Grime Kids: The Inside Story of the Global Grime Takeover

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Ultimately, the series is about music, friendship and figuring out what kind of man you want to be when the world still sees you as a kid. A love letter to east London Grime Kids is directed by Abdou Cisse and Ian Aryeh, and produced by Irma Inniss. Executive producers are Theresa Ikoko, DJ Target, Tom Leggett and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, and Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC. The series is distributed internationally by Fifth Season. The festival will present a diverse programme of films, shorts, series and immersive works from 92 countries, featuring 79 languages playing across the 12 days of the festival. This includes 99 works made by female and non-binary filmmakers – 39% of the programme.

Grime Kids OUT NOW on Twitter Grime Kids OUT NOW on Twitter

Led by a cast of rising young talent, Grime Kids stars Shanu Hazzan (EastEnders, The Gentleman), Juwon Adedokun (We Love Moses, Damilola, Our Loved Boy), Gabriel Robinson (Casualty, Silent Witness), Tienne Simon (Silent Witness) and Yus Jamal Crookes making his debut TV appearance.A new BBC Three drama will explore the emergence of grime music from subculture to international phenomenon.

Grime Kids: BBC Three drama to explore emergence of grime

DJ Target’s Grime Kids sells itself as the definitive inside story of grime. While books like Wiley’s Eskiboy keep it from being the uncontested champ, it will surely be one of the go-to texts for years to come. Anyone with even a passing interest in grime music or East London spirit will be well served by Grime Kids. Speaking about the setting of the series, creator Theresa Ikoko says "It’s a real privilege to showcase the communities of east London in my writing. I've had the pleasure of calling east London home for most of my life. I hope the love I have for this special part of the world shines through in this show." Series creator Theresa Ikoko says: “The casting process was one of my favourite parts of making this show. The first time seeing all five leads together was such a magical moment; we knew instantly that we had something special with them.”Although fictional, it is inspired by DJ Target’s 2019 non-fiction book of the same name. Grime Kids follows a group of teenagers using music to share their voices, whilst navigating growing up in the 90s. It is a celebration of culture and community, and the ever-growing genre of grime. Set in 2001 at the start of summer, Grime Kids follows the five friends Dane, Junior, Kai, Bishop and Bayo, known as the “Gladiator Crew”. The lads navigate first loves, disapproving parents and brushes with danger - each coming of age in their own way, while setting out to have their music played on the airways. Meet the cast of Grime Kids School’s out. Dane, Junior, Bishop, and Bayo want to make the most of their summer. Dane’s old friend Kai has an idea about how. Armed with fake IDs and fake bravado, they sneak in to Knights of the Realm, the rave of the summer. Those young people will be portrayed by up-and-coming stars: Shanu Hazzan (EastEnders, The Gentleman), Juwon Adedokun (We Love Moses, Damilola, Our Loved Boy), Gabriel Robinson (Casualty, Silent Witness), Tienne Simon (Silent Witness) and Yus Jamal Crookes, who’s making his debut TV appearance. Meet the characters

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Grime Kids has finished filming and will be available on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer later this year. This year’s Opening Film will be the International Premiere of Saltburn, directed by Emerald Fennell, which will screen simultaneously at selected cinemas across UK. The festival will close with the World Premiere of Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya’s dystopian drama, The Kitchen. Each individual has his own defining characteristic, a story to tell and a reason to look for something more than what life can provide. Set in the early 2000s, Grime Kids explores how the environment in which a person grows up affects their choices, actions and the kind of people they surround themselves with. It touches on the different approaches to parenting – from the overly strict to the neglectful to the ones incredibly dependent on their children – and how the absence of parental authority can urge young individuals to look for family elsewhere, whether it be through their friends or the idols they look up to. The writing highlights these different dynamics through toxic friendships, jealousy and familial rifts. TIGER STRIPES (Malaysia-Taiwan-Singapore-France-Germany-Netherlands-Indonesia-Qatar, dir.-scr. Amanda Nell Eu)Inspired by DJ Target’s book of the same name, Grime Kids is an original drama written by Bafta-nominated and BIFA-winning writer Theresa Ikoko. Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three says: “It’s a great pleasure to announce the incredibly talented cast of Grime Kids - a fantastic new story rich with life, told through the eyes of teens in the best summer of their lives. I can’t wait for BBC Three viewers to get to know them.”

Grime Kids: The Inside Story of the Global Grime Takeover Grime Kids: The Inside Story of the Global Grime Takeover

Technology has moved on since then, in many ways to artists’ benefit, but the creative community that underpins Grime Kids really does feel like a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Seeing it from Target’s perspective is a real privilege. Target makes a point of saying he does not use a ghostwriter, and it’s a good call. His prose captures the excitement, joy, and buzz of his experiences in a pure and authentic way. In many respects, the book follows the same beats as the genre it documents. It muddles around in East London, is seduced by garage and jungle music, and then finds its feet exploring the mysteries of a new genre.

Yus Jamal Crooks will be making his TV debut, alongside Shanu Hazzan (EastEnders), Juwon Adedokun (We Love Moses), Gabriel Robinson (Silent Witness), and Tienne Simon ( Silent Witness). As a not-for-profit media organisation using constructive journalism to strengthen communities, we have not put our digital content behind a paywall or subscription fee as we think the benefits of an independent, local publication should be available to everyone living in our area. An exciting new series debuting at this year’s London Film Festival is Grime Kids by BAFTA-nominated writer and British playwright Theresa Ikoko, based on DJ Target’s book, following a group of teenage boys trying to make a mark in the world through grime. As high school closes for the summer, with GCSEs done and dusted, a group of friends realise the impending end of their childhood years. Prepping for maturity, they aim to live their summer to the fullest having fun, while also securing their future in the music industry. This is the story of Dane, Bishop, Bayo, Junior and Kai. Junior, Dane’s best friend, is the ‘dad’ of the group. During the series, he learns to confront his grief over the death of his mum head on and put aside old resentments and see the best in people.