Where IS The Party? Politics & Pleasures of Glocal Club Culture

When it comes to clubbing culture then we mostly tend to hear about the big players from cultural metropolises that draw voyeurs from all over the world to their highly stylised bunkers and branded series. When introducing regional hubs, media often dances around the cliché of clubbing as an ecstatic revelation of a young post-something nation. The Balts regained independence in 1991, the year that saw Primal Scream going baggy and house turning into rave. As nations of seasoned movers and shakers, we stand for one’s right to party and convey countercultural coolness that extends beyond collective euphoria.

We have nurtured local talent and provided inclusive spaces for diverse audiences, keeping the doors open to cultural “other” that reaches beyond music. What we may lack in the global spotlight, we make up by feeding off the sounds of here & now. Yet, gentrification, law enforcement and genre fragmentation strike us the hardest, forcing us to lose our homegrown talent to big cities and bright lights.

How do we build and sustain micro-scenes in a highly centralised world? How to shine the light on Club Local? Where IS the Party?

Speakers:

• Elena Natale, Founder of Club HALL (EE)
• Vidmantas Čepkauskas, Art Director & Head Booker at Opium Club (LT)
• Jessie Dymond Barber, Creative Strategist & Cultural Producer of unda and Overflow (DE)
• Diana Alagic, Club Management at Tresor Berlin (DE)

Moderator:

• Joe Muggs, writer and DJ (UK)