TD 1
of use. But a fire certificate was refused twice
incurring harmful delays. TUD rescued the studio artists, offering them temporary accommodation for the intervening months and Dublin City Council once again assisted us with a subvention to help with the rent. As the situation became prohibitively precarious, it was resolved and the refurbishment works could begin, but it took eighteen months, nearly half the life of the tenancy. In the wake of the property downturn now, our lease is going to be extended which is a fortunate coincidence. But short-term leases are the reality of The Complex and arts organisations that are not State institutions. What do you think The Complex brings over other venues in the city? The Complex is a much-needed addition to some of the very fine venues in the City, offering a place ‘where art lives’. It is the only arts centre with a significant number of artist studios together with a gallery and a large performance venue. And it is the only live arts venue in the north west inner city. The performance space is open plan, fully versatile with options to design alternative settings by using modular seating and stages. That is different to nearly all Irish theatres that have fixed seating with a cumbersome and expensive cost to altering the ‘end on’ configuration. It has height for circus, circumference for theatre in the round, traverse, promenade and access from the street for kit and even car launches. Its programme is mixed with makes and hires, arts and events, theatre, music, opera, contemporary dance, dance nights and commercial shoots. Stuff that is in touch and has value. The gallery is also unique in that it has a distinct aesthetic and is not a traditional white cube. Retaining its original features was a choice led by the VA Manager Mark O’Gorman who curates its mix of commissions and hires. All the spaces have a raw industrial character and play their part in the exposure of the work, without being over-bearing. Why, even in these wild Covid times, do you feel it’s important for the venue to push forward and open? Because humans are creatures of habit and we will soon be conditioned to home-driven routines, afraid to mix and engage in experiences outside our immediate, domestic control. You’ve made a point of creating a space to perform, showcase and celebrate but also a place of creation and exploration with the various artist studios. Why was that important to you? How’s it all working out with them all? The studios are all occupied and always full. There is 24-hour access and both individual and communal space. Paul McGrane is the VA Co-ordinator and he manages the studios and selects the artists. It currently houses 36 artists of all disciplines. We try to keep it pure arts rather than creative businesses, mixed practice and mid-career, so that the artists are not just from one discipline and are work focused. Some work privately and others wish to show in the Complex. There is a personal dimension to most things and so there is an element of family. We also run the Art Factory, supporting outside artists, based on the quality of the idea, funded by the Arts Council. Last year five really strong projects were selected for development and we hope to show them in 2021. Three people, groups or collectives you believe we will see great things from the coming years? Who’s bubbling on the streets and about to spill over into the public consciousness? TKB (Thommas Kane Byrne, writer, actor and fashion icon), Leah Moore (writer, actor, facilitator), Leanne Herlihy (visual/live artist), DDR (Dublin Digital Radio). It’s also really important to you to involve those in the local community. Why is this so important to you and the venue and how do you go about engaging and involving people in what usually can be seen as quite an opaque world? There is nothing as rewarding as the joy of an audience of people from varied backgrounds, reacting to the experience of one story. Everyone is entitled to it and should have access to it. But some have a few steps to take before they understand that theatre, dance, opera and circus are just stories about people, people like us all, and no more complicated. Engagement is an important way of conveying that message via workshops in local social projects. We also run Complex Youth Theatre, now in its eleventh year, led by Anthony Goulding. A performance space without traditional physical divisions is also a great way of offering accessibility. It’s been a wild ride to get to this moment, a journey many would have given up long before you. Can you explain your motivation and drive, that special something inside, that made it so it would open rather than submitting to all the forces that you endured along the way? I am driven by an impulse to make it and it is unavoidable. I have tried to avoid it but it won’t go away! It is not even an ambition but more of an inevitability. It cannot have been without its anxiety so do share your means of decompressing and dealing with the pressure and challenge… is it a stiff drink, a book or podcast or other works, maybe you just like to go for a walk? I have a few kids and we walk and talk in the Hellfire, watch films, sing to the telly, drink and laugh. Who can use The Complex and what for? Give me a snapshot of what your ideal use looks like and how people can best get in touch to book in and start making magic happen. The ideal use is a mad, eclectic mix of creative work. Ideally I would like at least five festivals including Fringe, eight theatre productions including one of my own, one opera, three contemporary dance works, two very large visual art exhibitions, 20 music gigs, 10 club nights, 40 corporate events, five branding launches, 25 commercial shoots and many sundries in the main venue. People can email me at Vanessa@thecomplex.ie for a viewing and specs. If you were to sum up the journey so far in one famous quote, what would that be? The journey has been like getting on a bus with no number on the front but facing the right way. Richard Seabrooke is a board member of The Complex thecomplex.ie 15