Refurb work at Number 12 East Essex Street

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.

RPA – Luas Art Competition 2009 Winner announced!

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.

Book lovers rejoice at The Gutter Bookshop this January

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.

A little taste of Italy in Temple Bar’s Old City

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.

Win tickets to “The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly” at The Ark!

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.

Celebrate 15 years of CoisCéim Dance Theatre in Temple Bar

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.

Full of resolutions to eat more healthily this year?

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!

“The Hybrids” – Bartosz Kolata Exhibition opens tomorrow at NGG (No Grants Gallery)

Temple Bar Cultural Trust are delighted to present our next art exhibition taking place at the No Grants Gallery at the Temple Bar Cultural Information Centre, 12 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. This exhibition will run from 12th-26th January.

Bartosz Kolata was born in 1979 in Torun, Poland. In 2006 he graduated Art Conservation and Restoration at Nicolaus Copernicus University UMK with Master of Art Degree. Since 2005 he lives in Dublin.

Speaking about his upcoming exhibition ‘The Hybirds’ Bartosz said “A human being is a creature between the angel and the beast and all his life he redesigns himself to find his own way to become one of them. The closer you are to your goal the more likely it is that you are what you reject.

Youth and beauty are the most desired values of the XXI century. This exhibition is showing the board which went beyond a limit. Amid pressures to be beautiful in our personal and professional life, the plastic surgery seems to be the easiest and the best option. People want to look young, rather than different, to have the face it their mind’s eye, not the one in the mirror. Reaching the goal without any wariness. The desire became an obsession, beauty and naturalness changed into the monstrosity.

They transformed themselves into the hybrids, lost somewhere between their dreams and reality, with unnatural wince. The metamorphosis is a grotesque. But still fascinating.”

Opening Night Thursday 14^th January at 6pm – admission free

TEMPLE BAR MARKETS SUSPENDED ON SATURDAY 9TH AND SUNDAY 10TH JANUARY

Due to difficult weather conditions and the various risks that these are causing, we have had to suspend trading at our markets tomorrow Saturday 9th January 2010 and Sunday 10th January.  This means that the following markets will not be operating tomorrow 9th and Sunday 10th:

Temple Bar Food Market at Meeting House Square
Temple Bar Book Market At Temple Bar Square

We have made this decision following a number of inspections of the conditions at Meeting House Square and Temple Bar Square.  We regret the inconvenience that this will cause to our hard working producers and traders who provide amazing food ingredients and products throughout the year; and we regret above all the impact that this will have on all our dedicated customers who support the traders at the Food Market and Book Market. 

We expect the markets to return as normal next weekend.

Happy New Year from TBCT!

Welcome back and Happy New Year from the team at Temple Bar Cultural Trust.

We have another exciting year ahead jam-packed with cultural events and we look forward to welcoming you all back to the streets and spaces of Temple Bar, Dublin Cultural Quarter for our programme of high quality, great value entertainment for all the family.

We will be announcing our full programme of events for 2010 in February so be sure to keep in touch with us.  Our events programme will include a fresh take on some of our popular events and indeed some very new and exciting experiences!

In the meantime we would like to once again thank you for your support and good wishes throughout 2009 and we hope you will continue to choose our TBCT cultural programme in 2010!