On a night devoted to romance – the kind often packaged into cards and clichés – something softer unfolded in a room washed in pink light and possibility.

There were knowing glances across the dance floor, arms slung around shoulders, the thud of a bassline carrying confessions. At the centre of it all was iolanthe – an Eora-based artist and the mother of ‘Cinnamon Club’ – whose instinct for gathering people has always been about creating spaces where connection becomes the main event. CUPID: A Party All About Love, the Valentine’s debut from Purple Flower Productions and Cinnamon Club, was their debut invitation to do just that. And of course, we had iolanthe on the ground for it all, capturing moments and penning her thoughts for RUSSH – a record of the flirtations, friendships and fleeting, glittering exchanges that made the night what it was...

I hope this message finds you at a time when you can truly take in what it looks like for people to exchange love. I suppose we are all becoming increasingly aware of the crisis of closeness that we as a people are experiencing. The consequences of this individualism ripples through every facet of what it means to co-exist with others. More than my worry for the world (which has reached new highs as of late), is my genuine joy at the prospect of being fleetingly alive alongside other fleetingly alive and wholly complicated humans. I laugh at the clumsiness of what it is to be a person, of the universality of certain experiences and our urge to pretend that we’ve never experienced it. When I am able to sit in these musings for long enough to giggle, or journal, or jump around in my room, I am able to envision a reality in which everything is really all about love.

If you look – and I do mean really look – at this photo diary, then you can find the love of one’s friends, of one’s family, of a wholesome encounter with a stranger on a dance floor, of a particular song, of the way the pizza kitchen is painted pink, of a temporary tattoo, of seeing people dance in unison, of long-term lovers, fresh flings, the cuteness of Charlie Brown and Snoopy and – of course – the good-old love of the party.

As the mother of Cinnamon Club, an events venture brought to the world by Purple Flower Productions, having a company was something that my co-director Ellie and I have always wanted, but it took various conversations to realise that an act of love for ourselves meant taking our ideas seriously enough to call it ‘business’. When thinking about how the event production of our company should look, leading with love felt like the most obvious ethical and calendrical choice. Of course, Valentine’s Day comes at the beginning of the year, and, really… what better way to soft launch your new production company than creating a place for people to shake their asses?

CUPID : A Party All About Love was the thesis. The invitation. A bell hooks reference to those that are familiar with her meditations on love. That night, we created Cinnamon Club’s romantic fantasy - with flirtation hanging in the air and beauty existing unapologetically (as seen clearly in the photos).

Thank you to: Ellie, Jas, the cupids (Coco, Janet, Archie, Zarif), Ben, Griff, Drew, the Poor Toms and Oltra team, the wonderful artists on the lineup, Ethan from security and all of you lovers who came out to meet on the dance floor.

Keep an eye on Purple Flower Productions (website launching soon – all updates will be live on @purpleflower_productions Instagram) for upcoming events, and hang tight for their next Cinnamon Club event (although it won’t be Valentines specific, it will always have love at the centre).