Speakers

• Dr. Sébastien Tremblay (post-doctoral researcher at SCRIPTS)
• Katharin Ahrend (Clubcommission Berlin)
• Sarah Farina (DJ and activist)
• Moderation: Steph Clarke (cultural manager)

Summary

What is the significance of club culture for liberal societies? What are the consequences for liberal societies, if clubs as social spaces of retreat disappear? These were the initial questions of the panel "The Dance Floor is a Political Space!", initiated by the Berlin University Alliance and in cooperation with SCRIPTS and the Berlin Clubcommission. The participants brought perspectives to these and other questions from the social sciences, especially from research on recent and recent history, gender history and queer history (Dr Sébastien Tremblay), from activism and cultural management (Sarah Farina and Steph Clarke), and from the central economic as well as civil society advocacy of club culture (Katharin Ahrend).

In the discussion, the different core concepts such as “scene” and “community” were discussed and the importance of spaces of retreat for socially marginalised groups was highlighted. The panellists identified economic developments and their consequences, such as gentrification, as the greatest challenges to the survival of a vibrant club culture, for example in Berlin. In general, they recognised the need to publicly acknowledge club culture not only as an economic factor, but also as an elementary part of a free society with protection and recognition of subcultures. For the actors of club culture, there is a need for an exchange of knowledge and experience so that it can live up to its own claims as a space of freedom and utopia.

For all participants, the composition of the panel — civil society, lobby representation and academia — was a welcome novelty in relation to this topic. "Club culture" as a social and scientific topic was also seen as a desideratum by voices in the audience. Participation: Questions by the audience were solicited in advance via the Instagram channel of the Berlin Clubcommission; viewers also joined the discussion live on the SCRIPTS YouTube account.

The recorded livestream of this conversation can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpCp3OAW_Tw