Late Licence Competition

When: Wed 26 Feb 2020 00:00 - Mon 02 Mar 2020 11:59
Where: SOAS SU

We have now had 8 Late Licences this year and they've all been run by SOAS Students, but for this next one, we want to get students more involved than ever. To do this, we opened a competition for students to suggest Late Licence ideas for students to vote on. We have had 16 submissions, all outlined below. Have a read through them all and after, head over to this google form to vote for your favourite!

1. Cheesy Disco with SOAS Rugby

Theme:   A very laid back late license with only fun and dancing in mind. Lots of balloons and maybe some blow up guitars or something, lots of bright colours and maybe a disco ball and just lots and lots of fun. A late lisence that doesn't take itself seriously

Music:  Cheesy ninetys and noughties and lots of fun, we've got contacts in all kinds of places

Decor:  Balloons and stuff

Extras: Maybe some donation buckets to raise some money for a good cause either Parkinson's or Mens mental health

2. Hip-hop Karaoke with the Level Up Society

Theme:  Hip hop karaoke, Afrobeats, RnB, cheeky bit of pop, Afrofusion, Arabic

Music:  See above

Decor:  Colours, paper mache, balloons

Extras:  Hip hop karaoke

3. Fiesta Time!

Theme:  A latin american inspired night since its been missing from past late licenses and would be inclusive to south american students

Music:  Reggaeton and latin and Spanish music

Decor:  With wreaths, flowers, colorful colors that are latin inspired

Extras:  we could have a live show of spanish guitar and flamenco

4. I'm Not Okay

Theme:  Emo

Music:  Just all of My Chemical Romance's albums

Decor:  Black

Extras:  Crying in the corner, guitar hero upstairs, temporary tattoos, blood themed drinks, some emo drag

5. The Power of Love with the Lonely Hearts Club Society (SOASk Me Out)

Theme:  Our late license would be a traffic light party (people wear neon glow stick bracelets, green= looking for love/please approach me, yellow=let's see what happens/approach me if you're feeling brave, red=not interested/don't approach me) with a vaporware nightclub aesthetic: imagine seeing your soul mate through the smokey haze, glowing under the purple light as tinsel glistens around you, the sensual sounds of Tina Turner echo around you and the aura of love in the air.

Music:  Remixes of retro bops (70s-00s) and low-fi wavy tunes

Decor:  UV flood lights, haze machine, a mirror ball, tinsel and hearts everywhere, upstairs JCR screen playing muted retro love films/music videos/cartoons

Extras:  Live confession submission box (DJ reads out confessions people submit on the night), club photographer, thinking of collabing with the SU bar to make a special 'love' cocktail

6. Just Dance

Theme:  Latin American vibes

Music:  Latino

Decor:  Just some red/yellow lights (i.e. warm)

Extras:  Bachata or other Latino dances lessons

7. Indo Music Night with the Indonesian Society

Theme:  Indonesian music

Music:  Indonesian music

Decor:

Extras:  Karaoke

8. Throw it Back Now Y'all with the POC Drama Society

Theme:  A Y2K/2010s blast from the past nostalgia party with a singalong karaoke segment

Music: all the old school hitsssss

Decor:  Metallic streamers/tinsel curtains and balloons, Y2K Zenon vibes and inflatable furniture! Also a separate decorated area in the bar for karaoke.

Extras:  Karaokeeeeee, disposable cameras, party poppers, silly string and kazoos!!

9. Techno Late licence

Theme:  A late licence featuring a number of people who enjoy techno music who also happen to go to SOAS already.  Dark bar, little light. No-nonsense electronic dance music. Deep House and Techno.

Music:  Deep House, Techno, Industrial

Decor:  Relataviely dark, club atmosphere, strobelights.

Extras:  a space for people to dance and enjoy the music

10. An Ode to the Houses of Joy with Art and the African Mind and the Natural Hair Societies

Theme:  The theme for the night will be a celebrationn of sound system culture… A celebration of the musical culture brought over by Caribbeans to the UK during the Windrush Era. At a time when these people are being persecuted by the current government, it is crucial that we celebrate their contribution to our culture. The Sound System Culture is a musical culture that birthed and cultivated a lot of genre’s we enjoy today, from EDM to Garage, Techno to House to Grime! plus the ROARRINN Sound System Clashes inspired the very sound systems and speakers present at the likes of festivals: Wireless, Lovebox & Glastonbury!! The title, “An Ode to the Houses of Joy” is a reference to the collective name of the Sound Systems + a celebration of how Blackness has and continues to enrich British culture. We want to facilitate an inclusive dance space for everyone to enjoy and feel the JOY that the sound system culture gave – they truly bought with them the gifts that our ancestors gave. The aim of our theme/late license is to create a space in which we centre Black SOAS students and Black experience in this hostile Tory Britain, whilst honouring and celebrating the legacies of those who came before us establishing the youth and musical culture of Britain for all to enjoy

Music:  Funk, Techno, Soca, Dancehall, Afrobeats, and more. Our contacts for DJs are Wahalaa Duo (confirmed) - including Tshaka Ballantyne who was so popular at the first late licence of 2020, SOAS student DJs and a DJ from the Resis'dance collective (TBC).

Decor:  The late licence will be decorated with fairy lights with the following colours: green, red, blue and white. There will also be African fabric prints decorated around the JCR provided by SOMSOC/ACS/NaturalHairSoc friends & family

Extras:  We would like to use the JCR space to hold a spoken word/ poetry night including live music. Michelle Mangel, playwright and poet will be performing her poem commissioned for Notting Hill Carnival 2020, as well as performances from roundhouse poets and performances from Black identifying students all under the theme of remembrance and celebration

11. Bollywood Late Licence

Theme:  Bollywood themed evening - Bollywood music isn't just Hindi or popular film music. It ranges from tamil classical music to punjabi rap, from Urdu to Malayalam. The night will consist of all the best film and independent punjabi music. As well as popular RnB and Indian mashup music.

Music: Bollywood and Bhangra music!

Decor:  Indian garlands and DIY colourful decor hanging everywhere

Extras:  Probably a show - people can perform a dance, sing etc.

12. Guilty Pleasures Night

Theme:  we all love britney & madonna, or even the backstreet boys & abba but most of the times we are too ashamed to actually admit it. this would be the perfect chance for all of us to dance the night away on 00s music and some hits from our hidden past.

Music:  pop music from the 70s up to more or less 2010

Decor:  something simple like posters of guilty pleasures’ artists

Extras:  outfit competition, divided in decades. so there would be a best 70s outfit, a best 80s, 90s and 00s

13. Free the Nipple

Theme:  We are tired of bras. We demand the freedom to express ourselves. We oppose the oppressive society where women are not allowed to show their nipples, while others can. We are going to FREE the NIPPLE at this late licence.

Music:  Nothing but the best female artists from the 90s. Why female artists? Because we need to give a stage to those oppressed in this society. Why the 90s? Because it's the best decade, obviously.

Decor:  Inflatable nipples launched on the crowd. Nipple banners to show how inoffensive they are, and how oppressive our culture is in its anti-female nipple campaign. Posters of empowered nipple owners.

Extras:  I would ask The Sages to compose songs about nipples.

14. Alpha Malangs

Theme:  Coming together of South Asian Culture

Music:  Desi Fusion Rock

Decor:  Collaborate with every south asian society and create a desi vibe.

Extras:  live music, concert series, desi activities

15. Drag Me to SOAS

Theme:  A cabaret night which focuses drag which is under represented e.g. AFAB , POC and Disabled performers. As well as amazing music all night by SOAS Students and ex SOAS students to showcase talent within the uni.

Music: LGBTQ+ Anthems, music by Drag Artists, Divas, cheesy pop, 90's house, Ballroom (Vogue), Afrobeats

Decor:  Decoration would mostly be upstairs and around the dance floor (where the pool table is downstairs) to create a cabaret space. Flags, lights, (party) poppers, photo booth

Extras: Cabaret, glitter station, Drag Makeup station, runway competition, reading/shade competition, dancers

16. What Do You Meme? with SOAS Meme Society

Theme: Memes are an embedded part of mainstream culture and for one night only, we want to celebrate our culture! With bangin' tunes like 'Never Gonna Give You Up,' 'All-Star,' 'Bring Me To Life' and more, live your best meme life at the What Do You Meme Late Licene!

Music:  Now That's What I Call Music CD's, popular tunes and meme music

Decor: Meme posters, air horns, party poppers, kazoos, etc. 

Extras: Come dressed as your favourite meme, prize for the best costume, What Do You Meme board game, JCR screenings of Vine/TikTok compilations

Vote for your favourite theme here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXnbPyaCniMQbKc87-EXV1BhPB08tDOz7tfNML3-W9xIDFSA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Voting ends on Tuesday the 3rd of March, so make sure you vote now to help your favourite win.