What Does Not
Voices in the dark – and the underground that hides in plain sight
Life can feel dark, overwhelming and as though it’s happening all at once. But the drive to cope is what gave us jazz, hip hop, rap, and soul – art forms that evolved from community and resistance. What would happen if today’s underground, or counterculture, embraced struggle in a different way? And what would be the most potent and fertile ground for a new underground to claim as its own?
We think about this a lot at culture agency What Does Not, as we look around the cultural landscape we’re part of.
When we (Christine, Tam and Mary) say “underground,” we don’t just mean “little-known” or “niche.” To us, “underground” is synonymous with a resistance movement – one that challenges dominant systems and ways of thinking. Historically, underground movements have pushed back against oppression.
Credit: Jessica Jennebach
As long-time culture curators and facilitators, we remember when counterculture genuinely unsettled those in power. When Grandmaster Flash sang, “Don’t push me ’cause I’m close to the edge,” it wasn’t just a hook – it was the voice of inner-city poverty and music innovation, wrapped into one.
Today, that resistance arguably looks different – because oppression is now most commonly felt through the constant clawing at our attention: endless news streams, cults of personality, and all the other polarising, absurd and insane forms in between. As challenging as it is to navigate a world with so much simultaneous information, the potential to spawn a powerful counterculture movement – one rooted in unity, empathy, and shared humanity is there.
Key to this is understanding how the locus of ‘the underground’ can shift in order to make it truly socially impactful and culturally innovative. It’s no longer about basements or taking over the streets. On the one hand, AI displaces humans altogether. On the other, idolising those with the loudest voices or biggest followings has created a world that is more ‘circus’ than ‘result of a civilised society.’ That’s why, for us, resistance means resisting the idea that some people or voices matter more than others. A human-centred focus can become music and culture’s greatest source of creativity and innovation.
The new underground hides in plain sight
But how do we nurture this new gen of creativity and expression? We argue that a degree of protection from the eroding effects of online attention is necessary if we are to birth this new type of underground. It means spaces where you can find and be yourself – without pointing a camera at yourself or hoping for further gain. And it means getting people to drop their guard, connect authentically as humans, and change their perspectives.
It’s an opinion we have arrived at after many years of running experiences in and for the underground. Case in point: what is now our RAW uncensored storytelling night began decades ago as an underground gathering held at lock-ins and round kitchen tables. Christine, our founder, felt the post-pandemic world needed this kind of innovative human connection format – so she launched it at Soho House, before human connection became a buzzword. In true underground style, the night has gone on to influence the wider London scene. What starts as ‘unknown’ and ‘hidden’ begins to shape the mainstream. And yet, RAW maintains its counter-culture ethos not only by valuing the everyday human, and making sure everyone’s voice matters. But also by virtue of not playing the attention economy game – an ethos attendees feel through our curation. And evidenced by the fact that not a single person is on their phone during the storytelling.
It all points to the everyday human becoming the underground source of culture. When the mainstream only values celebrity, power, and fame – there is nothing more radical than people from all backgrounds gathering to simply be themselves, protected from the prying eyes of the internet, and traps of virality. It’s in such spaces that organic cross-pollination can happen – and something new can emerge. To create an underground movement today with the kind of impact that creates meaningful change means to hide in plain sight – and to make it about everyone.
The revolution is intimate – and human
RAW is one such a space that flips the script. No promo, no performance, no ‘look at me.’ Just humans, stripped of titles. We’ve had buskers, CEOs, sex workers, psychotherapists, artists, grandmothers, dominatrixes and refugees. Everyone from 16 to 80 year-olds, standing shoulder to shoulder, as humans sharing their truth. And we host RAWs in beautiful, exclusive spaces, so, for one night, anyone can belong. And if you weren’t there, too bad. The fact that these are moments you can’t replicate is the whole point.
That’s why RAW built a cult following without even trying. It’s part music night, part community ritual. It re-educates through exposure and encourages people to question their own perceptions, values, and prejudices. RAW can’t be bottled up or defined. It resists the flattening of the digital world by invoking your presence.
In a world that documents everything, protecting the moment is a quiet act of rebellion. It’s the opposite of gatekeeping because the experience is there for anyone to have. It’s more like a walled garden that, over time, has gained a sense of sacredness. Even seasoned emerging musicians have commented how nervous they are performing at RAW because you could hear a pin drop. You’re showing up as yourself — the human. Not you, the performer.
Our advice to anyone wanting to harness the power of being ‘underground’ to create change? Plant seeds that resist the trap of online attention (even Jesus only had 12 followers). Nurture realness in all its complexity. Build ecosystems where intimacy and experimentation can thrive.
Because in the age of exposure, privacy is rebellion.
What Does Not is a culture agency run by three women. They host a monthly experience called RAW: London’s first uncensored storytelling and live music night.
Join their fourth anniversary on Friday 12th June at Old Sessions House I 7pm tickets available here.
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Authors: Mary Valiakas & Christine Charitonos.
