The entrepreneur championing positive change in Bristol’s night life

Ola Poroslo’s work is geared towards creating positive change through music and creating spaces that feel inclusive and safe for everyone.

In two short years since dropping out of university, the director of PHAT Bristol has founded a record label and collective to champion diversity and tackle polarisation, launched a regular queer club night and is now in the process of setting up a new security firm.

The latter was born out of bad experiences with security teams at venues in the city and realising there must be a better way.

Focusing on queer and femme employees, PHAT Security aims to shake up the industry and foster a non-judgemental, inclusive ethos to make people feel comfortable and safe when they are on a night out.

“I want to make change and make people feel safer and better and, for me, I can do that through music,” says Ola, who first started PHAT during lockdown.

“Music for me is the way to get past polarisation.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY_7KM0MysS/

Tackling challenges faced by women and non-binary people at night is a subject that’s close to Ola’s heart and part of the reason they are taking part in the upcoming Bristol24/7 Presents event, Celebrating Women in the Nighttime Economy, at Lost Horizon on March 31. Following a panel discussion, PHAT Bristol will be hosting a special version of their regular club night CROTCH at the venue, with all proceeds going towards setting up PHAT Security.

………………………………

This event is a hybrid event

Register now to secure a free ticket to the event at Lost Horizon: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bristol247-presents-celebrating-women-in-the-nighttime-economy-tickets-274830815367

or

Register to attend the live stream online via: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bristol247-presents-celebrating-women-in-the-nighttime-economy-virtual-tickets-294452042987

………………………………

“It’s really important to me to push as far as I can with PHAT and women and queer safety as I actually have the space and resources available to me here,” explains Ola, who is originally from Poland.

“I am not out as queer in Poland and it’s a big part of my identity that is hidden so that I can protect myself. When I’m in Bristol, I appreciate the freedom and opportunity I have as a queer femme person and want to help others.”

PHAT, which stands for Poland has a task, started out as a record label but has grown from that into a creative collective working for positive change.

“I just think if you want to do something, do it yourself,” says Ola, who also works as the events manager for Cloak and Dagger and hosts regular open mic nights there.

“It’s about making a space that welcomes everybody, including queer people.”

Both CROTCH and PHAT have already become known, particularly among Bristol’s young people and student population, as pioneers when it comes to safety at night.

Ola hopes the work will continue with the launch of PHAT Security later in the spring and they already have UWE Bristol students set to design the uniform, which needless to say, will be a bit different to the attire usually worn by venue security teams.

Register now to secure a free ticket to the event at Lost Horizon: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bristol247-presents-celebrating-women-in-the-nighttime-economy-tickets-274830815367

or

Register to attend the live stream online via: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bristol247-presents-celebrating-women-in-the-nighttime-economy-virtual-tickets-294452042987

Main photo: Ola Poroslo

Read more: Meet the women leading one of Bristol’s most diverse and celebrated venues 

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast interview with Ola: