On July 26-27, Vault Sessions joins forces with Manchester’s own Meat Free and Paris-based Spectrum Waves for a collaboration rooted in shared values: care, community, and the kind of dancefloor magic that doesn’t just happen, it’s built.
While Vault Sessions hasn’t centered itself as a queer collective, we deeply admire those who have. This collaboration is a chance to shine a light on the crews doing the work, creating spaces where freedom and safety go hand in hand. For this, we found it valuable to speak with Blasha (Tasha) & Allatt (Steffi), two of Meat Free’s founding forces, about what it really takes to shape nightlife that’s wild, welcoming, and intentional.
Spoiler: it’s more than a good sound system.
shaping safe spaces in nightlife WITH meat free AND SPECTRUM WAVES
vault sessions blog series
MEAT THE COLLECTIVES
Meat Free is a Manchester-born COLLECTIVE founded in 2013, known for their electrifying lineups, WILD PARTIES, and unwavering commitment to creating safer spaces for everyone, especially queer people,on the dancefloor.
MEAT FREE (BLASHA & ALLATT)
Blasha (Tasha), co-founder of Meat Free
Allatt (Steffi), co-founder of Meat Free
“Bringing Techno to Manchester. Democratising dancefloors.”
SPECTRUM WAVES (David Le Naour and Léa Occhi)
Spectrum Waves is a Paris-based collective founded in 2017 by David Le Naour and Léa Occhi, dedicated to building safer spaces for queers and night’s creatures alike. Rooted in electronic music and queer liberation, their events are immersive celebrations of identity, expression, and community, where art, activism, and dancefloor freedom go hand in hand.
Meat Free didn’t set out to become a movement, it started with a desire to throw great parties. But over the past 12 years, something more powerful emerged.
“When we first started 12 years ago our worries were mostly centred on breaking even so we could throw the next party. Once we realised we’d started to create our own little rave community,” say co-founders Blasha & Allatt, “the conversation quickly turned to how to protect it.”
That’s been their driving force ever since: building nights that feel hedonistic, yes, but also grounded in care.
They don’t just talk about safety, they plan for it. Every event includes 1-2 dedicated safety awareness staff. Their job? Be present, be visible, and be ready to act if anyone feels unwell or unsafe. No drama, no stigma. Just real-time support, woven into the experience.
“We always lay out our safer spaces policy in the event info,” they explain. “And we do a full info post before each party so people know what to expect.”
It’s about clarity, not control, and the results speak for themselves.
But safety doesn’t mean stripping away the wildness of the rave. If anything, Meat Free proves the opposite.
B&A recall one moment in particular that sticks with them. Last September, they hosted a party in a raw warehouse space; no built-in staff, no pre-written protocols. That meant briefing the security team themselves.
“We told them what Meat Free is about; how we expect people to be treated.”
The result? A team that went above and beyond, calling taxis for guests, checking how people were getting home, and even walking people to the station if they were leaving alone. “The feedback from the community was overwhelming”, they state.“It was a major reason people felt safe, that level of care matters.”
SPECTRUM WAVES
If Meat Free shows us what care looks like in action, Spectrum Waves reminds us that safety can also be sacred. Ahead of our event, we spoke with David Le Naour and Léa Occhi,
two of the creative and intentional minds behind Spectrum Waves about how they’ve turned their nights into both refuge and resistance.
“The idea to create Spectrum was born out of an urgent and profound need,” David and Leah tell us, “to create a space where voices too often marginalized, women, LGBTQIA+ artists, racialized creators, could finally express themselves fully.”
So they built that space themselves. Not just an event series, but a cultural force. One that breaks binaries, disrupts gatekeeping, and invites people into a dancefloor that feels like home.
And it’s worked. Spectrum Waves has become one of Paris’s most respected queer collectives, known for their thought-provoking lineups, stunning visuals, and uncompromising values.
When we asked them to define what “safe space” means for them, David and Léa explained: “It’s a cocoon of freedom, a sanctuary where everyone feels welcomed, seen, and celebrated.”
That intention shows up everywhere, from how the crowd is greeted at the door to the behind-the-scenes briefing of every staff member. Their no-photo, no-video policy creates an atmosphere of full expression without fear of exposure. Their collaboration with harm reduction orgs and volunteer-run awareness teams ensures real-time support is present, visible, and human.
And then there’s the extras that shouldn’t feel radical, but still do. Free tickets for drag performers. Solidarity pricing for those facing financial precarity. Active feedback loops with staff, artists, and the crowd. All of it in service of one truth: safer spaces are built collectively, and constantly.
“Queer nightlife is deeply political,” David and Leah explain. “These nights are spaces where partying and activism converge… where we create alternative narratives, new aesthetics, and shared rituals of care.”
Léa Occhi, co-founder of Spectrum Waves
And that care ripples outward. Through visuals, lineups, performances, and vibes, Spectrum Waves is reshaping how nightlife operates. It’s not just about rejecting old norms, it’s about dreaming up new ones.
Their home base, La Station - Gare des Mines, reflects this ethos perfectly. “From the beginning, we chose to grow roots,” they explain. “We didn’t want to just drop in, throw a party, and leave. We built long-term trust with the team, and that mutual respect has become the foundation of everything we do there.”
It is evident that Spectrum Waves’ legacy carries onwards, and is in constant motion. “In 2017, truly inclusive nights were rare,” they say. “Now, we’re surrounded by other collectives, friends, associations, building an ecosystem that used to be monopolized.
And while they’ve had big moments, it's the small ones that stick. A thank-you at the door. A tearful smile on the floor. A shared silence that says you’re safe here.
For Spectrum Waves, the upcoming Vault Sessions x Meat Free x Spectrum collab is more than a stacked lineup. It’s a celebration of chosen family and shared purpose. “It’s going to be a beautiful reunion,” they say. “Merging our energies, aesthetics, and intentions. It’s about legacy and joy!”
Big love to David and Leah for their insight, and to the entire Spectrum Waves family for keeping the culture fierce, intentional, and free.
“Promoting isn’t static. The landscape’s always shifting, and you have to be ready to grow with it.”
When we asked B&A about how they think the scene has progressed in terms of safety practices , they said to believe much has changed since Meat Free’s early days, but the work continues.
“There’s definitely been progress,” they note. “You see more awareness teams, better signage, clearer expectations. But a dancefloor is only safe when it’s safe for its most vulnerable member.”
That means diverse lineups.
Inclusive crews.
Accountability behind the booth and beyond.
And it’s not a checklist, it’s a living, evolving practice.
For Blasha & Allatt, the upcoming collaboration with Vault Sessions and Spectrum Waves is more than just a party, it’s a reunion with like-minded people.
And that’s what this weekend is about. Sound, space, and solidarity, shared between collectives who care deeply about what happens when the lights go down and the bass comes up.
As Vault Sessions, we are deeply excited for this collab, and thank Blasha & Allatt for their wisdom and all the work they do to protect marginalized communities on and off the floor.
“We are unbelievably excited to come back to VS! We haven’t been with you since our ADE all night long b2b with Ben Sims last year! The best part about this collab is being around people we genuinely connect with. It’s a real pleasure to head back to Amsterdam with some Meat Free regulars and crews we respect immensely who are fighting the good fight!”