Mayor of London appoints Amy Lame as Night Czar
Out comic Amy Lamé has been appointed by Sadiq Khan as London’s first Night Czar.
Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the move today, creating the new role – which will oversee the capital’s nighttime culture.
Ms Lamé, a long-standing Labour activist, was mayor of Camden between 2010-11, and recently led the campaign to save iconic gay venue the Royal Vauxhall Tavern from redevelopment.
Comic Amy Lamé said: “It’s a privilege to be London’s very first night czar. I can’t wait to hit the streets and have loads of ideas of what I can do for revellers, night-time workers, businesses and stakeholders.
“For too long, the capital’s night-time industry has been under pressure — music venues and nightclubs in particular are closing at an alarming rate
“With the advent of the Night Tube, and the Mayor’s commitment to protect iconic venues across the city, I’m confident that I can inspire a positive change in the way people think about the night-time economy.”
A statement from the city says: “Amy Lamé, originally from New Jersey, arrived in London in 1992. Her first job was in a late night café-bar on the edge of Soho. She is now London’s first Night Czar.
“Amy has a long and successful track record as a leader and collaborator in the cultural and creative industries. She is co-founder of the Olivier Award winning arts company and club night Duckie, and has hosted the club every Saturday at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern for 21 years. She also DJs at various club nights across the capital.
“Amy co-founded and chairs RVT Future, a voluntary LGBT+ community group campaigning to preserve the iconic Royal Vauxhall Tavern. She is at the very heart of the conversation about venues under threat of closure in London.
“She served as Mayoress of Camden in 2010-2011, and spent her year highlighting the history and culture of live music and nightlife in the borough.
“Amy is a familiar presence on TV, in print and on radio, especially to Londoners. She co-presented, alongside Danny Baker, for a decade on BBC London 94.9’s legendary SONY award winning shows.
“Her debut book, From Prejudice to Pride: A History of the LGBT+ Movement – the first LGBT+ history book for children – is to be published by Hachette in June 2017.”
