Queer Nightlife as a Commons

Anjali Prashar-Savoie - Club Commons: Moving Bodies to Grow Movements in Queer Nightlife and Beyond

In their book Club Commons: Moving Bodies to Grow Movements in Queer Nightlife and Beyond, British author and activist Anjali Prashar-Savoie describes how queer nightlife can evolve while maintaining self-determination, care, and resistance at its core, without succumbing to big business. The concept of ‘club commons’ reimagines queer nightlife as a self-organised, inclusive, non-commercial, collectively managed space where pleasure, care, autonomy, and diversity take precedence.

Prashar-Savoie delves into British LGBTQIA+ history and speaks with collectives such as Sistermatic and Nzinga Sound. For these collectives, documenting history is hugely important so that future generations can build on existing ideas. For Prashar-Savoie, queer nightlife goes beyond partying. It encompasses migration, parenthood, labour and even health. While nightlife takes place at night, getting home safely, knowledge about substance abuse, and even childcare for queer parents are equally important. These are issues that are often overlooked in a heteronormative and capitalist context.

In Club Commons, Prashar-Savoie advocates collective control and decision-making. Today, queer nightlife is often in the hands of commercial operators, which leads to a loss of diversity and autonomy. However, by operating outside these structures and holding fast to activist traditions, people can regain control over care and safety without relying on the police or security firms. This preserves space for experimentation and bodily freedom. This can be achieved through crowdfunding or cooperatives. Although Prashar-Savoie focuses on London, these ideas also resonate in a city like Brussels.

For example, the Crazy Circle lesbian bar avoided closure by holding crowdfunding events and benefit evenings. Les Grands Carmes, a collaboration of four non-profit health organisations, restored a building temporarily granted to them by the city through crowdfunding. Pending a major renovation, the building is available for queer events. Meanwhile, initiatives such as Piknik Elektronik, which has organised free open-air parties for twenty years, are struggling to obtain licences, while commercial operators profit from their pioneering work.

In ‘Club Commons’, Prashar-Savoie primarily presents the options and possibilities available to the queer community. Rather than proposing theoretical solutions, it offers tools and practical suggestions for the many challenges faced. In doing so, the book reflects on the lessons to be learnt from history. The solutions lie with the collective: experiment, discover, and remember: ‘Moving bodies can grow movements’.