Culture Night rolls around once again this Friday 19th September. A nationwide celebration of all branches of artistic endeavour, Culture Night never fails to deliver on a smörgåsbord of exciting once off events, performances, tours and workshops. The trickiest part is invariably trying to pick and choose where best to spend the all too fleeting hours of the evening. Thankfully, your kindly cultural sherpas here at Totally Dublin are more than happy to point you in the direction of some events poised to be highlights. Keep in mind though, this is just a smattering off the evening’s events and it’s always advisable to peruse www.culturenight.ie for a look at the full embarrassment of riches that Friday evening has to offer.
Mart | 190a Lower Rathmines Road | 5pm
Rathmines, but a stone’s throw from the city centre has been somewhat due a bit of a cultural renaissance for a while now and the terribly creative young things at the Mart gallery have been leading the charge out of the beautifully repurposed surrounds of the old fire station right in the heart of Rathmines village. Over the course of the Culture Night festivities there are a number of events being hosted by the good folks at Mart including exhibitions from the work of residents in the MART Firestation, Casino Studios and 46 Rathmines Road from 6pm until 9, followed by Temporary Sights, an exhibition curated by Siobhan Mooney, concerned with the idea of time itself, be it in a durational or thematic sense in Mart Gallery 2. Finally I Could Have Done That a fun and interactive workshop of sorts that strives to demystify the world of Contemporay art of the uninitiated but interested will be taking place in the Firestation Gallery. It’s only ever a good thing to see cultural activities taking place in some of city’s more suburban spaces so get down and support the Mart DIY movement. They deserve it. Details of the event here.
Chocolate Factory | King’s Inn Street, Dublin 1 | 6pm
After an extended refurbishment and much excited rumblings within the Dublin Artistic community King’s Inn Street’s The Chocolate Factory is finally ready to open it’s doors to the public for the first time this Friday. Occupying the disused William & Woods Chocolate factory in the heart of the city, The Choclate Factory is a hub for creative activity in the city which ultimately aims to host a number of creative businesses working out of studios on site along with an art gallery, café and ultimately a hostel. Artists currently in residence on site will be there on the evening displaying, discussing and (they hope) selling their work on the and there will be food served from the newly opened Blá Café but the real attraction here is to get a look at the results of the intensive renovation job that has been ongoing within the building for quite sometime now and if the mutterings of those in the know are anything to go by then it’s quite a thing to behold. Full information here.
Golem | D Light Studios | 46 North Great Clarence Street, Dublin 1 | €10, 8pm
The always, eh, wonderful Wonderfulgood have teamed up exciting newcomers Black Mass Events to present a truly intriguing musical theatre event. Based on the cherished, silent horror classic by Peter Wegener and Henrik Galeen, The Golem is a dark fable inspired by Jewish folklore that follows the fortunes of an eccentric and troubled antiques dealer who finds himself in possession of an ancient, enchanted statue known as ‘The Golem’ that protected the Jews of Prague during historical persecution. With a live score on the evening being provided on the evening by members of The Cosmos, Turning Down Sex and Téada Orchestra, the Golem promises to bring a shade of the satisfyingly eerie to the Culture Night proceedings. Tickets found here.
Downstairs Dublin | Merrion Square, Dublin 2 | 5pm
Merrion Square is shaping up to be the beating heart of this year’s Culture Night as the basements of square’s Georgian houses are being opened up to host a slew of exciting once-off cultural experiences including a series of talks, installations, projections and pop up events dotted around the various outdoor basement spaces surrounding the square. Covering Dance, visual art and gastronomy as well as the Irish Times sponsored treasure hunt in the square it’s self. The curators are striving to provide something for everyone as part of the evening’s cultural melting pot and hopefully change the way attendees look at Dublin not just for one night but all year ‘round. More info here.
Free Mason Lodge | 17-19 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 | 6.30pm
One of the great joys of each year’s culture night festivities is way in which they open up heretofore forgotten or concealed parts of the city. One of the most popular event’s of the Culture night calendar year in and year out is undoubtedly the tour of the Free Mason’s lodge on Molesworth Street. Hidden behind the Lodge’s remarkable and imposing edifice is a truly breathtaking and esoteric series of meeting rooms rarely opened to the public. Just incase you needed any more coaxing, This Friday the National Youth Orchestra will also be performing in the Lodge between 6.30 to 8pm. The Masonic Lodge in all it’s surreal old-world glory is one of the Dublin’s great hidden heritage sites and a must attend for those really looking to really get the most out of the unique Culture Night experience. Truth’s in here, sheeple.
