Culture Corner

Smock Alley Court, Essex Street West

This building in Cow’s Lane is going to be transformed into a wonderful treasure trove of artworks by Original Print artists next weekend – February 12^th – 14th, just in time for Valentine’s!

Framed works from Jean Bardon, Kate Betts, Felim Egan, Margaret McLoughlin, Joanna Kidney, Piia Rossi, Vincent Sheridan and many more will be going for in some instances half the normal price, in this weekend only sale! 

There really is exceptional value to be had giving you the perfect opportunity to buy the lasting gift of art, or an original artwork for your home.

The artists have been very generous in their discounts for this once off Original Print Sale, I hope you can come along and benefit from it! 

If you require directions or any further information please contact:

original print gallery, 4 Temple bar, Dublin 2. Ph: 01 677 3657 / email: info@originalprint.ie

The Classics Reading Group
Venue: The Gutter Bookshop
Date: Thursday 11th Feb – 6pm until 7.15pm

For all those people who want to read The Classics but need a bit of a nudge! The Dubliners by James Joyce is our choice for February. This Reading Group is currently full but if you’re interested in attending please drop us a line and we’ll check numbers.

Saving Darfur by Rob Crilly
Venue: The Gutter Bookshop
Date: Wednesday 17th Feb – 6pm until 7.30pm

Join us in-store to hear Rob Crilly talk about and read from his new book, ‘Saving Darfur’. Rob Crilly has lived and worked in East Africa since 2004, writing as a foreign correspondent for The Times and The Irish Times amongst others. This book is an eyewitness account of a conflict that differs greatly to the one that is commonly conceived.  This event is free and open to all.
A haunting and brutally honest account of international failure and African suffering. Lucid, engaging and written with love for the entire continent of Africa. Fergal Keane, BBC News

Poetry Night
Venue: The Gutter Bookshop
Date: Thursday 18th Feb - 6pm until 7.15pm                                                                                                      
If you enjoy reading, listening to, or writing your own poetry come along to our second Poetry Night! We’ll be asking for volunteers to read some poetry (either their own or by their favourite poet) but if you just want to listen that’s fine too! We’re also hoping that some published poets will join us to discuss their craft.  This event is free and open to all.

The Badness of Ballydog by Garrett Carr
Venue: The Gutter Bookshop
Date: Thursday 25th Feb – 10.30am until 11.30am

”Something is coming …something big. May knows it, but no one will listen to her. She is an outcast due to her odd ways and freakish ability with animals. Andrew knows it, but he has his position as gang leader to maintain. Ewan knows it, but what can he do? The sea creature is the biggest living thing on the face of the earth. And it won’t stop until it has destroyed Ballydog.”  This is the first book of a trilogy from an exciting new Irish children’s writer.  ”This is a School Event and not open to the Public”’, however if you would like a signed copy of the book please let us know and we will arrange it.

The Gutter Bookshop Book Club
Venue: The Gutter Bookshop
Date: Thursday 25th Feb – 6pm until 7.15pm

This is a general book club that meets monthly to discuss a book selected by its members. The Help by Kathryn Stockett is our February title.  This Reading Group is currently full but if you’re interested in attending please drop us a line and we’ll check numbers.

Find out more: www.gutterbookshop.com

From this Saturday January 30^th the ground floor space here at 12 East Essex Street (formerly the Temple Bar Cultural Information Centre) will close so that we can refurbish the space and re-open as a new multi-use venue in April.

We have decided to change the way we use the space so that it makes a better contribution to the Cultural Quarter. There are a number of stages involved in creating our planned multi-use space in what was formerly the Information Centre. 

This new space will be the venue for TBCT’s new programme of audience engagement events throughout the year, as well as providing box-office, ticketing and event information facilities.  This new space will be available for rent and full details for enquiries will be available on our website from March.

The No Grants Gallery will continue to operate here at 12 East Essex Street hosting visual artists of all disciplines along with expanding its current remit to be socially inclusive of all visual artist groups and communities.

We will launch our full programme of events for 2010 in February and look forward to seeing you on the streets and spaces of Temple Bar this year.

The Railway Procurement Agency announced the results of the third Annual RPA – Luas Art Competition. This competition is run in association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Dublin Culture Night which takes place on the last Friday of September every year.  The adjudication committee were impressed to have received so many excellent submissions. Artists were invited to submit entries using the theme of Luas Docklands – the new extension of the Luas Red Line to The Point, which opened in December 2009.

The winning entry will be displayed at Luas stops and on trams and feature on the cover of the RPA-Luas 2010 calendar along with the twelve runners-up which are featured in the calendar. A panel of distinguished judges selected the winning entry with some difficulty! 

Eamon Whyte’s entry was chosen as the winner of the Third RPA-Luas Art Competition. Mr. Whyte from Co. Meath graduated from the National College of Art & Design’s Visual Communications programme in 2007.  He now works as a freelance graphic designer. His winning design “UnTIEtled” was inspired by the work of Abram Games, a poster artist whose strong clear images were used as public service announcements in Britain during World War Two. A commuter’s tie was given a twist with the design of an elevated view of a tram to capture the theme of the competition.

The winners and runners up received their prizes at the official prize ceremony at the National College of Ireland adjacent to the new Luas stop Mayor Square-NCI.

RPA Chief Executive Frank Allen thanked all those who had submitted entries to the competition and praised the quality and diversity of submissions received. 

Culture Night will take place in Dublin and across many other towns and cities in Ireland on Friday September 24^th this year from 5pm onwards.  Culture Night is a night of free cultural discovery not to be missed so join us and the thousands who will be staying up late on the 24th!  A full programme of events will be available online at www.culturenight.ie from August.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars – Oscar Wilde

The Gutter Bookshop on Cow’s Lane in Temple Bar recently launched their January Events programme.  Owner, Bob Johnston, explained: “Bookshops have always been part of the communities that surround them and are so much more than simply a place where you go to buy things.  When we set up The Gutter Bookshop we always planned to run as many events as we could and hoped to get all kinds of different community groups involved.  We’re launching in January with two new reading groups, a poetry night and the book launch of an exciting new author Tiffany Murray.  Over the next few months we hope to build on these nights with children’s events, readings and many more author readings and signings”.  You can keep up-to-date with all Gutter Bookshop events on their website, www.gutterbookshop.com, or via their pages on Facebook or Twitter.

Here is a full list of their upcoming events:  

If you enjoy reading, listening to, or writing your own poetry come along to our Poetry Night and meet some like-minded people.  For the first meeting we’ll be asking some brave volunteers to read some poetry (either their own or by their favourite poet) and we can discuss what poetry means to us, and what we enjoy about it.  We’re also hoping that, in the future, some published poets will join us to discuss their craft.  If you’re interested in attending, please drop us a line so that we can check numbers.

Join us to hear about, and enjoy a reading from, Tiffany Murray’s new novel ‘Diamond, Star, Halo’ which was heavily influenced by her childhood growing up on the fringes of the 1970s music industry.

In 1974 Tiffany’s mother Joan decided to rent out their home in the Herefordshire countryside to rock bands recording at nearby Rockfield studios. The first band to take up the offer was Queen, who were recording Bohemian Rhapsody (which the young Tiffany had performed for her by Freddie Mercury in her own living room). They were later followed by Clannad, Horslips, Black Sabbath and many others.  Joan cooked for all bands that stayed with them and Queen loved the food so much, that Joan and Tiffany then moved to Rockfield Studios, where Joan met the man who later became Tiffany’s stepfather.

A general book club that will meet monthly to discuss a book selected by its members.  We’ll begin with “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy.  Future books will be selected by a members’ vote at the meeting.  If you’re interested in attending, please drop us a line so that we can check numbers.

The Old City area of Temple Bar got an Italian twist over the Christmas break as the delicious Italian Wine Bar, La Dolce Vita opened its doors on Cow’s Lane.

This relaxed and friendly addition to the Old City has both deep Italian personality and an international flavour with the very best in Italian meats, wine and pasta.  This is the ideal place to enjoy fantastic coffee, a warm Italian welcome, good music and originality. 

The Italian owner Riccardo is inviting you to join him this Sunday January 17^th from 4pm for a free wine and food pairing event.  They will be presenting two wonderful wines, Os Rosae, an organic rose’ wine, produced by a small Winery from Cori a village not far from Rome, Marco Carpineti, and Chianti Pontormo, a really nice Chianti produced by one of the best Tuscany Winery, Castelli di Grevepesa.

Alongside the wine tasting they are offering a Norcia Salami tasting where you will get the chance to taste 3 different kinds of Salami by Savelli Salumi, a traditional producer from the best Italian area for this kind of meat.

This event will be repeated for the remaining two Sundays in January (24^th and 31^st) and will give you a real taste of what their wide ranging menu has to offer.

La Dolce Vita have also installed a small movie theater in their bar area which will be used for private projections and event nights.

For further information contact La Dolce Vita, Cow’s Lane on 017079786.

The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children and Temple Bar Cultural Trust have teamed up to offer one lucky winner the prize of four tickets to The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly, on Saturday 30 January at 4pm.

To enter, simply reply to us with a comment telling us why you would like to come to a cultural event in Temple Bar this January.  The competition closes on Monday January 25^th.

THIS COMPETITION IS CLOSED.

The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children, in association with Theatre Lovett, presents the world premiere of

Sometimes it takes a girl-sized human, to solve an adult-sized problem.

This is the story of Peggy. And the packing. And the blizzard. And the boat.  

Peggy O’Hegarty and her parents were packers.
Each day someone would call with a job and a time.
‘I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast’,
said the caller and all of the packers said: ‘fine’.

But one day the phone it forgot to keep ringing.
And then all the boxes forgot to need stuffing.
And then poor old Peggy, she forgot to keep singing.
And she opened the curtains and found outside … nothing.

Because all of the people in her city were gone.

So Peggy went out to explore…

Following the sell out success of Beware of the Storybook Wolves in 2008, and The Giant Blue Hand in 2009, The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly is the first exciting initiative running as part of The Ark’s Theatre-Maker in Residence 2010: inspire new theatre for generations.

The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly is suitable for children ages 7 and upwards, and runs from 26 January – 7 March with public performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm and 4pm (excluding Sunday 31 January) and with extra performances during the mid-term break, Tuesday 16 – Friday 19 February.  School performances for 2^nd class and upwards run Tuesday – Friday 10:15am and 12:15pm during term time.

For full programme details, prices and booking please see www.ark.ie, phone 01.6707788 or visit The Ark, 11a Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Celebrating 15 years of award-winning productions CoisCéim Dance Theatre doubles up in the New Year with a programme of events at Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar this January.

As you Are by Muirne Bloomer

Who would you rather be Superman or Clarke Kent? We all want to stand out from the crowd – but are we willing to pay the price? In Muirne Bloomer’s quirky world, six extraordinary individuals are tested to the limit as they struggle for control over themselves and each other.

Faun by David Bolger

Audiences rioted when they saw Nijinski’s first ballet, L’Après midi d’un Faune, shocked by the shameless sensuality and revolutionary dance style. Mixing Debussy’s famous score with Queen, David Bolger explores how dance still reconnects us with our feelings and imagination and asks can we still break free?

Coinciding with CoisCéim Dance Theatre’s new production As You Are and Faun, there are also two lunchtime dance workshops for adults. The sessions offer participants the chance to get in shape with a lively dance warm-up as well as learn original choreography from the show. Come and discover more about contemporary dance theatre.  Workshops are led by a professional dancer with CoisCéim. Open to all levels, no previous experience necessary.

All workshop/performance tickets include a visit to see As Your Are/Faun at Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Designer Mart are now enrolling new craftspeople, designers and artists to become part of one of Temple Bar’s outdoor markets, re-starting March 2010.  Showcasing handmade jewellery, ceramics, visual art, furniture design and fashion, Designer Mart is an excellent platform from which to sell and display hand-made crafts and design. 

For an application form, please contact Eimear Chaomhánach at echaomhanach@templebar.ie.

The Temple Bar Markets are back for 2010 and they might be just the place for your grocery shopping needs this January.

Taking place every Saturday from 10am – 4.30pm on Meeting House Square in the centre of Temple Bar, the Temple Bar Food Market is bursting with all the ingredients for those perfect winter warmers.  Meeting House Square is wall to wall with the freshest of seasonal produce fresh from farms across the country every Saturday. Bring a big bag and stock up on fresh leafy greens and fruit, the best in pork, rich coffees, fresh fish and a whole lot more.

Our knowledgeable traders at the Temple Bar Book Market are back after the Christmas break and on Temple Bar Square every Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 5pm with a whole range of new and second hand titles for that perfect winter read.  Here you will find a whole range of titles for all ages with a particularly nice range of titles for children.  Music lovers should be pleased with a whole stall dedicated to new and secondhand music on vinyl and CD alongside music magazines and books.

Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane is back on March 13th with our favourite designers and artists back in the Old City selling their wonderful creations.  We will also be welcoming some new and exciting talented designers and artists bringing something new to the mix.  April will see the start of our workshop series for 2010 so if you are interested in receiving more information on the workshop series then please contact our Designer Mart Manager, Eimear Chaomhanach at echaomhanach@templebar.ie

We look forward to seeing you market shopping in 2010!