We've teamed up with Vogelmorn Community Group in Wellington to throw a tea dance on Saturday 3 December titled Repent. The tea dance is a thing with precedence in rainbow communities, especially in the US. Nonetheless, if you are wondering why we're opening the gate at 3pm - Here's why.
1. Respecting the neighbours
Perhaps the most obvious reason to start early and finish early is to support a quiet night's sleep for Wellingtonians living in ear shot of our licensed venue partner. In the case of Vogelmorn Hall in Brooklyn, there are many private dwellings surrounding the Hall that we want to be mindful of after 10pm.
2. Wellington City Council pressure on venues
We were prevented from partnering with our preferred inner city venue by, we were told, Wellington City Council threats to cancel their license due to repeated noise complaints from nearby residents. As a result we're struggling to identify licensed venues in the downtown area of Wellington which meet all of our requirements and are able or willing to stay open until 4am.
3. Supporting your healthy choices
It's heartening to witness younger people in our communities sometimes making healthier choices than those before them. We're loving this, and we think that shifting the envelope earlier is supportive of healthy lifestyle related choices.
4. Opening up your options after the main party
Others do want to make an (all) night of it, especially on special weekends like those on which Anthem Party often falls, but are hampered by the dreaded 4am close that New Zealand introduced in 2013. This had a disastrous impact on the dance party and club scene with venues often no longer willing to pay a DJ to play some tunes and make an honest buck.
By facilitating you to come out earlier, we're giving you more time after the main party has finished before 4am rolls around and shuts everything else down too. This means you have options after the party. Whether that's the afterparty, bed, or an orgy is entirely up to you.