By Jonathan Diebold
What the hell is happening to cultural spaces in Dublin? Where can artists even work anymore? From studios, to music venues, to galleries, to theatres, the beating hearts of Dublins cultural scene are being plucked away, one after the other. Some have been left to rot, vacant, awaiting redevelopment, like the Bernard Shaw. Some have already been replaced with hotels, like Tivoli Theatre, now the site of Staycity Tivoli, which advertises without a hint of irony “Music venues, art collectives, historic Dublin”. Some closures have been recent – Ormond Art Studios only got the eviction notice this month. Some, like the Eblana theatre or the Rupert Guiness theatre, lie vacant still after decades.
To name a few more: Monster Truck, Mabos, Moxie, and Market Studios. Jigsaw, Ja ja, and the Joinery. Sun studios, Steambox, South Studios. Broadstone, Block T, Temple Lane. D-Light, the Dark Room, Damn Fine Print. Henrietta Street, Hanger, the Hendrons Building. All within the last 10 years – go back another 10 and you have SFX, Crypt Arts Centre, City Arts Centre, the list goes on.
The Complex next on the chopping block
The latest assault has seen an eviction notice being issued to The Complex, located just off the quays in Dublin 7. A midday protest saw hundreds march to the Dáil in opposition to this, and a petition of 15,000 being delivered to politicians. The closure of the Complex would mean the closure of 18 artists’ studios, music rehearsal spaces, as well as a mid-size multi-purpose venue which has seen everything from music gigs and theatre shows, to fashion shows, art exhibitions, movies and wrestling.
Management at the Complex poured over a million euro and two years into restoring what was once a dilapidated warehouse. Since then they’ve paid nearly as much again in rent. Now that the building’s value has shot up after their efforts and resources to restore it, the landlord is cashing in and forcing them out, giving them just 5 weeks to move out. Merry Christmas.
Pressure needed
The Complex – management, but also the hundreds of artists who rely on the space provided for their livelihoods – are calling for funding from the government to purchase the venue, and they have identified mechanisms by which this can be secured. But the government are not forthcoming with the funding. The total cost to the state to support a permanent, vibrant arts centre in the heart of the city would be less than they spent getting the NFL here for a weekend. Nevertheless, the government are refusing to budge, passing the buck from department to department. They claim to care about art, but they certainly don’t care about artists. Pressure needs to be exerted both on the government for funding and the landlord for more time. Although the cynical timing of this eviction makes protests difficult, people need to be ready to be back out on the street in January if no solution is forthcoming, in the same way they did when the Cobblestone, a vital venue for trad music scene, had its closure for redevelopment prevented by a massive protest in 2021.
At a public meeting in the Complex some artists floated the idea of community ownership. First and foremost we want to see the Complex saved. Every artist who uses the venue appreciates the huge amount of work the management have put into building and maintaining the space. But we would also like to see a space which is owned and operated by the community who uses it. If the space is purchased with public money, it should be owned and managed by the public – the community of artists who use it. This is a model of ownership that should be extended to many other artistic venues, many of which are able to make significant profits from the artists while paying them very little.
