Accessibility, Safety & Inclusion at fabric
Photographs: Lydia Garnett
Dancefloor Intimacy partnered with fabric and Resident Advisor to launch the UK's first comprehensive electronic music club accessibility audit.
Dancefloor Intimacy joined forces with legendary London club fabric and Resident Advisor on a groundbreaking project to transform how nightlife thinks about access and inclusion.
Over six months, the initiative led a community-driven accessibility audit of fabric — the first of its kind at a UK electronic music venue. This meant assessing the physical and sensory environment of the club, running focus groups with disabled clubgoers and industry professionals, and gathering public feedback to shape a meaningful, real-world accessibility roadmap.
But this wasn't just about one venue. The findings fed into an open-source guide for clubs and venues worldwide — a resource that will soon be available to read on the RA website. The aim was always bigger than fabric: to set a blueprint that the global nightlife industry could actually use.
To get there, the project was rooted in a principle central to everything Dancefloor Intimacy does: lived experience must drive design. Disabled, neurodivergent, deaf and hard of hearing people, and those living with chronic illness, weren't consulted as an afterthought — their perspectives shaped every stage of the process. Because no audit, policy, or physical change means anything if it isn't built around the people it's meant to serve.
Dancefloor Intimacy founder and co-project lead Ali Wagner put it simply: "More inclusive dance floors mean more diverse, connected and sustainable nightlife spaces for everyone. With an average of three UK clubs closing every week in 2024, it's clear that our music venues must evolve to survive."
The project brought Dancefloor Intimacy alongside fabric, a club that has long stood for community and connection. As fabric cofounder Cameron Leslie said: "Partnering with Resident Advisor and Dancefloor Intimacy gave us the opportunity to listen, learn and make real changes that improve access for our entire community."
Improving accessibility at fabric is an ongoing process. The audit and its findings have been shared directly with the venue, giving the fabric team a clear roadmap to work from. Changes are already being made, and fabric is committed to continuing that progress — so that more people can feel like they truly belong on the dancefloor.