Dublin City Council Opens New Artane Artist Studios on Former Stardust site

Today, Sunday, 8th December, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Donna Cooney, officially opened the Artane Artist Studios, 10 new state-of-the-art studios that are part of the €9M Space To Create programme that sees Dublin City Council (DCC) and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media identify buildings for refurbishment that will provide artists with turnkey workspaces in the capital.

DCC has been working in collaboration with Xestra Asset Management, owners of the Artane Studios site, to develop the workspaces at Artane Place. 10 artists were awarded spaces in 2022 following two rounds of shortlisting and interviews through an open call process. They cover a range of art forms from visual arts, performance, literature and design. There are 12 studios overall in Artane Place. Two larger ones in a different unit are home to artists who have been in residence since 2023, they are visual Artist Alan Mongey and Dancer and Choreographer Ella Clarke. 

Speaking at the launch of the Artane Artist Studios Deputy Lord Mayor Donna Cooney said "Dublin's unique character is deeply intertwined with its vibrant artistic community. We recognize the recent loss of artist workspaces, and have a long-term plan to address this shortage. This includes the provision that 5% of all new developments in Dublin will be allocated to creative/cultural and community use and working with developers to create lasting artist workspaces, and reviving existing buildings to provide affordable options. Space To Create signifies a commitment to supporting artists and ensuring Dublin remains a hub of creativityenriched by working artists.”

The new artists in the new Artane Artists Studios are; Chris Judge, Illustrator / mural artist, Lynda Devenney, visual artist, Caitriona Ni Mhurchu, Theatre artist/multimedia, Sinead Lawlor, costume designer, Jennifer Dwyer, textile artist/ clothing designer, Malene Jacobson Brazel, Sharon O Callaghan, Cara Thorpe visual artists and Gemma Kane, writer. 

Theatre artist and Artane Artist Studio resident Caitríona Ní Mhurchú said “On hearing I had been awarded a space in Artane Studios, my first reaction was what a profound act of generosity it is from the families and survivors of Stardust to allow an artist to create in this space, and my second, was how hopeful it is that a slow and collaborative approach to the art made here might find ways of not only highlighting this physical nexus of memory, trauma and history, but maybe even go some tiny way towards healing those invisible lines. 

Artane Place is the site of the Stardust tragedy where 48 people died on Valentine’s Day 1981. Xestra Asset Management, having been appointed to manage the site of the tragedy and the adjoining buildings since 2020, has engaged extensively with survivors, families, and communities affected by the tragedy. With the support of Dublin City Council and in consultation with the local community, an annual vigil has been funded since 2020 and a memorial wall was unveiled on the 42nd anniversary of the tragedy. 

Stardust survivor Jim Fitzpatrick said “It's hard to put into words how one will feel about the old Stardust building, the site on which 48 young people were unlawfully killed on the 14 February 1981. Now in 2024 with the collaboration of new owners Xestra Asset Management Limited, Dublin City Council and the Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media the office spaces have been transformed and are now the newly refurbished studios which are Artane Artist Studios.  It's a bittersweet moment for most of the families of victims’ and the survivors who will be attending the unveiling and new opening yet it is so lovely to see that there is a new feel and a fresh beginning on the site in Artane Place.”

Announced. last year by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., Space to Create will develop 60 artist workspaces in the capital with funding support of €3M coming from the Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, €3M from Dublin City Council and €3M from a philanthropic donation (who wishes to remain anonymous at this time). The other sites earmarked include the Council owned 8 and 9 Merchants Quay which will also undergo a refurb to provide 21 artists workspaces and the former Eden restaurant in Temple Bar which will accommodate 6 artists, while a vacant site on Bridgefoot Street will house 20 new temporary units. Once refurbished, DCC leases and manages the buildings helping the artists involved to be able to live, work, and create their art in their local area at significantly reduced rent.