In initial brainstorming as
to what might bring people together, the primary thing I could think of is
music. Music transcends personal beliefs
and ideologies, and as such, it seemed like the perfect way to approach this
challenge of designing an “immersive theater” to bring people together,
especially considering the extreme level of divisiveness in the country today.
As a frequenter of electronic music shows, I then realized that spaces like
this are filled with hundreds, even thousands, of very different kinds of people
there united by their single love for dance music—yet no one speaks with one
another. The last techno party I went to, I most certainly saw people across
all ages, races, and very likely political affiliations as well. And although
all of these people were united in one space, these venues are rarely ever
designed to actually foster communication and discussion.
Why not capitalize on this
and use this as a space to bring these people together on a deeper level, as a
microcosm of how we could all come together if we focused on our similarities
rather than our differences?
And thus was born this
initial idea of re-inventing a typical night out as Together.
Some specifics about the idea:
- Venues for these parties
will be unexpected, quirky, and strange, which is already true of the dance
music scene. With spaces like warehouses, garages, elementary schools after dark,
the venue will add an added “coolness” and reason for people, likely 100-400
people, to attend for a night of good music. - These parties will largely
focus on dance music that appeals to many (house, techno, disco, funk, etc.)
and, by its very nature, attracts all kinds of people across all ages, races,
genders, sexualities, etc. - Everyone’s tickets are
operated through a mobile app that tracks your location at the venue.
Throughout the night, several “offers” show up on your mobile app with the
name, age, and location tracker of another person. Your goal is to find this
person at the venue (as they’re also searching for you!), and upon meeting
them, you can both “redeem” your meeting for a free drink. By meeting these new people,
you’ll have lots of opportunity to actually talk with them. There are plenty of
designed spaces to actually talk, which is not common in venues of nightlife.
Instead of making conversation difficult, it will be encouraged through rooms
that aren’t too loud, “stalls” to chat, an outdoor space away from the DJs,
etc.
Ultimately, by re-thinking
the nightlife experience, this provides a space to bring people together with a common ground: music.
