To The Dancers

To The Dancers

It’s 2023 and Britain is in pieces. Brexit is an embarrassment and electricity bills are through the roof. For many, heading to a local music venue is a necessary escape from life’s bleakness. But what’s on the cards for small music venues of today, fighting to survive the trials and tribulations of late-stage capitalism?

In the north east city of Newcastle the non-profit, multifaceted safe space Cobalt has made its home. There, the local queer scene and its queens party till late and rising stars such as Alabaster DePlume grace the stage. Anyone who’s been to Cobalt will tell you of its unrivaled hospitality and enchanting atmosphere. Yet even for a venue as unique as this one, existence is a fight for survival. Founders Mark, Kate and son Jacob must commit to 70-hour weeks to navigate challenges such as threats from developers in their gentrifying neighbourhood. Overheads rise and ticket sales dwindle as the disposable income of regulars is squeezed. This story calls into question why we fight so hard to dance together, in a society where the importance of art and culture is sometimes forgotten.