The Made in Darndale Summer Festival
In June 2022, The Made in Darndale Festival saw the streets, squares, and parks of Darndale bustling with music, song, story, circus, art, performance and so much more, in a dynamic, bright, and joyous cross-community celebration. From art exhibitions, walking tours, street parades, aerial acrobatics and a big top circus lead by Ringmaster John Connors, to family fun days, a celebration of Traveller culture and the first ever Darndale Dog Show, the entire community was invited to join together with local and visiting performers for the biggest celebration the village has ever seen.
The Made in Darndale Festival was the culmination of six months of community engagement, workshops and training and presented a mesmerising showcase of the talents, skills, hard work and determination of hundreds of members of the Darndale community. Made in Darndale is part of the Creative Places Darndale initiative, a three-year project to weave the arts into everyday life in Darndale, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin City Council.
Speaking of Made in Darndale, Catherine Martin T.D., Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media said: “It is so important that public investment in the arts reaches all citizens. That is why this Arts Council led Creative Places Programme is an amazing opportunity for communities such as Darndale, which had not benefitted from sustained arts investment in the past, to build local arts programmes which will benefit everyone who lives here. The arts spark so much joy in both young and old and Creative Places Darndale has helped to increase participation in the arts and ultimately spread that joy. The Made in Darndale Festival will be a spectacular celebration of the arts in all its guises from acrobatics to exhibitions and everything in-between and the Darndale community should be very proud of what it has achieved to date.”
Long-time supporter of the arts and the community of Darndale Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland added, “We hear and read about arts funding in communities, but we don’t always get to see the impact that this kind of grassroots investment has on people and place. Made in Darndale and the Creative Places Darndale initiative shows just how much engagement, joy, and positive energy can be created through arts participation in local communities. I am very much looking forward to visiting the festival and meeting many of Dublin’s most inspiring and creative people.”
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council of Ireland noted: “The Arts Council is thrilled to be supporting Creative Places Darndale as part of our national programme of Creative Places. This is a brilliant opportunity for us to invest in Darndale. We know that there is huge talent and potential in the area and we hope that people will see tangible benefits from this programme over the next three years. Our congratulations to Sphere 17 for leading out on this really important programme locally and Dublin City Council for supporting it so enthusiastically.”
The Made in Darndale Festival was for all who call Darndale and its environs home, from the longest residents to the newest arrivals - it was a moment for Darndale, her people and the strength of community spirit to shine brightly for all to see.
