Olha Korda BA Design Management IntroThe middle of the dancefloor might seem an inappropriate space to discuss the philosophy of being or the longing issues of local politics, however, there are many ways in which attending the rave can be perceived as a form of activism. Important connections between culture and politics are often downplayed (Eyerman & Jamison, 1998). BeginningsEDM culture first emerged in the 80s UK in the form of Acid events that were highly protested by the government and even eventually altered the law in 1994 forbidding outdoor parties and playing music predominantly containing repetitive beats. Dozens of travelling sound systems were carried around by people protesting against the world order of consumerism, inequality and control enforcement. Taking its roots in Detroit, America the scene was powered by locals of black and Latino backgrounds and representatives of the LGBTQ community. Raves were designed as a form of protest against normality and while nowadays for most attendants coming to the event is a form of aligning to the modern-day trend, staying up for so many hours dancing in a dark cold place sometimes even midweek is a protest in itself. Harold Heath in his article for DJMag (2019) highlights that “it directly contravenes the needs and wishes of the governing classes who want you to keep your head down, go to work all week and consume products you don’t need in order to keep the system going.” Raving in the Warzone Very clearly throughout time, EDM has managed to create a community of like-minded people who support each other and become family on the dancefloor. With the development of technology, the community has grown globally and embraces people from the entire planet. Artists, promoters and fans communicate to form a subculture sharing views on life and social issues. Being from Ukraine I have personally experienced amazing support from this community and have attended and overlooked many events and charity initiatives supporting Ukraine organised by artists and labels all around the world. Ukrainian rave scene rocketed during covid when artists were looking for spaces to perform and escape the tough realities of the lockdown. Kyiv has been proclaimed the new Berlin during the summer of 2020 and has been popular among ravers since. The war has altered the way events are organized due to strict curfew and social pressure proclaiming partying during the war immoral and disrespectful to those on the frontline. However, Ukrainian youth has reinvented their events to serve the demands of the time. Repair Together has gathered many people in deoccupied territories to clean up the space and restore the spaces demolished by russian deeds. “Repair Together has so far hosted nine clean-up raves in three villages, as well as carrying out repairs to homes damaged by shelling. Their next mission is to build 12 houses in the nearby town of Lukashivka before the winter.” Robin Eveleign (2022). Designing the CommunityI have recently started working with the label called Warmer People as a part of my DPS journey. The team has kindly accepted me in the “Warmer” family and promised to help me make my first steps into the events industry as I share my knowledge of design principles and communication strategies in return. In this exchange, I have been receiving a lot of surprising knowledge about how much responsibility lies on the shoulders of promoters designing the event. In one of the conversations I had with my coworker, I mentioned how much I enjoyed attending the tech-house event organised by FUSE at Printworks, London. I was then asked to elaborate on this experience, being a female in the rave with at least 70% male attendants. This situation made me realise my personal experience is not always aligned with how other people may perceive it and that FUSE may carry a somewhat questionable reputation because of the audience they attract.
“Designers have a position of power because they are (partly) in control of the messages that are sent.” Hardt, Michael and Antonio Negri (2017) Any event label can be called a designer as they carefully curate artists, spaces and communication for their occasions. Therefore they are responsible for the way their guests feel and experience the community attracted by the work of the label which in a way represents their values and beliefs. Conclusion One’s design can’t be perfect for everyone as personal biases are unavoidable in the process of making and thinking. However purposefulness and intent behind the design can result in the community being built around something as chaotic as a rave. Bibliography 1. The Politics Of Design (2018) TThe Politics Of Design. Available at: http://thepoliticsofdesign.com (Accessed: Apr 2023). 2. Bourton, L. (2020) Graphic design is political: Jonathan Barnbrook on how we can build a better industry. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/jonathan-barnbrook-in-conversation-graphic-design-100920 (Accessed: Apr 2023). 3. Baines, J. (2018) Politics, punk, and perverse optimist sit together on Johanna Burai's Bookshelf. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/johanna-burai-bookshelf-260918 (Accessed: Apr 2023) 4. Moloney, I. (2019) The Politics of Partying: Electronic Dance Music as Collectivist Experimentation and Subversion. Available at: https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/download/downloads/id/525/the_politics_of_partying.pdf (Accessed: Apr 2023). 5. Heath, H. (2019) Politics are an integral part of dance music, here's why | DJMag.com. Available at: https://djmag.com/content/politics-are-integral-part-dance-music-here’s-why (Accessed: Apr 2023). 6. Eveleigh, R. (2022) The techno 'clean-up raves' restoring Ukraine - Positive News - Positive News. Available at: https://www.positive.news/society/the-techno-clean-up-raves-restoring-ukraine/ (Accessed: Apr 2023). 7. Sitovska, V. (2022) Clean-up raves have been held in three Ukrainian villages, with more events planned.. Available at: https://www.positive.news/society/the-techno-clean-up-raves-restoring-ukraine/ (Accessed: Apr 2023).
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