The Death (and New Life) of Nightlife

Have you heard rumours that nightlife is dying? What if we're simply looking for it in the wrong places? When Prohibition began, nightlife moved into speakeasies. When disco was declared dead, its music lived on in underground clubs that helped give birth to house music. Nightlife has a long history of reinventing itself, often just as people begin mourning its disappearance. Today, as familiar bars and clubs close, new forms of nightlife are emerging in warehouses, temporary parties and spaces that change from one night to the next. Professor Amin Ghaziani's research in London and Vancouver reveals how these gatherings can create lasting communities, often among people who never felt welcome in more established venues. Who gets to create nightlife when the night no longer belongs to a particular club or neighbourhood? And is nightlife really disappearing, or are we witnessing its rebirth? About the Speaker Amin Ghaziani is the Dean of Arts Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia and the author or editor of six books, including Long Live Queer Nightlife. His research investigates nightlife, urban culture and the ways people create communities through shared spaces. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian and CBC. Agenda 6:00 PM doors open. Guests are welcome to arrive early, order drinks, and have dinner before the lecture begins. 7:00 PM lecture begins, followed by Q&A. 8:15 PM wrap up. Guests are welcome to stay for conversation and another drink.