Meet Motions: The Collective Revolutionising London's Party Scene
The need for third spaces has become increasingly essential for young Black creatives. The rising collective Motions is redefining what it means to party and interact in London.
Photo property of Theo Genfi.
"No wall huggers and seat warmers allowed," is Motions' most important rule. They view these people as a great disdain to a party, usually indicating that the vibes are 'dead'. Gone are the days of being shy on the dance floor, observing from the corners and stagnant crowds; the joint venture Motions has been pushing the boundaries of versatility and creativity in London's partying culture and ultimately creating a third space for young, creative minds to interact.
Parties in London have been in decline. Party collectives have prioritised focusing on the divide between VIPs and 'regulars' instead of creating an enjoyable atmosphere with lively music, which has led to the rise of wall huggers and seat warmers. We are hyper-focused on how we look, wear, and act based on our fears of being recorded and ridiculed online.
You can't blame them, though. In a space where you feel uncomfortable, watched, and judged, it's safer to sit and observe rather than be out there and mocked. Fear has encapsulated the party scene and led many people to alienate themselves from it.
"I don't even like going out anymore. I always feel like I am being watched, and the music is never good. I no longer see the point of putting myself in those situations," said an anonymous partygoer in London.
At their Karaoke and Games Party at Zombie Games Café and Bar in Cricklewood, London, I spoke with Motions co-founders Kesensa'aakhut Mordi (mononymously known as Kesensa), Lisa Keeks and Marcel Diaz-Recio, who expressed similar opinions.
The joint venture started in 2023 as a result of bubbling frustration from attending "shit parties," Kesensa says. Kesensa and Lisa credited their awakening to Marcel's birthday party in September 2022, which was so fun that it prompted them to think about replicating this feeling.
“We were just tired of going to awful parties—that’s the truth. I was like, ‘guys, we can literally throw our own party’.”
In the summer of 2023, the group decided to redefine what it means to socialise in London by creating IHeartMotions. They didn't start to ban wall huggers; instead, Marcel credits the "energy" displayed in the room at their first event.
"When we started our first party, we didn't really have no wall huggers, but from the second we started, it was just energy. So, then we took that on and embraced the fact that we don't want a space where there are wall huggers. I've gone to other parties and realised how crazy it was. People were chilling, and not really interacting," says Marcel.
They hosted their launch party at the same strip club where Marcel hosted his birthday party the year prior, and it was an instant success.
"It was after we did our launch, so many people came. We saw the turnout, and we saw the energy. We were like, wow, we can actually do this, and it's just been rolling ever since," Kesensa states.
The team is multi-faceted. Marcel says that none of them have an economic role, but rather, "We each have our areas where one of us will understand a bit more compared to the rest, so one of us will take over, and the other two will support."
Kesensa, 21, is a writer, barista, and creative person. Born to Jamaican and Nigerian parents, she has an unwavering philanthropic bent, spanning from teaching creative writing and English to children in Grenada for a month to raising awareness and funding for Sickle Cell disease.
She showcased her film Child in (You)th last month, which explores youth violence. "I interviewed about 30 young people, asking how they feel about violence, about the climate, about adults, about what they want for themselves and how adults can support them. That was a critical piece of work for me to do," she says.
Photo property of Theo Genfi.
Kesensa (left) at Karaoke and Games Party. Photo property of Ruben Weekes.
Lisa, 22, is an Ethiopian DJ, graphic designer, and university student studying Anthropology and Sociology. "It's okay. I don't love it. I much prefer doing [IHeartMotions], but the family that I come from is very academic not very creative at all. So, that's just one route I have to take, but I like the balance, honestly." Lisa learnt how to do graphic design through the collective to make people more interested in attending the events. Marcel and Motions resident DJ Jackie taught her how to DJ.
Marcel, 22, is a Cuban Spanish DJ and producer. He started getting into music through his friends, who at the time were rappers, which prompted him to make and sell beats and songs. "I have quite a great passion for making songs. And how I ended up DJing and how I ended up doing motions was me having friends as rappers, and they're like, oh, can you DJ for the show, and I just got thrown into DJing. Then I was like, oh, now doing the parties and bringing people together is part of that too."
IHeartMotions has gone the extra mile to ensure their attendees are comfortable. They have been breaking the confinements of the cliquey underground parties with their relaxed atmosphere, opposite their counterparts. One anonymous attendee stated, "Motions is always a welcoming environment. I think because it's run by women, there's more of a sense of inclusivity. You can dance without shame attached."
This is their aim; the need for a third space is more prominent than ever. Coming out of the isolation of COVID-19, people are craving human connection, acceptance, and conversations. Now more than ever, having third spaces brings you back to reality in a city like London.
In the book Rethinking Third Spaces, Elizelle Juanee Cilliers cites that "Our societies and cities now call for an approach to reclaim public space for public use, to revisit the concept of third places, to provide opportunities for people to meet and interact and to develop a sense of belonging to a place." Similar to Elizelle's thoughts, Lisa wants this for her community: "The main thing is creating a third space for people to be creative, network, and be social. Gathering people with the same vision and ideals aligned all in one place. Even if you don't have the same interests or are a creative, you can still be in the same place and do something."
IHeartMotions is steering in a lane of Black third spaces in London, looking to redefine partying culture. Black-owned third spaces, such as the community chess club CSCB Club in Brixton, the trendy amusement park festival RECESSLAND, and Soft Life Ski, merging the gap between Black youth culture and skiing, are continuously proving that our inner child desires fun activities geared towards our demographic, giving us a break from just the night parties we are used to.
IHeartMotions wants to be more than just a "party collective." To create variety and facilitate connection within the community, they have gone out of their way to host events that aren't party-centric.
"People need somewhere to go. I want somewhere to go sometimes, and I don't want it always to be a party. Which is so funny because when we did our event in February, I was so happy that it wasn't a party because I was saying to Lisa, I'm tired of parties, I'm tired of throwing parties. I want to do something more that people can hold on to," Kesensa expresses.
Motions have held many events outside the party banner, including Sip and Paints, Games Nights, and Live Music Shows. These events, geared towards the community, are why the collective is authentic to the cause.
"Our aim is for people to come out and then come home thinking, that was a great night, and I met some great people. That's the gap we're trying to bridge, but we're trying to do it naturally," Lisa adds. Being authentic comes with its costs. The team states that they "have to weave past what's wrong with it," citing troubles with reaching bar spends and having to pay the difference, trying to balance hosting free events and paid events and, at times, butting heads figuring out the angle of Motions.
Photo property of Theo Genfi.
However, Motions has a strong foundation, one rooted in its name. When formulating names, Kesensa suggested "Motions," which stuck. It encapsulated what they wanted out of the collective: They are all juggling their personal lives, but they can still keep it moving—and still be in motion.
For Marcel, seeing attendees at their events coming purely because they found it on Instagram was a memorable milestone in the Motions journey. "The fact that people are coming out of nowhere and just seeing it on social media and thinking, oh, this is cool enough for me to come and bring their friends. That was crazy for me."
Motions always state it's there to help young creatives. They constantly seek opportunities to widen their team and the community, making them stand out.
“IHeartMotions is a movement. It’s saying a big fuck you to club culture and cliquey behaviour. People look at you funny when you go out because you’re dancing or enjoying yourself. We’re just trying to bring motion to London.”
"Sometimes, we throw events and do not mention the DJ line-up. We don't want you to come to see your favourite hottest DJ; we want you to come to vibe and support people. I have a friend; the first time she ever DJed outside of her house was at our launch party, the first time ever, and that's the sort of thing we want because if no one books them, then they're never going to get the chance to excel."
After the interview, I stuck around at the Karaoke and Games Night party, and I left knowing they had lived up to their word. I walked out the doors of Zombie Games Café with new friends, connections, and a fresh perspective. I understood what the founders meant by an authentic community; it exuded a vibrancy I hadn't seen before.
Stay connected with Motions on their social media here.