Woman enhances cultural assurance in Dublin city
Dublin City Council Culture Company: A Commitment to Citywide Cultural Engagement
The Dublin City Council Culture Company, a not-for-profit organisation, is making strides in promoting cultural confidence across Dublin and reducing barriers to cultural engagement. With a focus on citywide cultural engagement tailored to local communities, the company is making culture more accessible and inclusive for Dubliners.
Iseult Dunne, the chief executive of the Dublin City Council Culture Company, is a "big believer" in the power of plain language to make places more accessible. Her approach is not about defining culture as "the arts" or telling people what they should be doing, but about "adding options to the menu."
The company's five-year strategy, with a budget of €3.5 million-€4 million, emphasises inclusivity and diversity. It offers a wide range of opportunities in painting, creative writing, dance, music, choir, genealogy, and more, through flexible formats from one-off workshops to regular classes. The strategy addresses common barriers like geography by aiming to bring cultural experiences closer to people’s local areas rather than requiring travel into central locations.
One of the company's flagship programmes is Culture Club, which offers free talks and tours to introduce people to cultural spaces. Another initiative is Culture Connects, a programme that aims to extend cultural offerings throughout different parts of the city, fostering cultural confidence by ensuring that culture is relevant and accessible to diverse local communities.
The company is also producing a documentary about the history of Kilmainham Mill and the people who worked there, which will be launched during the Dublin Festival of History. An upcoming Culture Club event is a guided tour of Kilmainham Mill, a site that dates from the early 1800s and is currently undergoing stabilisation and repair works.
In addition, the company operates Richmond Barracks, now home to Culture Connects, a program that invites people of all ages to try out various cultural activities. The company is also running creative residencies in four Dublin sports and recreation centres.
The Dublin City Council Culture Company's mission is to instill "cultural confidence" across the city and identify and remove barriers that deter people from engaging with culture. With over 38,000 people attending tours at 14 Henrietta Street last year, it's clear that the company's efforts are resonating with Dubliners.
The company's guides are keen to do more at 14 Henrietta Street without Disneyfying it. In fact, they are producing a soap anchored in the remarkable history of 14 Henrietta Street, where some former residents worked in local soap factories and the smell of carbolic soap has lingered long in the memories of those who lived there.
The Dublin City Council Culture Company, established in 2018 and owned and funded by the Dublin City Council, is considering expanding Culture Connects citywide due to the perceived interest among Dubliners and within the council. The company employs 45 people, not including seasonal tour guides or the six historians-in-residence and 14 artists-in-residence it supports across the city. The company's funding has grown in recent years, with a total income of €3.8 million in 2024, €3.4 million of which came from the council.
With its commitment to citywide cultural engagement, diverse activities across multiple disciplines, addressing barriers of geography, rooting cultural activities in local history and identity, and collaborative alignment with Dublin City Council for sustainable and expanded delivery, the Dublin City Council Culture Company is making a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Dublin.
- Exploring the fashion-and-beauty aspect, the Dublin City Council Culture Company offers creative writing workshops, where one can express their thoughts and feelings, fostering personal-growth and self-development.
- For those interested in education-and-self-development, the company's documentary about the history of Kilmainham Mill provides an enlightening exploration of the city's past.
- The food-and-drink enthusiasts can delve into the remarkable history of 14 Henrietta Street, where former residents once worked in local soap factories, and now, a soap is being produced that captures the essence of this rich history.
- In terms of lifestyle and relationships, Culture Connects, a programme by the company, aims to extend cultural offerings across different parts of the city, ensuring that culture remains relevant and accessible to diverse local communities.
