Ben Campkin interviews London Night Czar Amy Lamé

As part of the NITE research project, Prof Ben Campkin and Amy Lamé’s conversation is wide ranging: from the connections between migration, night spaces and LGBTQ+ communities, to Amy’s own experience as a migrant and her 25 years co-running LGBTQ+ club night and social enterprise, Duckie, to being appointed the Mayor of London's first Night Czar in 2016. In this role, Amy emphasises her drive to improve social justice at night through putting diversity policies into action, while promoting and protecting night-time economies and cultures. Given the serious impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on London’s thriving night scenes, Amy talks about the ways City Hall have been working to support LGBTQ+ and other venues to re-open.

Amy is one of the UCL NITE team’s Associated Partners. You can find out more about the European research collaboration on night spaces, migration, culture and integration in Europe, including the UCL NITE team’s research on LGBTQ+ night spaces and migration, on the Night Spaces website.

Reports on LGBTQ+ nightlife in London are available on the UCL Urban Laboratory website, and more information on Amy Lamé and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s work on 24-Hour London is available on the Greater London Authority website.

Amy Lamé, London Night Czar