Parkour, is an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the abilities of the human body. This project was the first phase of a long-term partnership between the local community and the University of Brighton to develop understanding of lifestyle sports.

Understanding the social benefits of lifestyle sport in coastal East Sussex

Aims

This project addressed social issues arising from the emergence of informal ‘lifestyle sport’ practices in coastal East Sussex, focusing on the activity of parkour or free running which originated in the suburbs of Paris, and has quickly become popular across Europe and North America.

The project was envisaged as the first phase of a long-term partnership between the local community and the University of Brighton to develop our understanding of lifestyle sports, the requirements such sports makes in terms of facilities provision and planning, and how trends in such youth leisure practices inform the regeneration of coastal communities.

There were two phases to the research, the first mapped the lifeworld of the parkour community in Peacehaven/Telscombe and the second documented parkour with Team Agility, and involved a multimedia resource developed in collaboration with BA (Hons) Sport Journalism students in the Chelsea School. Both phases were designed to provide an evidence base sufficient to support the community-based initiatives developed by Team Agility, REGEN and Wave Leisure. Project partners

Chelsea School, University of Brighton
Peacehaven and Telescombe Regeneration Partnership (REGEN)
Team Agility http://www.team-agility.net/
Wave Leisure

Academic supervisory team:

Dr Belinda Wheaton (Senior Research Fellow) and Paul Gilchrist (Research Fellow) Chelsea School University of Brighton Parkour trainer

Jonathan Binney (Senior Lecturer) Chelsea School University of Brighton

Community supervisor

Jackie Blackwell Area Partnership Development Worker - Coastal South Downs Council for Voluntary Service