The importance of good role models is immeasurable. The playmakers at GAME are dedicated young people who facilitate sports and other activities in order to make children have fun and feel part of a wholesome community. To create just the right atmosphere you need music and who knows that better than Soundboks.
For this collaboration between GAME and Soundboks we made five portraits of influential playmakers and role models at GAME.
Production: UKENDT MEDIA
Shot & directed by: Nikolaj Rohde Simonsen
Producer: Frederik Baden Jørgensen
Photography: Alexander Hjorth Jespersen
Talents: Khalil Abdeddaim, Manmohan Ghuman, Leyla Kosar, Monika Kadlubcová & Sebastian Ejin Ong
Special thanks to: Søs Bondo, Aileen Wrobbel, Sina Hiddemann, Ida Brix & Laura Jonassen
Layla is an experienced Playmaker in street dance. She started in Aalborg where she was responsible for creating a GAME Zone in collaboration with a local youth club in a deprived area. She has been especially successful in the challenge of getting girls into sports communities and therefore she has been an important part of GAME’s effort to develop concepts that includes girls. Layla has also been part of GAME’s exchange program where she was in Libanon and after that was the host in Denmark for the Lebanese Playmaker colleges.
Khalil is a Playmaker in a GAME Zone in Næstved where he trains the local kids in street basket. He is a graduated playmaker and therefore now a part of GAME’s Hall of GAME which is responsible for educating volunteers to take more responsibility in the zones, develop and innovate GAME’s programs, and a part of GAME’s advocacy work. He started as a GAME kid himself - like his older brothers - and became a playmaker like them when he was old enough.
Monica works in GAME as a graphic designer where she also employs photography and video. Monica is a B-girl and has represented Czech Republic in the World Break Championship. She has been responsible for break dancing workshops with the kids from Street Mekka in Copenhagen. She is very passionate about what space the break dancing community can provide for children that does not fit in the traditional dance environment. She also stresses the importance of communities like GAME which has the latitude to make different dance communities possible - and how it can bring more girls into a primarily male dominated community like break dancing.
Sebastian is part of the GAME crew where he is in the role as Junior Coordinator. When he is working he is the face of GAME and makes sure everything runs smoothly in the building. On the side he runs a YouTube channel where he creates content to give people a laugh or learn something new. As the Junior Coordinator he greets people and makes sure the facilities in the building are top notch, as well as the vibe.
Manmohan has been a Playmaker in a GAME Zone in Horsens where she has been responsible for the weekly training in street dance for kids from deprived areas. She has also been part of a program in GAME for kids and young people with psychosocial challenges where they use parkour etc. to make the kids and young people feel included. The program has shown to have had a favourable social return on investment. She has also participated in Urban Music School in GAME Streetmekka in Copenhagen where she learned to DJ.