Artist, World Builder, Nightlife Researcher, Event Producer and Accessibility Advocate

Dancefloor Intimacy is a movement that demonstrates accessibility can be at the forefront of innovative club culture, and not an afterthought.

Dancefloor Intimacy is a grant-funded initiative focused on transforming nightclubs and music venues to be more accessible and inclusive for Disabled, Neurodivergent, d/Deaf individuals and people living with chronic illness that affects their experiences in these environments. The project aims to empower nightlife stakeholders and Neurodivergent, d/Deaf and Disabled individuals, and all patrons by promoting education, raising awareness, and implementing improvements across venues and nightlife practices.

By bridging the gap between venue operators and marginalised communities, the project creates space for honest conversations and tangible action. It’s about shifting the culture of nightlife to prioritise accessibility, empathy, and belonging, so that everyone can feel safe, seen, and able to fully enjoy these spaces.

Pictures taken by Solar Klinghofer Bar-Dov

Dancefloor Intimacy is co-created with Neurodivergent, Disabled, d/Deaf, and chronically ill individuals, alongside insights from nightlife promoters and club operators. By centering lived experience and industry perspectives, the project reimagines nightlife as a space of true belonging.

Since November 2024, Ali has hosted focus groups in London, bringing together diverse voices to explore barriers in nightlife. Through open dialogue and collaborative exercises, participants identified challenges, co-created solutions, and envisioned their ideal accessible club experience.

These focus groups span the entire nightlife ecosystem—Disabled, Neurodivergent, d/Deaf, and chronically ill individuals, as well as event promoters and nightclub operators—ensuring that accessibility is shaped by both those who experience barriers and those who have the power to remove them.

Their insights directly inform the development of Dancefloor Intimacy, bridging the gap between community needs and industry action.

What is your ideal accessible clubbing experience?

During the community-led focus groups, participants imagined their ideal nightclub experience. They designed and mind-mapped what a truly inclusive, accessible, and enjoyable venue would look like.

These are some examples of what participant’s created:

Want to learn more or want to collaborate with Dancefloor Intimacy?

Visit dancefloorintimacy.org
Check out the Instagram @dancefloor.intimacy