Artist-led club and creative hub redefining Canning Town’s nightlife
FOLD opened in 2018 and is an artist-led, community-driven nightclub and arts space based in the industrial estates of Canning Town. The non-descript two-storey building used to be a Printers but has now been transformed into one of London’s most popular and respected nighttime venues with two rooms, black walls, bold lighting, a dj booth at floor level and a 24-hour licence. It also has affordable studio space to hire for local artists, musicians and DJs.
“My main purpose always was to make music and play music in different nightclubs, and the story of FOLD happened absolutely accidentally. After realising the importance of it, not only locally but globally, I understood that there was no way back.”
Lasha Zhorzholiani
FOLD prides itself on being a safe space for all, especially the LGBTQ+ communities and operates a strict no-phone policy, with a sticker placed on your phone camera on entry. This is also to encourage human connection with your fellow ravers on the dance floor.
“There’s something special about walking in and knowing you can just be yourself, that you’re not going to be judged. You’re supported. That’s what keeps people coming back.”
Carys Payne
Playing electronic music across a wide spectrum: industrial to groovy, heavy to bouncy, jungle to techno and everything in-between, FOLD is about creating a shared, communal and memorable experience on its dance floors. It has seen big names like Goldie, Skream and Benga and has hosted Rupture nights. But it is also about fostering the next generation of talent with its own resident DJs, live streams and mentorship schemes. But at its core lie the UNFOLD events: marathon Sundays with unannounced line-ups, where the club is a space for pure collective release.
Oral histories
Lasha Zhorzholiani
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Background
Lasha Zhorzholiani, born 1988 in Mestia, Georgia, is a music producer and DJ who co-founded FOLD, a 24-hour community venue in Canning Town.
Transcript
I don’t think clubs should be designed to be businesses. They should be straightforward, accessible. The main goal should never, ever be trading and safety should be the paramount. I never wanted to have a club or to be involved with the operations of night clubs. My main purpose always was to make music and play music in different nightclubs and the story of FOLD happened absolutely accidentally and and after realising the importance of it, not only locally but globally, I understood that there was no way back, so I had to stick with doing what I’ve started with, my friends, my partners, and yeah, that was kinda something that it was not planned. I didn’t have in my mind any plans of what we’re gonna do, how we’re gonna do we only had this building, and then plans were made literally while we’re building everything ourselves.
Carys Payne
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Background
Carys Payne, born 1993 in south-east London, is a regular at the queer party Unfold. They live and work in London as an Architect.
Transcript
Well, there’s always a lot of excitement going there. So as soon as you’re kind of off the main roads and down onto the slip roads, it feels a little bit quieter, and you’re then sort of passing by lots of industrial buildings, lots of heaps of rubble, lots of tall grey metal fencing. And then once you’re closer to the block that fold sits on, typically, you’re going to start to hear sounds and feel beats and the excitement builds and builds, and then you’re either at the back of the queue, or, if you’re lucky, and there’s no queue, you’re just right there, straight up to the security people, who are always very friendly. And if you’re lucky, you’re straight in.
Kuba Nowak
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Background
Kuba Nowak, born 1973 in Siemanowice, Poland, is a photographer, filmmaker and community builder whose experiences at FOLD reignited his sense of belonging in London’s club culture.
Transcript
My first impression was, like, this is cool. Like, this is intended for serious appreciation of quality music. It was the lighting. It was simple. It was confident. It wasn’t- it didn’t seem showy spectacle. To me, it seemed like a cathedral to sound. So we are here to dance together. And I guess I was in awe of the fact that it was considered the best sound system in the UK. So that was my- A big part was that excitement I was reading somewhere, I read about FOLD. And what got me was, what pulled me in strongly was it had the best sound system in the UK. Because for me, when I go out, the most important thing is the music. The second is the people. Third is the venue.