Night-time politics
Research from UCL Urban Laboratory shows impact of LGBTQI nightlife venue closures on London’s communities.
When London Mayor Sadiq Khan appointed LGBTQI activist Amy Lamé as Night Czar in 2016, it was an unprecedented step to preserve a part of London’s cultural heritage: its clubs.
For many, London’s clubland has always been a refuge. But this also makes it vulnerable to changes in urban ecosystems that mainstream institutions are not. And, while the recent closure of some of London’s most beloved clubs might be a worrying development for the city’s night-time economy, research by Urban Lab shows that within the LGBTQI nightlife community, longstanding spaces, and those catering to women and minority ethnic Londoners, are suffering the most.
The LGBTQI nightlife project, led by Dr Ben Campkin and Research Assistant Laura Marshall, used surveys and archival study to map the breadth and diversity of the scene, and gather data from community members, venue managers, event promoters and performers. Previously well-defined ‘queer neighbourhoods’ such as Soho and Vauxhall, for example, have become the subject of particularly intense redevelopment. Inconsistencies in the attitudes and methods of different boroughs in supporting and safeguarding nightlife have made it increasingly difficult for new localised communities to flourish.
The function of LGBTQI nightlife goes well beyond leisure and hedonism, the research finds. Dedicated queer spaces are crucial to the welfare and survival of the communities they serve, providing a safe and productive space to organise and build networks. A concerted effort has to be made not only to preserve existing institutions but to keep creating diverse and inclusive spaces run by and for people of colour, women, trans and non-binary people.
Urban Lab’s ongoing research in conjunction with the Raze Collective and the Queer Spaces Network, gives a clear mission for the future: to measure the impact of venue closures on the community, enact positive changes to help preserve valuable resources and create new structures for welfare and collaboration across LGBTQI groups.
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The Bartlett Annual Review 2016