This article was sponsored by Jägermeister as part of the #SAVETHENIGHT initiative

In the throes of global lockdowns, virtual nightlife, by way of livestreams, VR nightclubs and more, emerged as a tonic for dance music fans. This salve for frequent clubbers also shone a light on the inaccessibility of regular, real-life club spaces and the need for a more inclusive and diverse approach to club culture that doesn't exclude potential patrons.

"There's this narrative that disabled people don't like to go to clubs," Stella Spoon of Berlin-based collective Queer Trans Liberation told me. "But that's not true, it's because the spaces are so inaccessible to them. Between ten and 15 percent of Germany's population is disabled, so any promoter or venue failing to welcome disabled people is missing out on potential audiences and talent."

In an effort to encourage positive change within late-night culture, Jägermeister and legendary Berlin club Tresor launched the #SAVETHENIGHT campaign in August 2022. The campaign pledged to grant €50,000 to the most auspicious nightlife-focused initiatives. Out of 226 entries, a panel of judges—Sarah Farina, Darwin, Asia James, Tresor founder Dimitri Hegemann, deadHype founder Bernard Koomson and Berlin Clubcommission's Lewamm Ghebremariam— chose three winners whose projects will be realised in 2023: Queer Trans Liberation; Rabudi West, a Kenyan booking agent and DJ who has plans to decentralise nightlife in Kenya; and a London-based, solar-powered venue called CLUB SOL.

We spoke to the people behind the winning ideas to learn more about their projects. Each conversation highlighted that nightlife (and all its elements, from programming and venue design to security and more) has taken on a new meaning for them all. One idea connecting all three initiatives is that now, more than ever, club scenes should be about nurturing a community with longevity in mind. Whether that's designing eco-friendly spaces, creating a blueprint for how to host accessible events or building a support system for local artists, these changemakers will help pioneer a new age of intentional nightlife.

Club SOL, founded by Imogen Malpas

Due to launch this summer, CLUB SOL is an environmentally focused nightclub initiative where all the sound and lighting is powered by solar energy. Founded by journalist and DJ Imogen Malpas, the project aims to "create more joy within environmental activism," Malpas told Resident Advisor, "as well as to encourage other DJs and promoters to think creatively when it comes to tackling the climate crisis."

At present, late-night venues are often unsustainable due to the high consumption of single-use plastics and other operations that aren't energy efficient. "In Germany, it's been estimated that a club can use as much energy over the course of a single weekend as a household uses in an entire year," Malpas said.

Still, clubbers are eager and open to more environmentally friendly practices. Enter CLUB SOL, which aims to be sustainable throughout every stage of planning a party. In terms of the bookings, local DJs would be prioritised, with marginalised communities at the forefront. The venue will also have gardens and green spaces to offer foraged drinks and snacks.

"The plan is to work with community groups like Hackney Herbal to install green plant boxes where we can grow plants on site," said Malpas.

With the help of EcoDisco, plastic cups and plates will be replaced with steel ones (each with a fabric cup holder to ensure no one loses their drink.) And finally, Solar Sound Systems, which designs solar-powered production and sound systems all over Europe, will handle the club's lighting and sound.

By addressing sustainability at the source, CLUB SOL wants to change the image of nightlife as a wasteful sector. "Since the pandemic I've noticed a huge increase in what I would call 'corporate nightlife,'" Malpas explained. "Spaces that are exclusive, unsustainable and often counterproductive in terms of nurturing community."

With so many independent venues having shut their doors as a result of Covid-19, inclusive and community-focused spaces are more difficult to find. What's more, Malpas added, "as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, it's become harder to convince people that nightlife is worth investing money in. But actually, it's a lot more than just going to a club, it's about finding a sense of community. That's priceless."

She added: "I want CLUB SOL to be a space where people feel nourished and accepted no matter the identities they carry. My hope is that CLUB SOL brings people together under the banner of environmental justice, without pressuring anyone to prove that they are card-carrying members of the movement. I feel that many see sustainability and the environmental movement as a sacrifice of comforts or enjoyment, but I don't believe that's the case. I'm fighting for a community where we can enjoy ourselves, have the best time and still be pointed toward environmental justice."

Decentralising Kenya's Nightlife With Rabudi West

"In Kenya, there are only two regions where we have nightlife, let alone [a scene] that's connected to the international community," explained producer and booking agent Rabudi West. "The main place is Nairobi, of course, because it's the capital. Then it would be coastal areas like Kilifi or Lamu because of all the tourism."

But during Covid-19, West explained, things shifted. "Young people took over after Covid-19, because, what I would call the 'previous regime,' had to back out and return to full-time jobs. That created a vacuum in the scene where younger people like myself become our own booking agents, our own managers, our own stage designers, our own everything."

Eager to nurture spaces that are about the music rather than the money, West spent the majority of the pandemic touring Kenya to identify the venues that most shared his values.

"I would pick a town outside of Nairobi like Machakos, Kajiado or Naivasha—a place that didn't really have much to offer in terms of nightlife, but with strong curation and planning from our side, we could bring good business to the area," West explained. "We had invite-only parties with people that would respect the space—not too crowded—and then we'd move on to the next place and so on. I would rarely go back to the same venue again."

In Kenya, it's not uncommon for venues to act as fronts for criminal operations. "Unfortunately, we have this issue of money laundering in our country," West said. "These businesses are often bars, clubs, maybe restaurants, but they are also the only spaces where artists can work."

It was therefore important for West to identify legitimate spaces (as in, venues that valued music in the same way he and his team do) and separate his work from the stereotypes around nightlife. Still, that ethos couldn't guarantee a venue wouldn't get shut down for seeming suspicious.

"We just kept moving from place to place," West said. "We couldn't leave a trace of our activities, because if a venue becomes too popular, it gets crowded and then the police might get involved. So our strategy was to find a place, do something nice and simple, then move on. Thanks to this, our reputation as professionals grew."

As it transpires, West's business model was successful, creating additional income for each venue while simultaneously developing his network and relationships for future events. With the money from the #SAVETHENIGHT fund, he plans to invest in a support system for artists and creatives in his network. His first steps will be to cover the basics, starting with buying a vehicle and a space that will function as the foundational hub of this support system.

"I would love the space to be for those creatives who have taken a leap of faith, so they have a cushion to focus on their craft," he said. After that, he plans to invest in designing an on-site studio and buying new, resilient equipment including CDJs and recording devices to be shared among his collaborators. "This money will go a long way in Kenyan shillings, and could stomach the bill for both the space and the equipment," he said. "And from there, honestly, I'm confident everything else will come together."

Developing Club Show Accessibility With Queer Trans Liberation

Berlin-based community builders Nick Germeys and Stella Spoon have teamed up to design a series of events showcasing how accessible nightlife should be.

"In terms of accommodating disabilities—visible, invisible, physical and psychological—I still think we can do better as an industry," explained Germeys. It's true, they said, that after the pandemic, we saw a rise of "awareness teams" that make nightlife altogether safer. "But how many clubs can you name that are wheelchair accessible?," Germeys added. "In Berlin, there are very few."

Queer Trans Liberation (QTL) came together to encourage venues to see accessibility and inclusion as an opportunity to innovate and improve their offering to the public.

Nightlife has also taken on new dimensions since the pandemic, specifically in terms of partygoers looking at new ways of coming together. "To be honest, I don't really go out anymore," said Spoon. "I'm more interested in attending a workshop, maybe a dance class, or other events that aren't so centred around intoxication."

This is why Spoon and Germeys wanted a more holistic approach to their event planning. Germeys, who has been hosting parties in Berlin for years, began challenging himself by organising after-work drinks that combine culture, music and art. It was through these after-work gatherings that Germeys joined QTL.

As the founder of QTL, Spoon organises educational events to nurture and invest in the trans community. With their combined experience, the pair hope to put together a programme of events that not only inspire but also educate promoters and venues on how to be more inclusive.

"There are many possible solutions that would cost very little, which venues could put into place to make their events more inclusive," Spoon said. "It could be something as simple as a written accessibility guide that everyone in the team can refer to."

Another example, Spoon added, could be to have a light show considerate of people with epilepsy. In fact, only a specific kind of flashing light can trigger seizures, so all it takes is a bit of research and creative thinking.

The vision for QTL is to design a "realistic concept that can be easily repeated," Germeys explained. "We'll define the frequency of these events later on, but the first step is to research, speaking with local organisations to create something that can be codified and shared."

Another exciting part of the QTL plan is to have an open call for disabled talent in Berlin, working with the community to design the events with their needs at the forefront. As a city known for its influence on nightlife in Europe and beyond, what QTL does in Berlin could lead the way for other cities. "We think Berlin can pride itself on its diverse and inclusive dance floors," Spoon said. "But let's go a step further, and save the night for everyone."