Dublin City Council (DCC) and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, have refurbished the building where 48 young people died in a fire in 1981, into 10 studios for artists ranging from sculptors to choreographers.
The Artane Artist Studios – launched at the weekend by Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Donna Cooney – are part of the €9m Space to Create programme to deliver 60 artist workshops across Dublin.
The programme involves buildings being identified for refurbishment by the council and department that can be used as spaces for artists to work and create.
The Stardust building is now owned by Xestra Asset Management, which leases it to the council. It is now called Artane Place.
Xestra Asset Management was appointed to manage the site and the adjoining buildings in 2020, and 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.
The fire at a Valentine’s Day disco in 1981 claimed the lives of 48 people, aged between 16 and 27.
The memorial at the site of the Stardust tragedy in Artane. Pic: Steve Humphreys
Stardust survivor Jim Fitzpatrick, who was present for the launch of the new studios, said it was “hard to put into words” how he feels about the old Stardust building.
“The site on which 48 young people were unlawfully killed on February 14, 1981,” he said.
“Now, in 2024, the office spaces have been transformed into the newly refurbished studios known as 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 there is a new feel and a fresh beginning on the site in Artane Place,” he added.
Ten 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, including 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: visual artist Alan Mongey and dancer and choreographer Ella Clarke.
The new artists who will be joining Artane Artists’ Studios are: Chris Judge, illustrator/mural artist; Lynda Devenney, visual artist; Caitriona Ní Mhurchú, 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.
Caitriona Ní Mhurchú said her first reaction to the news of her space in the Artane Studios was “what a profound act of generosity from the families and survivors of Stardust to allow an artist to create in this space”.
The Stardust nightclub fire claimed 48 young lives in 1981. Pic: Tony Harris/PA Wire
“My second reaction 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,” she added.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Lord Mayor Donna Cooney said she recognised the recent loss of artist workspaces in the city and added there is a long-term plan in place to “address this shortage”.
“This includes the provision that 5pc of all new developments in Dublin will be allocated to creative/cultural and community use, and working with developers to create lasting artist workspaces, as well as reviving existing buildings to provide affordable options,” she said.
Announced last year by former Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, Space to Create will develop 60 artist workspaces in the capital.
Other sites earmarked include the council-owned 8 and 9 Merchants Quay, which will also undergo a refurbishment to provide 21 artist workspaces.
The former Eden restaurant in Temple Bar will accommodate six artists, while a vacant site on Bridgefoot Street will house 20 new temporary units.
