Totally Dublin 1
people can go from one end of the day to another,
having communicated with numerous people, without having met anyone. When opportunities for communication do arise, they are often centred in transactions, a networking event, a way to perform, somewhere to gather content. Kelly explains she wanted to create a space offering quite the opposite, a space where “people can take off the mask, and relax into a more curious, playful version of themselves, which when they leave will make them feel more connected. And that will stay with them”. There is something important about the physicality and consistency of these gatherings. With many people leading fast-paced lives, trying to keep up with some “hustle culture” no wonder there are feelings of loneliness. These communities don’t require big acts or efforts, for most you need only to show up, which is exactly what Amanda Russell had in mind when bringing ‘Show Up’ to Dublin almost four years ago. She attended this sunrise yoga event which started on the beach in Barcelona with just four people. They had a couple of mats and a willingness to connect and she thought, “we need this in Dublin”. Since then, the community has grown to see hundreds of people attending across Barcelona, Dublin, Copenhagen and Sitges. intimidation. Spaces like Tangent encourage people to slow down and listen to one another, to show up in an authentic way. This atmosphere can be sensed immediately as you squeeze through the small door of a café open after hours. The business day is over for this particular establishment but the vibrations left by busy coffee lovers who have been and gone throughout the day can still be felt. People arrive with notebooks, scraps of paper and banks of half finished thoughts. After returning to Dublin in her twenties Kelly felt the urge of that shared desire for connection. “I was at a place in my life where I wanted to make new friends but I was thinking how the hell do you do that? I wanted to create a bridge to get past the small talk, you know, I have always been interested in the depth of people. There are so many more things to someone than what we do, we are all walking around all day long thinking all of these thoughts, there is so much more to a person than what they do for work” she says. With the goal of meeting more of people, and sharing more herself, Kelly began Tangent. On the beach in Bray with her ears and arms open wide… and a jar of ‘prompts’. People would gather, sharing thoughts and stories, inspiring the next five minute window of writing that was offered. Each session began with a breathing exercise to unwind from whatever day people were coming in from. Kelly saw the benefit of Tangent for both herself and her new community, and as soon as Summer ended she knew she wanted to “take it inside”. Kelly describes each person who comes to Tangent as someone with “an open heart and a willingness to sit in the vulnerability of getting to know a new person”. Just off the busy street, there is an offer to slow down. A lot of communication today is done online, photo: Ben Selmi 39 “I wanted to create a bridge to get past the small talk, you know, I have always been interested in the depth of people.” photo: Tadhg O’Brien