London is looking to appoint a Night Czar to support its struggling club scene, NME reports.
Taking inspiration from cities like Amsterdam and Paris, who already have nightlife representatives, the position will involve working closely with London Mayor Sadiq Khan to “create a vision for London as a 24-hr city”.
Advertising the role via their website, Khan and the London Assembly are looking for someone with “proven leadership ability, public profile and convening power, plus a thorough understanding of the night time economy and the ability to work in a political environment.”
The job requires candidates be able to commit 2.5 days per week and pays £35,000 (AUD$60,000) P/A, with Khan tasking the successful applicant to “champion the value of London’s night time culture whilst developing and diversifying London’s night time economy”.
Supporting London’s nightlife and music scene was a key part of Khan’s election campaign. Appointing a Night Czar is only the first step with Khan planning to work closely with the appointee to “create a vision for London as 24-hour city and a roadmap showing how the vision will be realised”.
The new position comes as the city’s clubbing scene faces a troubling future following the indefinite closure of Fabric last week.
One of London’s most famous clubs, and indeed one of the world’s premier dance music venues, the club has shut its doors pending a licensing review, following the deaths of two teenagers. Releasing a statement earlier today, the club said it was “undertaking a thorough review” of its security.
But Fabric isn’t the only venue facing tough times, with almost a half of the UK’s clubs having shut up shop in the last ten years, according to a study published by the BBC last year.
However, it seems things are finally progressing, with the launch last week of London’s long-delayed Night Tube service, which will see trains running 24/7 on two lines during the weekend, expanding to a further three lines this autumn.
With this and a Night Czar soon to be appointed, we’ve got our fingers crossed that the former club mecca will once again rise from the ashes.
And if it does, let’s hope the NSW Government is paying close attention (but let’s face it, it probably won’t be).
