“It started as a party space, but now it’s where I see the ideals of socialism play out in reality. “That’s the most motivating thing for me,” says Frazer. Gut Level exemplifies left-wing values in action.

Membership is priced at a tiered scale, and nobody is turned away for lack of funds. Gut Level has sunk its roots further over the last year, opening a community space, free for “friends with benefits.” This has enabled them to diversify their programming: from community meals to letter-writing sessions, organised by abolitionist groups, these get-togethers allow for “more intimate moments”. “It’s important to have those spaces for people to sit and be social, because we don’t want to focus solely on the dance floor.” “We really believe that club spaces don’t need to be hostile,” says Katie. Step outside and you’ll find drag queens cracking jokes and straddling the railings for impromptu photoshoots, while partygoers drink their own booze and laugh around a communal bonfire. Sweat-drenched bodies glimmered under a disco ball, taking regular breaks outside in the sprawling garden.Įven with the latest venue change, Gut Level has prioritised outdoor space. DJs from Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool and beyond, played eclectic sets of dance music, from thumping techno to campy, euphoric disco. These nights were gleefully raucous, with parties lasting way beyond sunrise. In 2022, government funding during the pandemic enabled Gut Level to program a summer of back-to-back parties in 2022, just before they were booted out of their longest-running venue on Snow Lane, which they describe as their “spiritual home”. “There’s no such thing as a stable space,” says Frazer, describing an endless cycle of “rolling contracts” and “lack of investment.”ĭIY scenes have been forced to adapt. These collectives all have shared obstacles: greedy property developers, a global pandemic, and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Of course, it shouldn’t have to be this way. From half-naked bodies slathered in mayonnaise to wholesome snapshots of community gardens and karaoke nights, the exhibition bears witness to a shared determination to wreak havoc, on a budget.

Based around the theme of ‘joy in precariousness’, these vivid photographs capture the chaos, community and queer hedonism at the heart of DIY scenes across the north of England.

Hedonism club