Grassroots
On the sidelines with Rise United, the football club redefining Asian identity
Football, family style — Blending creativity on and off the pitch, the London ESEA+ grassroots team is providing its burgeoning community with spaces to express, and be, themselves.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Is the UK ready for a Kabaddi boom?
Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi — Watched by over 280 million in India, the breathless contact sport has repeatedly tried to grip British viewers. Ahead of the Kabaddi World Cup being held in Wolverhampton this month, Kyle MacNeill speaks to the gamechangers laying the groundwork for a grassroots scene.
Written by: Kyle MacNeill
In Bristol, pub singers are keeping an age-old tradition alive
Ballads, backing tracks, beers — Bar closures, karaoke and jukeboxes have eroded a form of live music that was once an evening staple, but on the fringes of the southwest’s biggest city, a committed circuit remains.
Written by: Fred Dodgson
One year of Jeremy Corbyn’s Music for the Many
Photographer Emily-Jayne Nolan went down to Moth Club, Hackney to capture the anniversary show of Peace & Justice Project’s campaign to save grassroots music venues.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Grassroots football teams take a stand against racism
‘Racist fans are not fans‘ — In response to the abuse faced by Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, teams from across London gathered in solidarity with the England players.
Written by: Huck
How Philly's young activists are setting the political agenda
'We the youth are in control' — In Philadelphia, grassroots operations in communities of colour helped Biden secure the presidency. Now, they're determined to ensure the next four years bring transformational change.
Written by: Alex King
How you can help homeless people this Christmas without handing over money
People helping people — Gavyn Emery launched Keep Bristol Warm to encourage people to share clothes, time and love with the homeless, rather than cash - and he’s eager to see the idea spread across the UK.
Written by: Alex King
Why heavily state-controlled Shanghai is one of the world's most liberating places to skate
Charging Through China — Meet Tommy Zhao and the skate family nurturing an exciting DIY scene in the midst of Shanghai’s retro-futuristic skyscrapers.
Written by: Charlotte Middlehurst
Meet K-Dub: the hard-hustling visionary behind Oakland’s DIY skate park, Town Park
Oakland belongs to the kids — In our latest story from Levi’s® Skateboarding Special II: Stories of Independence — our annual Skateboarding collab with Levi’s® — we meet teacher-turned-DIY skatepark creator Keith ‘K-Dub’ Williams, whose relentless hard work has given the skaters of Oakland a unique space to call their own.
Written by: Em-j Staples