Amy Lamé interview, with Ben Campkin
UCL“Migrants are the real agitators and shape-shifters when it comes to night spaces. We’re the kinds of people that are willing to take more risks, to try out new things.” Amy Lamé
With lockdown in place and night-time spaces closed, UCL’s Ben Campkin spoke with London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé, one of the UCL NITE team’s Associated Partners, about her work.
Ben and Amy’s conversation was wide ranging: from the connections between migration, night spaces and LGBTQ+ communities, to Amy’s own experience as a migrant and her 25 years co-running LGBTQ+ club night and social enterprise, Duckie, to being appointed the Mayor of London’s first Night Czar in 2016. In this role, Amy emphasises her drive to improve social justice at night through putting diversity policies into action, while promoting and protecting night-time economies and cultures. Given the serious impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on London’s thriving night scenes, Amy talks about the ways City Hall have been working to support LGBTQ+ and other venues to re-open.