphic design, sticker and sign making, vehicle graphics and short film production. He and Paul first met skating in the late 1980s and have been firm friends and collaborators ever since. A serious accident at Rom in 2019 means Adam can no longer skate at the level he once did, but as he puts it, he still feels completely at home at Rom.

Mural Commission

Scott Irving, Brave Arts

Essex-born artist Scott Irving, known in the scene as Brave 1, caught the graffiti bug as a kid in the 1980s and never looked back. Like Paul and Adam, Scott skated at Rom and shares a deep personal connection to the space he is now returning to as an artist. After founding Brave Arts in 2001 he became one of the pioneers of spray can art workshops in the UK, delivering hundreds of events for schools, youth clubs and community organisations over almost three decades. A graffiti art lover turned graffiti art maker turned graffiti art teacher, Scott is a youth worker, mentor, and advocate for achieving positivity through a shared passion for art. What sets him apart is that he has never stopped painting just for the love of it and that genuine passion is what he brings to every project.

About the project

Skatepark Revived forms part of Havering Unearthed, a programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Romford BID, Arts Council England and the London Borough of Havering. The project responds to Havering’s A Good Life strategy, helping Rom Skatepark re-establish its role at the heart of the local community. Havering Unearthed is part of Havering London’s A Good Lifeprogramme, a major investment in culture across the borough, supporting projects that build pride in place, community connection and opportunities for local people to shape their cultural life.

Skatepark Revived has seen Paul Gonella and Adam Whitaker working alongside local young creatives and filmmakers to draw on the skatepark’s rich lived history and the group’s own shared experiences, using Rom as a unique canvas to tell an original story.

Scott Irving worked alongside young people to co-create a permanent mural at Rom Skatepark, a site that has hosted work by some of the most celebrated names in street art including London Police and Ben Eine. Young people and children’s contributions will sit alongside the greats and be part of local street art history.

EVENT DETAILS & LISTINGS

Date
Saturday 25 July 2026

Time
Afternoon programme: 2pm–4pm (free, booking required)
Back to the Future, Screening 1: 4.15pm–6.45pm (paid, booking required)
Back to the Future, Screening 2 + live music from Finn Sexton: 7pm–10pm (paid, booking required)

Location
Rom Skatepark, Upper Rainham Rd, Hornchurch RM12 4ES
By train: Rom Skatepark is a short walk from Elm Park Underground Station (District line).
By bus: Nearest stop Laburnum Avenue, 252 bus. Rom Skatepark is approximately a one-minute walk from the stop. Alternatively, Elm Park Underground Station is a 10-minute walk away and is served by bus routes 165, 252, 365 and 372.

The entrance to the skatepark is beside the Cardrome Learner Centre. Access is via the forecourt of the petrol station next to Birchwood Car Sales, through the double gates.

Tickets
Free under-16s skate session; evening screenings ticketed from £6, family tickets available.

Booking
Via Eventbrite:
SKATEPARK REVIVED a celebration of art and film at Rom skatepark Tickets, Saturday 25 July • 2 PM – 10 PM | Eventbrite

Access
For access requirements, email contact@romskatepark.uk