New 200-capacity “cooperative nightlife and arts venue” to open in Marseille, club coop

A newly conceptualised nightlife and arts venue is set to open its doors at the end of September in Marseille with a focus on marginalised communities, club coop.

The new 200-capacity space is due to open in response to a lack of cultural spaces for underrepresented communities in the south of France, particularly in Marseille.

club coop officially opens on September 30 with a test event at Rue Curiol in Marseille’s city centre featuring a number of local artists, and funding from the Creative Impact Fund in Germany. The line-up currently consists of Carlito b2b David Ghetto, Doucesœur, DJ Momix, and Noge.

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“This is a real opportunity to get people thinking about and participating in alternative club structures," club coop tells Mixmag. "We've been taken aback by how willing people have been to get involved with something different (then again - that's at the heart of Marseille's spirit), and it's exciting to see where their guidance takes the project."

The venue bills itself as a cooperative cultural space for marginalised communities, partaking in both club nights and art events with influence from global grassroots movement Space of Urgency, and Lewisham-based community collective Sister Midnight.

club coop also cites taking inspiration from the economic approach of Paris’ La Louve, with an aim to close the gap between the non-profit sector and private business.

The venue is also backed by a grant from CIRCE (Creative Impact Research Centre Europe) and hopes to run a community-led system where members can determine everything down to the sound, vision, and prices of each club night.

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“Members will meet regularly, both en masse and with an advisory board drawn from across Marseille, and will also regularly be elected to programming and reflective committees dedicated to future planning,” explains club coop.

“This is an experiment first and foremost for the people of Marseille, but its outcomes should be followed closely by all who wish to rethink club cultures. With this in mind, updates will regularly be published, with an initial paper detailing the project’s progress due to be released freely in late November of this year.”

The first guerilla poster campaign from club coop garnered nearly 400 signups for the club’s first event on September 30. A safe(r) spaces policy will be in effect at club coop's debut event, and all tickets will be available on the door on a first come, first serve basis, starting at €5.

Keep up to date with all things club coop here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter