Since 2011, Upstart have featured prominently in the ‘Dublin enthusiasts’ list: they are a non-profit, voluntary arts collective who believes public life can be greatly improved with a good dose of creativity and goodwill, and are determined to bring out the city’s potential through various artistic endeavours. Their latest one will see them join forces with many organisations, companies and individuals to take over a vacant site on Dominick Street, D1, and transforming it into a free pop-up park for the local community to enjoy. We talk to Sam Bishop and Annie Lynott about the difficulties they’ve faced and the successes they’re looking forward to.
How did the Upstart project start and evolve?
Sam: The project originally started around the time of the 2011 election with a series of 1000 posters that were put up around the city, with the aim to create a debate about the role of art in politics. Thanks to the Posters Project, we learnt that art could really capture the image of the general public and that it could be a valuable platform for people to express themselves. The objective of the Dominick Street project is similar: we’re providing a platform for a physical representation of the creative potential of the city. It’s a collective and a highly collaborative project: there are ten of us in the Upstart “core team”, and then there is a constant influx of ideas between the team and the architects and artists involved who have devoted their time for free, and then, of course, the individuals who submit proposals for artistic interventions.
What problems did you face when you launched the initiative on Dominick Street, and how are you planning on renewing it?
Annie: Obtaining permission to use abandoned spaces entails an uphill battle with bureaucracy. The regulations on health and safety are very strict; on top of that, sometimes even finding the owners of the sites is very difficult! In our project, we’re the ones dealing with these issues, but putting forward a project like this helps people see the pitfalls of dealing with communal spaces.
Sam: Demolition is part of urban development, so of course abandoned spaces are commonplace in cities – it’d be impossible to get rid of all of them. The gated site we’re using is part of a belated regeneration project. The buildings on Dominick Street were demolished in 2007 – the area needs some rejuvenation! There’ll be anything from a big café, to a 400-people amphitheatre, to an education area – and it’ll all be dotted with artists’ installations. It’ll be a very enjoyable, communal and relaxing space, and we’re convinced it will bring massive benefits to the area.
What is your dream vision for the project?
Sam: The funny thing about working in a collective is that everyone has a different vision of the project! I, for one, believe that the Dominick Street site shouldn’t just be a park in the general sense of the word, but also an inspiring place, a gathering spot full of nature, live music and culture, and an amazing environment that sparks creativity and curiosity. We want to be able to give temporary resources to the area, but we also want to help the communities develop a toolkit, so that whoever you are, and whatever you’re interested in, you can learn from the project and take it further, even after Upstart has ran its course. We’ll be opening for a short amount of time to channel the resources, inspiration and ideas and to create a legacy.
So we’re back to the idea of Dublin as a city that is invaded by housing and businesses, but that lacks physical “communal space”. Do you see that as a hangover from the recession? What do you hope will be the lasting effects of the project?
Annie: I think you could call it that, yes. During the boom, everyone was asking: “How can we make money out of this space?” When the recession hit, priorities changed, and suddenly, the question became: “What do we do with this vacant space?”
Sam: The quality of life is also directly proportional to the amount of green spaces that are in an area. Nowadays, even parks are privatised, and during the boom, community spaces were commercialised – just look at shopping centres and pedestrian streets. Our project, on the other hand, could have never developed as a commercial endeavour, as it is fully dependent on people’s enthusiasm. The site will go back to being vacant after a month, but none of the art that featured in the project will be destroyed, and it’ll all go to the communities. It’s an inspiration project, and I do believe that its power lies in the very fact that it’s a short term plan: people are keen to get involved because they know it’s not permanent. The hope is that when we’ll take it away, people will feel like they’ll need it again.
It reminds me of that proverb that goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.
Sam: I can see why! But we’re taking it even further: not only are we teaching a man how to fish, but you could say we’re even teaching him to make a fishing rod! It’s like planting a seed and watching it grow. There is so much potential in the Dublin communities, and we’re looking forward to unearthing it all. Unless Dun Laoghaire isn’t up there already with Paris and London, you should probably consider reviewing your list of world literature capitals – at least according to the weeklong Mountains To Sea Book Festival, which aims to highlight the importance of the borough in the lives of some of the most illustrious Irish writers, both past and present, as well as presenting dozens of new novels and hosting several talks by established authors. Poetry, too, will find a place in the celebrations, largely through readings of works of internationally renowned poets and writing workshops, and a section of the programme will be reserved for a younger public and their families. Big crowds will undoubtedly be enticed by not only the rich panel of speakers and the gorgeous maritime setting, making the September Mountains To Sea Book Festival a perfect back-to-school event.
If they asked you to choose between celebrating and emigrating, what would you do?
The people behind No Way Back are putting a great deal of effort into what promises to be a truly uplifting evening to take your minds off the woes of living in a bankrupt country. They’re setting up an arcade, a “plastic jungle”, a dancefloor and even a waterfall – all in the shadow of a NAMAfied block of Celtic concrete, and all in the name of a night of mindless, recession-era entertainment. The unabashed tagline of the event is “a party inspired by the mess we’re in”, and, taking pride in their all-Irish creativity, curators, producers, DJs and electronic bands will be teaming up to actively provide you with a reason to stay on this island a little while longer. Besides, you know what they (kind of) say – you can retake the emigration, but you can’t retake the party.
Keep up with the Granby Park project at the Upstart twitter.
