Matt Berry is 23, a talented drummer, singer and aspiring DJ who has just landed his first residency at a new club night.
He also happens to have a learning disability - but at this particular club night, any differences are left at the door.
Organised by Life You Choose - a not-for-profit organisation - the quarterly event provides a safe and inclusive environment for people with learning or physical disabilities. Many of those it has welcomed had never experienced a nightclub before.
“Going into Manchester to a nightclub can be intimidating for anybody,” says co-founder Ken Smith.
“If you have a physical disability you may be a bit more intimidated, but for someone with a learning disability it may not even occur to them to do it for a start.
“Some people turn up in wheelchairs, some with walking sticks, some people are partially sighted, others are partly deaf.
“Here we treat people like anyone else.”
The night is held at Club HQ in Glossop, where owner James Booth gives the group exclusive use of the venue for free. It has attracted people from Tameside and Stockport as well as across Derbyshire at its last two events.
Having the club to themselves means organisers can tone down the lighting - which can be a seizure trigger for some people with epilepsy, a condition affecting around one in three people with a learning disability - and the music can be kept at a lower level.
Besides that, it’s just like any other nightclub, including a licensed bar where members can enjoy a drink if they wish.
“People can be quite critical [of allowing alcohol] but they are adults and they want to do what any other adult does,” says Life You Choose co-director Nicola Worswick.
“It was hyper, everyone was having a laugh and people were just enjoying themselves.
“We’re hoping friendship groups will evolve from it and people may meet partners. A lot of people have been to groups all their life but they don’t have anywhere to meet new people.”
The Glossop-based organisation works with adults with learning disabilities, encouraging them to develop creative skills such as music, cinematography, drama, art and design. The club night came about as a result of Matt’s interest in music.
“Matt is very musically orientated and he wanted to do a bit of DJing,” says Ken.
“If you come to us with an aspiration we won’t just meet it, we will surpass it. We like to raise the bar.
“A lot of the day centres are quite old-fashioned, it’s built on a structure from the 60s and 70s. We wanted to step outside that and work on projects that would challenge people.”
Ken trained Matt in both the hardware and software used by DJs in clubs, as well as mixing, effects and working the crowd, while Nicola organised the venue, promotion and ticketing.
“Ken showed me the ropes,” says Matt.
“When I first joined the club they told me about the technology and things like that so I knew bits and bobs. Once we looked at the stuff it was quite straightforward.”
He added: “It was a good atmosphere. I think a lot of people enjoyed it.”
Around 50 people attended the first club night, and numbers nearly doubled at the second event in August.
“We knew we didn’t want to do a disco in a Labour club or something,” says Ken. “We wanted it to be in a real nightclub, we wanted to give them an authentic experience.”
Ken and Nicola now hope more clubs and promoters will look to provide accessible nights for people with physical or learning disabilities.
One club night in Manchester already is. DJ and promoter collective Meat Free took over Northern Quarter club Texture for its second ‘disability rave’ this week.
Alice Woods, Steffi Allatt, Tasha Carter and Lucy Ironmonger have been putting on techno, house and disco parties across Manchester for the past five years with a mission to make their dance floors as inclusive as possible.
Their Under One Roof night builds on that, providing a safe and welcoming clubbing space for people with any kind of additional need, from wheelchair users to people with Down’s Syndrome and autism.
“What we’ve always wanted to do is totally democratise dance floors - this is just an extension of that,” says Alice.
“One of our guiding principles is inclusivity. That’s been our thing from day one and why we wanted to start the party.
“We thought we’d love to be able to extend that out to new audiences who might not be able to come to our nights.”
Meat Free have worked with Manchester People First (MPF), a self advocacy group run by and for adults with a learning disability, to tailor their nights accordingly.
Like the Life You Choose nights, Under One Roof uses less intense lighting and a lower volume of music than Meat Free’s regular nights, and the crowd is also kept below the club’s official capacity so clubbers feel comfortable.
Besides these tweaks, Meat Free strives to create an real clubbing environment at Texture, which is fully accessible for wheelchair users and whose like-minded owners have thrown their support behind the event.
“Under One Roof is a real night out, just tailored to its audience,” says Alice.
“It is incredibly social and and authentic to Meat Free, we play house and disco throughout, and just lay off the techno so it doesn’t get too intense for a mixed crowd.”
Some clubbers come along in groups from organisations they are part of, while others have brought family members or carers with them.
While many people with a disability will enjoy clubbing regularly, most Under One Roof attendees have never set foot in a nightclub before - and as always the dance floor has proved a great leveller.
“Once everyone gets on the dancefloor everyone is the same,” says Alice.
“Everyone is dancing the same, they have all got the same energy.
“What really struck me last time was there was a lady who was there with her younger sister and she said to me: ‘All I’ve ever wanted is to share these experiences with my sister. Now there’s a place where we can both go.’”
Alice hopes the experience might encourage people to give their regular club nights a try too.
“I know it won’t be possible for everyone because people have different levels of requirements but it would be lovely to see,” she says.
Under One Roof is planning regular raves at Texture for 2018 as well as a Christmas party which takes place on Wednesday December 20. Tickets are on sale now priced at £3.
The next Life You Choose club night takes place at Club HQ on Monday December 11, from 7-10pm, with free entry to all. Visit lifeyouchoose.org for more information.
