Over a hundred Londoners gathered in Bethnal Green this lunchtime to protest against the closure of the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, one of the capital’s most important nightlife venues.
It is facing closure after owners voted to stop events being run on the premises, which has for the last twenty years established itself as a leading live performance and nightlife space for cabaret, music and comedy shows.
Chants of “save our venues, save our spaces” were followed by speeches from performers, Equity spokespeople and activists that ranged from offering practical advice to sharing emotional memories from the venue. The drag performer ShayShay reflected on their early memories of the venue. “A lot of us have very hurt inner children – we would go here to nourish them,” they said. “I’m not exaggerating when I say Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club saves lives, and it’s up to us to save Bethnal green Working Men’s Club.”
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The activist Olimpia Burchierallo, from the Friends of the Joiners Arms group, called out “greedy landlords” for the broader London-wise issue of venues shuttering. “We’re told London is a capital of diversity, we’re bombarded with displays of LGBT friendliness, but our queer spaces are being constantly threatened,” they said, adding: “They take our physical spaces away, but the relationships, friendships, and forms of community that are created in these spaces outlive gentrification. They can’t be redeveloped, bought or sold.”
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club: 20 years of redefining LGBTQ nightlife in London
Event runners Warren Dent and Charlotte West-Williams have employed hundreds of artists over the past 20 years, as well as provide a safe space for the LGBTQ community, their allies and followers of live performance. Performance collective Sink the Pink, who put on some of their first shows at the Club in the mid-noughties, are credited with developing a new style of experimental British drag and cabaret. The venue was also recently used to film scenes from Netflix series Baby Reindeer.
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Equity, the performing arts trade union, said: “Equity is distressed to hear about plans to sell Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, and the imminent closure of its program of events. The current programming team, who have established BGWMC as an icon of significant importance to the community over the past 20 years, have been given 2 months’ notice to shut down and vacate the venue by Monday 29th July.
“The owners have indicated they wish to sell the club at the earliest opportunity. Equity are now in constructive dialogue with the owners to prevent the closure of live performance at BGWMC. We are seeking assurances that any sale will guarantee the continuation of BGWMC as an LGBTQ+ performance space. We are also seeking a guarantee that the community of performers and punters will be given the opportunity to fundraise and buy the venue in shared ownership.
“This would allow BGWMC to continue a more than 100 year history as a member owned club. We hope that the programming team can resist this eviction and give everyone more time to negotiate a good outcome. For Equity it is crucial that any outcome will ensure that LGBTQ+ performance can resume at the club at the earliest opportunity. BGWMC is a vital source of work for Equity members and many people rely on this space to earn a living.”
Over 3,000 London venues have shuttered since the pandemic as the cost of living and high inflation forced prices up, according to data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) .