Appendix

from Charrette report - Towards a Creative Dún Laoghaire

Introduction

An eessay prepared by one of the students

Note: essay added to the findings to records students point of view and insights There is no denying that the rising cost of living in Dublin has been an increasingly alarming issue over the past several years. This is particularly evident in South Dublin, anecdotally ‘the posh half of Dublin’, as students are still scrambling to find accommodation spots that seemingly won’t break the bank while also (though this is painfully subjective given the circumstances) being within range of campus. That isn’t to mention the Hunger Games-style levels of competition for housing, not only against other IADT students but students from neighbouring colleges such as UCD and DIT. We are all privy to these issues and the government’s negligence and corruption that has exacerbated these problems.

What we need to understand is that the only way to improve Dún Laoghaire as a creative space isn’t to throw up a few exhibitions and grants at creatives under the guise of aiding artists, but to make Dublin liveable and accessible so that we can all appreciate a town that isn’t gentrified; one that values its identity over corporatism.

We need to foster creatives in their infancy, so they don’t become disenchanted and leave their creative fields in pursuit of what they feel is necessary to survive; in a world where people already disregard the value of artists’ work, both from a monetary and cultural standpoint.

Not only do we need to look out for creatives but simply young people in general. Many young Irish people, particularly in Dublin, feel as though they are being pushed out of the city. We are being placed under a microscope where we are reduced to whiny, entitled, delusional kids who are unwilling to adapt to our environment when we are yearning for, not only a city but a country that can finally exercise its potential.

Children stop being our future when they are forced to find a home elsewhere.

Recreation

Dún Laoghaire, and Dublin as a whole, need to establish indoor spaces where young people can mobilise outside of campus, free of charge. If we achieve this, it will make it significantly easier for young creatives to get together and organise events and branch into artistic initiatives which will encourage collaborative ventures and inspire new work across all media.

We need to introduce more cultural events to preserve Irish culture in our modern, urbanised society as well as to shine a light on the new cultures and identities that have migrated to Ireland in the last few decades. We need to become more self-sufficient and generate employment that isn’t centred around tourism.

Dún Laoghaire, though very scenic, shouldn’t become a tourist trap as this will displace local people and further rise living costs.

Transport

Introducing free public transport is a must. While there are services such as leap cards put in place to reduce cost, particularly for

students, they significantly rack up if you have an adult leap card. On top of this, we ought to introduce 24/7 modes of transport to ensure that young people can safely and inexpensively return home at night. The city council should also encourage cycling and increase the availability of public bikes.

Accomodation

This one, as we all know, is the hot topic of discussion when it comes to living in Dublin, especially on the South Side. With scarce availability, short leases and soaring costs, the housing crisis has had a chokehold on Dublin for years. With the rent for a one-bedroom inter-city apartment statistically averaging 1,896.35 euros (and the same apartment averaging 1,639.20 outside of the city centre) rent accounts for roughly 40% of the average Dubliner’s expenditure.

These egregious costs not only alienate young creatives and college students but above all, workingclass people. This cycles back to my point about gentrification with the issue growing more severe as the Irish government prioritises the construction of hotels over public housing and student accommodation.

We as students and artists have no choice but to leave. We need nationalised accommodations that are subsidised by the government, so we don’t have to rely on private property owners and landlords.

Sustainability

As I’ve already mentioned, I am a big advocate for encouraging the use of public transport which is one obvious means of keeping cars off the road and promoting sustainability. I also believe that we should utilise Dún Laoghaire’s coastal location to our advantage and use the sea to generate clean, renewable energy. Of course, energy companies ought to be nationalised too to give people access to affordable energy.