Ctrl.Alt.Shift left its mark on Winchester University last night in the form of a good old raise-awareness club night, dance-off, and all round rave-up.

The Vault, in the basement of the Student Union, rumbled from the old-school hip-hop and R&B, but as the flashing lights bounced from the walls, our message for the night was illustrated: HIV stigma will not be tolerated. 

This event came one day after World Aids Day, and three weeks after the Nothing to Declare campaign - which saw Ctrl.Alt.Shift take a stand outside various embassies in London, protesting against the HIV travel restriction of countries like South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Russia. The students of Winchester got a full taste of the cause as the demos were projected on the stage throughout the night.

Michelle, 21, said: "I didn’t know about the HIV travel ban, but I know now because of Ctrl.Alt.Shift. The ban is a joke, and Nothing to Declare is the best campaign I’ve ever heard about."

Twenty year old Natasha Jayatilaka was appalled and added: "I don’t think HIV status should have any relevance on where you can travel, but I think this campaign is working to change the way some people think."

Olivia Berry, 22, said: "I think the HIV travel ban shows ignorance and it seems strange that they only think about one disease. Ctrl.Alt.Shift is great - anything that raises awareness is good, especially getting young people involved."

The night was not a complete rip-roaring success, as scheduled dance act Fuzzy Logic cancelled at the eleventh hour – a major disappointment after their stunning routine at last month’s Ctrl.Alt.Shift Sadler’s Wells dance event.

Nonetheless, Winchester poppa-lockers improvised to display an array of movers and shakers in an unscripted Ctrl.Alt.Shift dance-off. With 60 seconds to impress, rude boy Biva came up trumps and won himself an exclusive Ctrl.Alt.Shift t-shirt. All acts from the night will be entered into the Ctrl.Alt.Shift Sadler’s Wells dance competition. Too see them get down, or to enter your own routine and win the chance to be featured at the dance spectacle Rhumble!, in January 2009, visit the Ctrl.Alt.Shift website competitions page.

Marie, 24, from west London said: "With this event, it's just a relief to see young people who care about issues like HIV, and are willing to get involved and make a change fighting injustice. Plus with a club-night, it's made it cool to care you know. Ctrl.Alt.Shift is a wicked project."   

Just £2 entry. Over 100 more Ctrl.Alt.Shifters. One event. One movement.

Thank you Winchester. We will be back.

Words: Dwain Lucktung. Assistant Editor, ctrlaltshift.co.uk

Big shout out goes to fellow organisers Kyla Samuel and Vishna Shah, and Ctrl.Alt.Shift foot-soldiers Kevin Perry, Ben Anderson, Stephanie Hubbard, Jenny Archibald and Chris Mead.