The Dublin Community Blog

As part of the upcoming Dublin Theatre Festival , the south and west sides of Liberty Hall are being turned into a giant animation canvas. Members of the public can create animations with sound and music via the Playhouse website. These animations will be broadcast on Liberty Hall during the festival from September 24th until October 11th.

Powering the display are 100,000 low-energy LED lights, installed into 330 windows on the south and west faces of the building. These lights can illuminate each window as a solid colour turning it into a tiny pixel that’s part of a giant display.

The project was born from a series of conversations and connections made in the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin. Originally inspired by the Blinkenlights installation in Berlin, Playhouse raises the technological bar with the ability to produce colour animations.

Photo above and more can be found on the Playhouse Flickr stream here.

What a wonderful idea.

This weekend is the start of Heritage Week in Ireland, with free tours, exhibitions, and other events happening across the country, as well as in other countries across Europe.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “So they’re trying to get Irish people to come out and see all the things that they’ve never seen before that tourists from around the world travel thousands of miles to see? Sounds horribly dull, actually.”

Unfortunately, the website doesn’t help much. The stated purpose of Heritage Days is “to promote awareness of our built, natural, and cultural heritage and to promote Europe’s common cultural heritage.”

“Right,” you say, with the enthusiasm of a museum curator. “I think I’d rather gnaw on the leg of this pub table.”

But before you throw out the idea completely, I’ve done a bit of looking into the whole thing and can recommend that you at least consider the following “TOP 5 HERITAGE WEEK EVENTS IN CO. DUBLIN.” (And if you don’t like my list, have a go for yourself. CLICK HERE to see all 48 events in Co. Dublin or HERE for other counties across Ireland.)
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Well worth a visit if you are in the Thomas St area. The exhibitions are open to the public from 6th June to 14th June.

Degree and postgraduate Exhibitions are located on the NCAD Campus at 100 Thomas Street, Dublin 8.

Fine Art Postgraduate Exhibitions (MFA and MA) are located at the Digital Hub, James Street, Dublin 8.

The times of opening are: Saturday 10 am – 5 pm Sunday 2 pm – 5 pm Monday to Friday 10 am – 8 pm. Closed Bank Holidays.

Further information on the NCAD website.

The Back Loft is an ‘artist playground’ located in St. Augustine st, just off Thomas St in the Liberties. The bright former factory hall sees a constant stream of exhibitions and other art-related events, such as live art performances, video art, music, theatre, salons and much more interesting stuff.
I have been to a few of their events and it is refreshing to see how a place like this can really provide for a stage for new artists. It’s a true hidden gem!
Have a look at their website on http://thebackloft.blogspot.com for more info on future events.

While everyone is talking, twittering and typing about the Budget 2009 that was announced today, and as the direct impact of it on Dublin itself is not yet measurable (and about Dublin this blog is, young Jedis) I’ll write about something more pleasant: One City, One Book.

Now in its fourth year, Dublin: One City, One Book is a project designed to encourage everyone in the city to read the same book during the month of April each year. The project promotes reading in a city which boasts one of the world’s greatest literary heritages including four Nobel Laureates.

And this year we are encouraged to read the one book that introduced that ebony-fanged count and expert impaler from Transylvania to Victorian readers, 60′s horror movies and our collective consciousness; all dreamed up by a theatre manager who used to live on Kildare Street here in Dublin. Of course I’m speaking about “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. You’ll find a list of activities linked to this project and the novel at the official website; events including several exhibitions and walks plus a screening of F. W. Murnau’s classic silent movie “Nosferatu” including musical accompaniment.

So I’ll see if I can find my old second hand copy of that fascinating book somewhere – and hey, who couldn’t use some escapism in these dire times. Especially when the real-life vampires are already circling our paychecks…

WELL the funfairs up in Merrion Square and all sorts of events are happening around Dublin as part of the annual St Patrick’s Festival 2009. We were one of the first to get on the ferris wheel and the views over the city at night were fantastic.

There are loads and loads of things happening, culminating in Tuesday’s St Patrick’s Day parade. I’m going to be there in a special viewing area on O’Connell Street where I’m hoping I can get some great shots of the parade without the back of someone’s head, all thanks to Pixie who have managed to secure all sorts of fantastic passes for people to cover the parade. I will upload some pics here for those of you who will miss out n the day. Also keep an eye on the Pixie festival pool of pics for a flavour of the festival. And why not upload your pics of everything too.

So if you are in Dublin over the next couple of days you’ll find something for everyone. Check out the different events on the St Patrick’s Festival website. And keep checking back here as I am sure the Dublin Blog team will be out in force over the festival. Have fun and remember its St Patrick’s/Patrick’s/Paddy’s Day NOT Patty

I’ve been meaning to visit Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons for ages. Now I definitely need to get a move on. Next month an auction of over 2000 of Michael Jacksons personal belongings take place in Beverly Hills. The auction is being organised by Julien’s Auctions and some of those items are going on view in the Newbridge Museum from tomorrow. According to news reports Michael Jackson issued a legal threat during the week but it appears the exhibition is still going ahead.

I’m not sure how long the exhibition will be on show, but get yerselves to Newbridge soon. Directions can be found on their website here. Its not that far from Dublin really

Interesting exhibition coming our way.

Bodies has already been to New York, Paris, Amsterdam and Budapest and features “real, whole and partial body specimens that have been dissected and preserved through an innovative process.”

Freaky or what?

Check out the site www.bodiesdublin.com for more info.

In the last year I moved from Phibsboro to Stoneybatter and while I loved living in Phibsboro I have to say I absolutely love Stoneybatter, even the name is brilliant. There is a wonderful atmosphere in the area and being a stone’s throw from Smithfield, it is definitely worth spending an afternoon wandering about and enjoying the best of old Dublin meets new.

Between the coffee shops, local shops, great pubs, delicatessens, cinema, horse fairs, it is all happening here and one particular exhibition is coming up that you should definitely make a point of seeing and thats Dublinr, a photographic exhibition in the Joinery, made up of some of Dublin’s favourite Flickr members.

It opens on November 5th (so remember remember the fifth of November) and knowing some of the photographers from Flickr it will be well worth checking out.

Here’s a map to the Joinery Gallery, which incidentally is a relatively new space. I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of it pre-opening and I am very much looking forward to seeing it finished with amazing photographs on the walls. The Dublinr exhibition runs from November 5th (remember remember) until Sunday 9th, 11am – 6.30pm daily.

I am delighted to see exhibitions like this and I know there’ll be more, having heard murmurings of the same over recent months. So watch this space, the best of luck to Dublinr (I know it’ll be great), make sure you catch it.