The Third Place

Choose your space carefully because it will either make you or break you. For those of you who actually take time out to peep my page you will know all too well that I haven’t done one of these in ages. During this time I have learnt some invaluable lessons and may have also made a few bad life-choices (or many ;), that is why I am back with so much to share. Pivotal to my growth and experience has been the spaces I choose to thrive in. That is why this post is my mini-documentary on The Third Place.

Before even stepping foot into the venue the first thing that many individuals find fascinating is the name. It’s pretty simple, your first place is home, second is work and the third place is where you go to step into another era or parallel dimension (with a great soundtrack). The venue is located in a graffiti-strewn alley in Newtown making it the ideal location for an underground club.

The Third Place has very quickly become a diverse space where the arts are celebrated in all of its forms, if I look back on our rich South African history the first thing that comes to my mind is Sophiatown. For those not familiar with Sophiatown, it was a legendary black cultural hub that was the epicentre of politics, jazz and blues during the 1940’s and 1950’s. It was akin to what Harlem was to New York in the 1920’s and is sometimes referred to as the Sophiatown renaissance.

You can always be sure to have the most amazing after-party experience in the foyer of the venue. At 9am the sun seeps in from the windows (from what I call my Havanna Club with the dangling plants from the ceiling) ensuring that you have an experience that can only be described as a movie.

A dynamic team of friends operate the venue, all with a keen interest for anything creative (especially good electronic music). This is what makes the place an ever-evolving, shape-shifting space. My favourite part about this space is that there is a strong sense of a dance-floor community where people from all galaxies are welcome.