“When you leave the club, does it leave you?”

I took on this project from a personal realization: too often, we treat nightlife as a stage on which to perform a false and numb version of ourselves. The night should not be an escape from who we are during the day. It should be an extension of it. That should be allowed.

A space where people come together to enjoy music and togetherness, and leave feeling stronger, happier, and relieved. That’s what it’s about. We should feel safe. We should enter the dark not to disappear and abuse freedom, but to arrive complete, present, open to music, movement, and the fragile intimacy of being among others. To have respect for everyone around us. From our fellow dancefloor companions and artists, to everyone working behind the limelight, whoever they might be. For when we make the most of the night, we can take back the day.

I hope we can preserve what so many people hold dear in this community. To anyone struggling with identity or sense of belonging I say this: You have a place, you have a voice. Learn how to use it and navigate it as best you can.