Jun 21, 2020
Meet London-born of Nigerian descent Mark Maciver. A pinnacle figure within his community, he is the founder and owner of the reputable barbershop, Slidercuts Studio in Hackney, East London. Mark is a strong advocate for youth empowerment, an example for us all in our daily lives.
Mark Maciver SliderCuts
How did you get into barbering: I always had an interest in hair and was always looking at haircuts on TV and in real life. We couldn't afford to go to the barber shop so I would get haircuts at home from my mum and older brothers. When I was about 13/14 I got tired of these substandard home cuts and wanted a good one like what some of my friends at school had, so I attempted it myself. It went very wrong, but that never stopped me and I continued cutting my own hair progressively getting better and that is how I started my barber career.
What's the current hairstyle trend: One of the current hairstyle trends is a fade on the sides with a twist on the top. Which can be dreads, plaits or a natural Kurl King twist.
On the success of Slidercuts, how important do you feel the barbershop is to our community: The barber shop is vital to the community as it is one of the few spaces, if not maybe the only open space that people come to where they can be themselves and connect with people who are from similar backgrounds to them. With the shutdown of a majority of community centres, the barber shop has elevated in its importance because it plays the role of networking, mentoring, teaching, correcting, building and uplifting of people
What part of the day are you most productive: I'm most productive in the morning.
What did you have as a child that kids today don’t have: What I had as a child that kids in this day and age don’t have was a lot more freedom, there was a lot more trust then and there wasn’t even any mobile phones. I was allowed to roam more. My school was about half a mile to three quarters of a mile away and me and my younger brother use to walk their by ourselves. I was about seven years old at the time.
What do you enjoy most about being a father: One of the things I enjoy most about being a father is seeing my children smile from happiness.
What advice would you give to young fathers in our community: Firstly, your children should be treated as an obligation not an option. Treat your children like a flower that you want to blossom. A flower would need water, sunlight and oxygen consistently in order for it to grow and have a healthy life (likewise with your children). Your children will need attention, care and time consistently. On the point of caring, FATHERS! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE affirm your children, because children soak up the things that are said to them.
If you could equip your kids with 3 things to go into the future with, what would it be:
(1) Knowledge of who God (Jesus) is.
(2) Understanding of how to run and do business./p>
(3) Integrity & drive./p>
Watch below our 2020 Fatherhood campaign which Mark Maciver graced.
Video Credits
Written and Directed by Florian Joahn @florian.joahn
Cinematography: Rodrigo Inada @t0s_k4
