The Goo 1
LET THE YOUNG ONES DANCE - ANNA CROWLEY My name i
s Anna Crowley, and I am the director and co-producer of the documentary ‘Let The Young Ones Dance’. In recent years, there has been an unprecedented rise in the popularity of electronic dance music and DJ culture amongst young people. Simultaneously, while Ireland is one of the richest countries in the world, the economic reality of its people does not reflect this. I am interested in this tension. How are art and music being made against the current economic backdrop – is it an escape, a site of resistance or doomed to fail? There has been an 84% decline in the number of clubs in the Republic of Ireland since 2000. The 1935 Public Dance Halls Act is the main piece of legislation that regulates the nightlife industry - a conservative, anti-youth policy which aimed to halt social activity. 47% of young people are going out and socialising less, with 86% of people finding it expensive to go out. The poor nighttime public transport is one of the main factors for this, and is particularly an issue for workers in the nightlife industry, with some workers spending up to €55 per shift on transport. Across recreation and cultural sectors, the price of activities have increased by 10% between 2022 and 2024. The state of Irish nightlife is occurring against a larger economic backdrop. Irish 18-29-year-olds are the first generation to be financially worse off than the previous generation. Over half of young people are dissatisfied with their living situation, with over 50% of Irish youth still living with their parents and the number of young people in emergency accommodation having more than doubled since 2020. The cost-of-living crisis is also impacting young people. 22% of young people report having skipped meals due to costs while 10% of young people have taken out a loan to cover regular expenses. This is having an effect on young people’s lives. Half of young Irish people can be classified as having ‘low’ mental health and wellbeing compared to European standards and just under 20% of young people are considering or have already made plans to emigrate. Despite these economic challenges that young people face and the issues the nightlife industry is experiencing, there is still a passion and drive amongst Irish youth to stay here and have a life here. Irish young people are particularly proud of their heritage and culture and the emphasis Ireland puts on the local community. This is reflected in nightlife. From tickets being too expensive to landlords owning our cultural spaces, young people have had to turn to alternative methods to have a good night. Daylight Glasnevin is a good example. The volunteer-run community space not only puts on raves, but also offers bike repair workshops, exhibitions and much more. When the government is not providing the spaces and services that the people of Ireland need, it is up to us to create these places. Young people have shown time and time again that they will do this. Our documentary explores all of these different narratives, tensions and nuances. One big part of the film’s ethos is that all our crew gets paid. There is a culture in Ireland at the moment that young creatives must accept unpaid work for their first couple of gigs or jobs. We did not want to contribute to this. Currently, they have been paid out of the pockets of myself and my wonderful co-producer Georgia McPoland. We have a screening in The Complex on New Year’s Eve. We are so excited to welcome Esther Fatoye from Blue Bodies to do a reading and we have many other exciting plans in the works as well! One question I have frequently been asked during the making of this film is ‘what are you going to do with it?’ People expect me to be campaigning in the Dáil or submitting it to festivals. This isn’t how the project started though. It was truly a passion project of mine that I thought was important and necessary. What it has instead developed to be is because of all the people who have us in any way they can. We now want the film to be able to give back to these people. We want the film to help the communities it platforms in any way those communities see fit. So whether you’re an activist speaking in the Dáil and would like to mention the film or you would like to run a screening in your local library, reach out to us! Our Instagram DMs and email (lettheyoungonesdance@gmail.com) are always welcome. If you understand our vision and have an idea, we believe in the power of collaboration and community! This is a documentary for the partygoers and the partymakers. Ultimately, we just want to let the young ones dance.