Urban creep: Up your street smarts

Grab your sneakers and flat caps as the quintessential African urban street culture festival, STR.CRD, hits Johannesburg this weekend.

Thousands are expected to gather at Constitution Hill in the city to celebrate Africa's unique and vibrant street culture through music, fashion, skateboarding, parkour, graffiti, dance and art exhibitions.

STR.CRD project director Mandla Mazibuko said: ''Our ultimate goal is to capture the essence of true African street culture. To reflect who the urban youth are in a truly authentic way."

STR.CRD is a platform for people like illustrator and art director Lazi ''Greiispaces" Mathebula, whose exhibit last year was so well received that he is now the festival's head designer and the man behind Falikoni, the festival's logo and mascot.

The festival also features the New Creators Lab in association with the Swedish Institute.

This afternoon, eight speakers will give the lowdown on street smarts. They include Jeff Carvalho, one of minds behind the website Highsnobiety - a daily news website covering streetwear, sneakers, cars, lifestyle, and the arts - and Emma Stenstrom, from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Also speaking will be local Uno de Waal, who runs between10&5, a site showcasing the best design, photography, illustration, advertising and more from the creative industry in South Africa, and the curator of Popart Theatre, Hayley Evans.

Of course, we have the street celebration itself, providing you with every hip item of clothing and street sport activity you could ever wish for including a VANS street skate competition and the Stylista street style photo booth.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest draws on the programme this year will be the STR.CRD x FullCourt21 basketball tournament.

This will feature a new take on the game as you have no teammates: It's just you against multiple defenders as you strive to qualify for 2015 World Final in New York City.

All of this culminates in one huge after-party at The Grove this Sunday.

STR.CRD is on this weekend at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg. Tickets are available at http://strcrd.com/ The day festival is R50 online and R150 at the door. New Creators Lab is R200.