Unit 44 is closing down: statement from Kirkos
When Kirkos (a Dublin-based experimental music organisation and ensemble) moved into Unit 44 in summer of 2021, it was supposed to be just for a year, and public events were still heavily restricted by COVID. The space was founded with the mission to be as open as possible to all artists regardless of reputation. Over the last three and a half years, it gradually defined itself through the hundreds of artists who put on events here, through the addition of our studio tenants, and through the learning process of putting on a huge number of shows. At the moment that number stands at roughly 275 public events and over 500 rehearsals. The mesh of connections and ideas forged in the space is far harder to quantify. In the vast majority of cases, the artists performing were not charged a fee to hire the venue, and kept all ticket income themselves. Apart from anything else, Unit 44 has been a successful experiment in showing the huge dividends that can come from minimal investment in cultural infrastructure—as long as it is distributed to artist-led initiatives.
We always knew we were on borrowed time, and a couple of months ago the shopping centre Unit 44 is part of was finally sold to a developer from Wexford. A letter from the new owner’s solicitors arrived recently, giving us a moving out date of the end of March 2025. Nobody has treated us unfairly, and in fact we feel lucky to have been given a reasonable notice period. But the reality is that Unit 44 has filled glaring gaps in Dublin’s music and wider cultural scene, and it will be missed by many people. The fact that this space could only emerge in a place that was affordable specifically because it was ephemeral speaks to systemic problems regarding arts infrastructure and a lack of proactivity and engagement from funding bodies and city councils.
There are currently no funding streams dedicated to setting up or running event spaces like Unit 44, and Kirkos’ grant applications for Unit 44—through the Arts Council’s Arts Grant Funding, aimed more at funding a programme of work—have always run the risk of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Recent investment in artist workspaces in Dublin of €3 million from central government (the Artist - matched by a further €3 million each from Dublin City Council and private philanthropic sources - has been distributed exclusively through local authorities and virtually none of this has been put into music spaces, nor given to artist-run initiatives. In a recent email from the Government’s Arts Unit, I was told that “it is hoped that at least a couple of developments will happen under [DCC’s] 5% creative/cultural/community requirements of new developments and will address the needs of musicians”. This lack of planning for music—given the scale of financial investment in artist workspaces—is scandalous.
Spaces which pay market rent and need to break even through hire costs alone cannot make themselves cheap enough for independent artists to use regularly: when renting a venue costs more than you can expect to raise in ticket sales, it becomes very difficult to make gigs happen. For many artists, especially those working in niche genres, there is no way to make a sustainable career or even an artistic practice on that basis. And so non-commercial venues like Unit 44 are essential in order for those genres to continue to exist in Ireland. The extension of the Basic Income for Artists suggests that the Government believes in the importance of these artists for Ireland, regardless of commercial viability; but their approach to infrastructure suggests they are clueless about how to foster an environment where artists can thrive. This is the context in which venues like Unit 44 (and the many other Dublin cultural venues which have closed over the years) are forced to exist. The reality is that creating spaces like Unit 44 can be done without major outlay, but it requires a more agile approach than Government, Arts Council and local authorities have so far taken.
We are deeply grateful to everyone in the artistic community who has made Unit 44 a shared, vibrant space, and we remain optimistic about finding a new venue—perhaps even a better one. Any leads or ideas to help us in this search are greatly appreciated. Please reach out to us anytime at sebastian@kirkosensemble.com.
We always knew we were on borrowed time, and a couple of months ago the shopping centre Unit 44 is part of was finally sold to a developer from Wexford. A letter from the new owner’s solicitors arrived recently, giving us a moving out date of the end of March 2025. Nobody has treated us unfairly, and in fact we feel lucky to have been given a reasonable notice period. But the reality is that Unit 44 has filled glaring gaps in Dublin’s music and wider cultural scene, and it will be missed by many people. The fact that this space could only emerge in a place that was affordable specifically because it was ephemeral speaks to systemic problems regarding arts infrastructure and a lack of proactivity and engagement from funding bodies and city councils.
There are currently no funding streams dedicated to setting up or running event spaces like Unit 44, and Kirkos’ grant applications for Unit 44—through the Arts Council’s Arts Grant Funding, aimed more at funding a programme of work—have always run the risk of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Recent investment in artist workspaces in Dublin of €3 million from central government (the Artist - matched by a further €3 million each from Dublin City Council and private philanthropic sources - has been distributed exclusively through local authorities and virtually none of this has been put into music spaces, nor given to artist-run initiatives. In a recent email from the Government’s Arts Unit, I was told that “it is hoped that at least a couple of developments will happen under [DCC’s] 5% creative/cultural/community requirements of new developments and will address the needs of musicians”. This lack of planning for music—given the scale of financial investment in artist workspaces—is scandalous.
Spaces which pay market rent and need to break even through hire costs alone cannot make themselves cheap enough for independent artists to use regularly: when renting a venue costs more than you can expect to raise in ticket sales, it becomes very difficult to make gigs happen. For many artists, especially those working in niche genres, there is no way to make a sustainable career or even an artistic practice on that basis. And so non-commercial venues like Unit 44 are essential in order for those genres to continue to exist in Ireland. The extension of the Basic Income for Artists suggests that the Government believes in the importance of these artists for Ireland, regardless of commercial viability; but their approach to infrastructure suggests they are clueless about how to foster an environment where artists can thrive. This is the context in which venues like Unit 44 (and the many other Dublin cultural venues which have closed over the years) are forced to exist. The reality is that creating spaces like Unit 44 can be done without major outlay, but it requires a more agile approach than Government, Arts Council and local authorities have so far taken.
We are deeply grateful to everyone in the artistic community who has made Unit 44 a shared, vibrant space, and we remain optimistic about finding a new venue—perhaps even a better one. Any leads or ideas to help us in this search are greatly appreciated. Please reach out to us anytime at sebastian@kirkosensemble.com.