Nightlife

There was an incident in Belgium when the Heart n Soul touring company had been doing a gig and were staying at a hotel that had a party happening. We had finished the gig and we thought ‘oh great, let's go to this party!’

The only night we could get at The Albany in Deptford was Wednesday. They thought no one would come. I remember it was such a revolution to be inviting people with learning disabilities to a club with a bar that didn’t finish at 7pm and didn’t just sell crisps and soft drinks.

We try to create a space that feels free. A space where people can come together and better understand each other and not feel separate. 

I noticed at this Squidz club (2022), because we haven’t had a club for such a long time, watching the audience come in, there were young people who had never been to an event like this before. It reminded me of the very first club.

of expressing themselves disappears and everyone begins to feel like one set of humans. The parents and carers then start to sit up in the balconies or join in! It’s where that PA/carer and ‘client’ relationship transforms because everyone is just having a good time!

The clubs were always of great quality. From performance and design, to the navigation of the space and the variety and diversity of what’s on offer. It’s never a voyeuristic thing, you can always get involved and that is very powerful.