On Sunday 29 September, London played host to its first neuro-inclusive party, Out Of Body Pop, the new kind of day event that provides a co-creative space for the many, founded as a direct response to the lack of forward-thinking, low-intensity music spaces in the city. Curated and consummated by Will Soer, Threads radio host and member of music collective, Loose Lips, out of need for necessity in today’s party-sphere as he himself navigates the scene via a neurodiverse lens.

The party was held at EartH Kitchen in Hackney, providing an array of natural light throughout the space – no darkness of any sort entered the third space.

Headlined by Kindness aka Adam Bainbridge, the British alt-pop solo artist and chart-hitting collaborator, fully immersed into Out Of Body Pop’s ethos requesting for the lights to be turned down as he guided the audience into deep emotional ambient tracks, smooth New York house, and gradually easing us right up into full sound as the room also exploded into dance – a simultaneously relaxing and adventurous moment, that bolstered the series’ playful & therapeutic energy.

The party provided space to paint, dance, and create, with a full curation of music from artists such as Don Sinini, REGALJASON accompanied by oobp’s own Will Soer, Harietta, megalashhh, Betulia, Yungirie and DJ Plant – with alt pop, post-punk, dancehall, arabesque and more, the party’s sound gave something to all party-goers and the floor filled with movement throughout. Out Of Body Pop performers reacted to the music’s energy encouraging party-goers to also feel the moment in their own way.

Guests were invited to play with the free paint and craft materials, to produce visual responses from their experience at Out Of Body Pop. Local artist Eli Delbaere, softly painted a psychedelic scene of gentle pink+blue, whilst Samme Snow re-interpreted Kindness’ set in a clean Keith Haring-esque style. Other notable guest artist included Brooks Paintings, Lihui Liang, Lola Missouri, Raman Uppal, Sunny Geng, and Xinde Ren – an epitome of co-creation.

The artwork is now for sale here and all funds will be donated to the Arts Emergency supporting better equality for young people in the arts.

Out Of Body Pop, 29 September 2024 at EartH, Hackney London. Photo credit: Rita Simao

Out Of Body Pop was born to counter the current trend of hard’n’fast club nights in London that largely only offers dark, intense, and often overcrowded parties – an intimidating setting for a lot of partiers, especially following the pandemic. It has been designed with a mindful and safe capacity, with a themed, but varied line-up with live performances, DJs, dancers, and artists, as well as the offering and encouragement to create: craft, paint, draw, dance. The music and curation has no ego – the concept is not over-intellectual or ironic or tongue-in-cheek or no-nonsense. It is accessible and exists to tackle the underrepresentation of the many.

each a great success, championing the inclusivity, creation, and community,the mission that we set out to achieve within the city’s party scene. It truly was the party that we wish existed.

Out Of Body Pop includes –

Co-creative arts.
Art materials are provided for all attendees to use.
Visual artists are invited to create ‘cover art’ for each musical set.
Guest dancers are on stage, modelling interaction with the music and helping the crowd express themselves without the need for darkness or inebriation.
The music, dance and visual lineups are made of diverse, independent local artists.

Open space.
The event takes place in the daytime on Sundays from 12:30-20:30.
The party runs at reduced capacity at EartH Kitchen, a venue which provides plenty of natural light, comfy seating and a mezzanine area separate to the dancefloor.
The mezzanine is an alternative creative space within earshot of the music, but offering painting, another way for partiers to connect and express themselves.

Out of body pop music.
The music policy is colourful, emotional and modern exploring therapeutic, experimental, but accessible sounds.
A focus on under-represented music in London’s clubs; full of chords and syncopated mid-tempo rhythms, with fresh takes on R’n’B, Electronica, House, Dancehall, Pop.
There are live performances in the middle of the day, and a variety of DJs on either side.

Note: Out Of Body Pop is not a sober rave – alcohol is sold.

Out Of Body Pop Founder, Will Soer, says –

“The most recent Out Of Body Pop party showed us how beautiful and powerful a music event can be in 2024 when you look at your community and rebuild the format around them, from the ground up.

I’m grateful to everyone who was in that room – from our neuro-typical and neuro-diverse partiers (including a couple on their first date!) to the guest artists who put their soul on the canvas – everyone was included.

It was so exciting having a full team of dancers bouncing off the music, a vocalist freestyling (shout out REGALJASON) and a ‘Out Of Body Pop’ pioneer, Kindness, delivering an astonishing DJ set. The artworks created during each of the live sets are unique and beautiful – the mezzanine art space came to life with people expressing themselves in a different way to dance or communication, a completely inclusive co-creative moment. Plus, the artwork is on sale for Arts Emergency, buy art, to facilitate more creativity.

My belief in what we can achieve within the wider space has been cemented – beyond our party, the wider network across culture is beginning to connect and the conversation for more neuro-inclusive events are on the way.

A new generation of parties are coming – and this time they will be truly marvellous.”