Following the recommendation from the Mayor’s office that London is to get a Night Time Economy Champion, the Night Time Industries Association organized a discussion to envision what the role might look like. They invited Mirik Milan, Night Mayor of Amsterdam; Lutz Leichsenring, Berlin Club Commission; and Laia Gasch, Special Advisor Deputy Mayor for Education & Culture, GLA to share their insight, experiences and expertise, as well as to participate in a collective discussion about what kind of role is specifically needed in London. Other cities may want to take note and consider their own situations…
Initial questions were posed by Lauren Preteceille (PAC, Transport for London), Joel Mills (British Council), Susanna Rustin (Guardian) and Jonathan Prynn (Evening Standard).
Experience from Berlin and Amsterdam
Lutz and Mirik spoke about the change they have seen in Berlin and Amsterdam. They emphasised the need to work with venues and communities and to collaborate with government. They also stressed the critical need for the Night Time Economy Champion to come from within the industry, so that they understand the issues first hand. Lutz spoke about the politicization of policing—giving the example that, in the same way that no one conducts drugs raids on Wall St despite the prevalence of drugs, the police behaviour towards nightclubs stems from politics and societal attitudes. They both spoke out against the ghettoization of night culture into a certain undesirable area of the city, emphasizing the need for diversity both within the night time ecosystem, and within the city. The necessity of an open-minded and flexible approach was stressed repeatedly.
London perspective
Laia spoke from a London perspective and recounted the case of Ministry of Sound spending over a million pounds in legal fees to ensure the new residential development nearby did not lead to its closure. She emphasized the importance of protecting venues, using measures such as the recommended Agent of Change principal.
Role of the Night Time Economy Champion
Finding the right person for the role of the Night Time Economy Champion – without which the role might become the Night Time Sheriff—was a shared concern. Several people spoke about ensuring the whole of the night culture is supported, not just the sanitized mainstream elements. The nighttime is largely where counter culture thrives and this needs to be taken into account.
Community interaction and responsibility were also discussed, as well as the issue of emphasizing the benefit of the night culture solely through its economic value. Many felt that the benefits of the industry far outweigh its financial contribution and want its cultural and social benefits more widely lauded.
There was consensus across the event that we must urgently follow through with the appointment of the Night Time Economy Champion. It is important that this person comes from an industry background, and that the role coordinates and amplifies voices from across the entire night time ecosystem.
“Bringing Mirik and Lutz to London has been a very useful exercise to help shape the understanding for the Mayor’s Office in terms of the role needed for Night Time Economy Champion. Having three deputy Mayors, for Police, Economics and Culture, all in the room enabled a really useful discussion to fine tune what is needed. This is all part of the work we are doing nationally to drive the enormous value and contribution to UK culture and business of the Night Time Industries in society.” – lan Miller, Chairman NTIA
Protecting the venues for creativity
We are seeing an increasing recognition of electronic music for its creativity and talent; now, more than ever, is the time to ensure we protect the venues which allow the artists to flourish, we promote the voices of those working within the industry, and ensure the future of all parts of our night culture.
“Music venues of all kinds are enormously important as the life blood for any city as the platform for the next generation of international talent. That’s why we at The NTIA support the Mayor of London in the important step of creating a Night Time Economy Champion”. – Harvey Goldsmith
About the Night Time Industry Association
At a time when late night operators are increasingly coming under pressure from a range of challenges, the NTIA feels it is vital to join forces to protect and promote one of the UK’s culturally and economically most valuable sectors.
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