Programme

The urban night can be a magical place to disconnect from daytime pressures, come together and build alternative worlds. However, it can also be a space where existing social issues and inequalities are magnified. From night work affecting our biorhythms, a lack of affordable public transport, street harassment, or the over-commercialization of the night, many face barriers to fully enjoying the nightlife. Furthermore, our nocturnal activities and the pervasive glow of artificial lighting have profound negative impacts on the environment.

But together, we can envision a more equitable and inclusive nightlife. Let's shine a light on the issues that need addressing to create positive change. Whether you're passionate about amplifying the experiences of undocumented migrants, advocating for accessibility in nightlife venues, or shedding light on the effects of light pollution, join us as we explore the power of zines as tools for advocacy and expression.

The workshop will be facilitated by Hasret Emine (they/them), an interdisciplinary artist from Turkey based in Rotterdam. Through their platform Pembe they showcase grassroots stories, mostly in the form of cinema & poetry. Their work has been shown & performed in the Rijksmuseum, Paradiso Noord, The Low Countries and The Bowery Leeds.

About Nocturnal Dialogues

The night is often associated with club culture and electronic dance music. With “Nocturnal Dialogues”, Alina seeks to redefine the boundaries of the urban night. Beyond the beats of nightlife, we explore topics like nature, rituals, and activism at night. We broaden the discussion about who has a right to the city at night, and bring together various academic disciplines engaging with night studies as well as diverse night communities. Students and scholars from fields as diverse as philosophy, urban geography, sociology or music studies can expect to find relevant links with this intersectional programme. This program, spanning across 2024, transcends the stereotypical associations of the night with leisure and economics. Through interactive lectures, workshops or film screenings, we aim to broaden the discussion and include a diverse audience in conversations about the city at night.

About student-in-residence Alina Tomescu

Alina has always been passionate about cities and the way that culture contributes to their development. She worked for 7 years on various projects related to heritage and cultural programming in relation to regional and local development. In 2021 she went back to university to focus on exploring academically what the city at night means, and how night studies can enhance her practice until that moment. She noticed that she and several of her friends would feel more comfortable during the night, and that the city opens itself up for different uses during the dark hours. She dived into this topic first through a pre-masters in Cultural Sociology at Erasmus Rotterdam, and then through a more humanities-focused master's programme at the UVA in Comparative Cultural Analysis.