Diskotekah (or DTK) was dreamt up on a beach 3 years ago by two best friends and stylists Gavin Mikey Collins & Michael Beaumont Cooper. “The idea came from a conversation we were having discussing the state of the world and how to us it felt like we were living at the end of times,” Gavin explains. Starting out as a joke with the question ‘Where would you want to be at the end of the world/’ for Gavin and Michael it was Cape Town. There next thought was ‘We’re living in a post-apocalyptic paradise, what are we going to do/’. For the two of them the answer was easy. “We’re going to be having the best fucking party of our lives!” I asked Gavin and Michael to share a bit more about Diskotekah and how it has evolved over the past three years.
Tell me a bit more about Diskotekah. Who is part of the team?
MBC: DTK was started by Gavin and I, but over the years we have added to our team. We have Derrick Pitts, our unicorn, who gives us our visual identity online. Jason Broomfield, is our music consultant and general sounding board for anything business related. Pierre Vermeulen, an artist, who helps with and creates beautiful installations at the physical event and lastly, but by no means last, everyone who comes to DISKOTEKAH and brings their own special brand. DTK truly comes to life when all the tropical creatures show up and show out!
You describe Diskotekah as a “conceptual brand”. Could you expand on what you mean by this?
GMC: The Diskotekah experience is based very firmly in concept. Our process involves finding interesting spaces and transforming them into fully immersive and interactive art installations. For example, our 2nd birthday theme was #BDAYSPLASH so we decided to host the party at the bottom of the ocean. We’ve had TRIBE, EMO-Chanel, XMAS IN SPACE and our now infamous HALLOQWEEN party to name a few. Our intention is to channel the mood of the world at the time in a theme that can provoke, inspire and entertain.
MBC: DISKOTEKAH is constantly evolving. We never stick to one version of DTK. Each party has a different theme. This helps us to constantly think out the box in terms of what we do. We change location, we change the theme, we ebb and we flow. All of this continues to add to the concept, which is kind of experimental. Neither of us had any experience in throwing parties, but we had a concept for the first one and just went with that. So as the brand grows, so does the concept. Nothing is constant. The only thing that we try to maintain is the idea of reusing decorations in different ways. Recycle and DIY. These are the tools given by the gawds, to the drag qweens. So the way I like to view it as, is as an art installation set to techno. The final touch is the people who come and blow our minds with their individuality and creativeness.
Share a bit about what the party scene in Cape Town was like before Diskotekah, especially what it was like for queer people?
GMC: Before we starting hosting DTK I often felt like there weren’t many appropriate spaces for myself and my creativity in the Cape Town scene. Legendary parties like Evol had faded from the former fierceness, even MCQP had lost anything that made it innovative and relevant. It felt like a whole lot of the same. The same people, the same music, the same conversation. Even though Cape Town in the queer capital of South Africa there was still shockingly few queer friendly nightlife spaces and the ones that do exist can be aggressive and heteronormative.
MBC: It was fine, maybe lacking in certain areas; creativity and purpose. I can’t recall a party for a while being in anyway inspirational. The effort was lacking. This vacancy of creativity paves the way for the mundane and does not allow any room for the people who wish to express themselves. So no shade, but four walls and a Dj lineup is only engaging up to a point.
Following on from the above question, how did this inspire you to want to cultivate an alternative party queer party scene?
GMC: Our goal was to establish a community of creatives who are liberal in creative expression. We wanted to create a platform for young people to express themselves through various forms including music, fashion, art and drag. The mood that we curate at our parties to ideal for new people to meet, old friends to dance & be outrageous all while celebrating everyone for their differences.
MBC: The world is in a bit of a funk at the moment. It’s always been up to queer culture to lighten the mood and stand up for acceptance and love.
Share a bit about people in Cape Town’s perceptions of drag and how you have set out to embrace the beauty of what it has always been?
GMC: I think the public perception of drag has changed over recent years with shows like Drag Race playing a massive role in educating people about what drag stands for. That being said there are still misconceptions about drag and drag culture, even though it has been thoroughly assimilated into pop culture by now. Think about the words we speak: “gag” “yas kween” “shade”, these all come from the drag scene. Women are even contouring their faces now. You think that came from Kim Kardashian? Bitch please! Even though people in Cape Town are more open minded than other parts of South Africa, in comparison to other parts of the world we are very conservative. That’s why we use drag as an opportunity to challenge people’s beliefs about gender and identity through humour and entertainment.
MBC: Drag Race has been a real trail-blazer in the promotion of drag, so let’s give it up for Mama Ru. Now we have to form our own identity and express drag in our own way. Not that drag is localized to an area, it universal, but our experiences living in an area can certainly add to what we create and what issues we choose to address. Drag is a mindset. It’s a paradox to what is holding us back and if perception is reality, then drag can be an alternative reality where love is the standard we choose to live by.
Some of the videos that you have put out to share the parties you have hosted play on humour but also show an ownership of one’s body and sexuality. Please expand on the importance of this in relation to how you have framed Diskotekah.
GMC: Diskotekah is about acceptance. It’s about looking at what you’ve got and celebrating it from H to T. So what if you’ve got a limp? No problem. You werq that runway gurl… Self conscious about your make up skills? Throw a little glitter on it!
MBC: As mentioned before. We are about the expression of all things good. Anything goes as long as you can accept others for their ways. It’s about being your authentic self. We were all born into a loving family and for some reason, if you feel alone, we hope you can find another loving and accepting family, your tribe so to speak. I don’t think it’s in our DNA to hurt others. So it’s a reminder that life has beauty and that there is room for all types of individuals. It’s a mindset, not based on anything external.
How do you envision the future of Diskotekah?
GMC: The future of DTK is bright and beautiful. We would like to expand the brand and talk more about queer issues in South Africa. We would also love to create more opportunity for young queer people in South Africa.
MBC: The most we can hope for, is for people to get what we are trying to do. As long as we can create a safe space for people to express their inner self and as long as people show up, we will keep expanding on this. Hopefully we can cultivate a culture of love and acceptance.
What are you working on at the moment that you would like to share with our readers?
GMC: Currently we are working a music festival collaboration which is going to take place early next year. We can’t say too much about it now but if you follow us we’ll be releasing the details in September. We’re also working on a photoshoot documenting drag and club kid culture in Cape Town with an amazing South African photographer.
MBC: Halloqween 3 is our most immediate project and then watch this space! Something cool is coming.
Anything else you would like to mention about yourselves and Diskotekah?
GMC: If it’s not intersectional, it’s not relevant!
MBC: Love everyone for their quirks. Let’s make this life the best one! The house down!
