The conference will focus on how night culture can become a natural part of a city's identity and democratic urban space. "Clubs are places where the different faces of a city — different communities, generations and people from different backgrounds — share the same space and find something in common," said Maren Niemeyer, director of the Goethe-Institut in Tallinn. "Yet night culture venues are still primarily regarded as entertainment establishments rather than cultural spaces deserving conscious support from society and policymakers."

"DJs and producers are music curators and artists who guide dancers in discovering music — just as museum curators and artists guide us into the world of paintings and sculptures. A well-curated dance floor is just as necessary for a city as a museum, sports center or park: it creates a physical space where people can come together, share experiences and meet people they do not yet know," said HALL founder and conference co-organizer Elena Natale.

"The idea behind the conference is to bring together the people who create and organize nightlife and shape it in cities and to ask what conditions night culture needs to remain vibrant and develop alongside the city and its communities," said conference project manager Jaan Ulst.

The conference program will examine night culture from three perspectives: how cities, clubs and communities can work together to create a vibrant night culture ecosystem, how what happens in club spaces shapes the community and the city around them and how to make the dance floor an integral part of democratic urban space.

Speakers sharing their experiences will include Amsterdam night mayor Freek Wallagh; Micol Didi, responsible for project support and communications at the Vienna Club Commission; Martin Fueller, dean of the Tresor Academy of Subcultural Understanding; Kate Howard, night-time economy adviser to Galway City Council; Gabija Liaugminaitė, project manager at the Vilnius Night Office; and Benoît Rousseau, director of music and dance at Gaîté Lyrique. Artists and curators will be represented by, among others, DJ and Motto Sono Records founder Miia Magia and HALL artist program director Micaela Saraceno.

Following the conference, ERSO and techno will meet at HALL: musicians from the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra will perform Kenn-Eerik Kannike's debut album "Computations," arranged for classical instruments by Karl Tipp. After the concert, the evening will continue with a club night featuring DJs Chloe Lula (Tresor, Berlin), Miia Magia (Motto Sono Records, HE.SHE.THEY., Parabel Agency, Helsinki) and Ciara May (Cultúr/Riot, Galway).

The conference will take place October 9 at HALL (Peetri 6) in Tallinn. Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.

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