Exchange Dublin, one of Dublin’s most innovative and important independent spaces, will close today, Friday the 7th of February, following negotiations with their landlord Temple Bar Cultural Trust. This outcome is disappointing, but following a difficult period the collective have resolved to work towards the re-establishment of the space over the coming months. We hope that this is also the beginning of a new and brighter future for exchange. We’ve written more about the situation here. The Provisional University and the Anti-Racism Network have written the below letter in support of the space, which was published in this morning’s Irish Times. The Irish Times only accepts a maximum of six signatories, but in fact we were overwhelmed with support and over 100 organisations, artists and academics signed the letter. Below we’ve posted the full list.
Over the last week, as we worked to support Exchange, we have been deeply impressed by the commitment of Exchange and its supporters to making this city a more inclusive, open and democratic place and look forward to the next developments.
Sir,
The proposal to close Exchange Dublin, on the grounds of it ‘generating anti-social behaviour’ raises serious questions regarding how this issue is being tackled in our city. Whilst we welcome last week’s commitment by Dublin City Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust to support the development of Exchange Dublin, we believe the best way to do so is through co-operation with this deserving initiative by keeping the doors of Exchange Dublin open.
Exchange Dublin is an all-ages, inclusive, open arts and cultural space. The safe, drug-free, non-alcohol environment enables young people to socialise and develop their creativity. Participatory cultural events and workshops support democratic practices and civic empowerment through artistic expression.
Despite the challenge of a lack of resources that affects so many arts spaces in the present economic environment, the volunteers of Exchange Dublin have provided an event and social space to thousands of people over the past four and a half years, contributing enormously to the civic well-being of our community.
We believe in a vision of the city with arts and culture available to everyone. We believe that locking one of the few spaces that has provided inclusive cultural participation is a grave mistake.
By removing Exchange Dublin, and offering no ongoing alternatives to its multi-users, Dublin City Council is inevitably furthering the anti-social behaviour it claims it is trying to combat in the area.
Surely closing a social space is anti-social?
Yours, etc,
Anti Racism Network Ireland,
Canal Communities Intercultural Network
Prof. Kathleen Lynch, Equality Studies, UCD
Professor Sinisa Malesevic, Head of School of Sociology, UCD
Jesse Jones, artist.
Shane Fitzgerald, We’re Not Leaving Campaign
Comhlamh
European Network Against Racism (ENAR),
Professor Emerita Patricia Coughlan, School of English, UCC
Professor Nicholas Daly, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD
Professor Danielle Clarke, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD
Dr. Laurence Cox, Department of Sociology, NUI Maynooth.
Aisling Rogerson, Fumbally Cafe
Dr. Laurence Davis, Department of Government, UCC
Dr Éidín O’Shea, University of Southern Queensland.
James Redmond, Rabble Magazine
Cathleen O’Neill, Kilbarrack Community Development Project
Louise Bayliss, SPARK
Paul Murphy, MEP
Rachel O’Dwyer, Dublin Art and Technology Association
Dr. Rory Hearne, Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth
Dr. Audrey Bryan, St Patrick’s College, Dublin City University.
Brid Smith, Dublin City Councillor
Africa Centre
Tommy Foster, JaJa Studios
Madeleine Lyes, City Intersections
Lisa Crowne, A4 Sounds
Alan Fitzpatrick, Loom Studios
Miranda O’Driscoll, The Joinery
Jim Hicks, Temple Bar Gallery & Studios
Bryan Duffy, Artist, Custom House Studios and Gallery
(Prof) Helena Sheehan, DCU / Left Forum
Donal Foreman, Filmmaker
Andy Storey, School of Politics and International Relations UCD.
Dr. Theresa O’Keefe, Department of Sociology. NUI Maynooth
Dr Ronit Lentin, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Trinity College
Dr. Eoin Flaherty, National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis, NUI Maynooth
Jim White, National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis, NUI Maynooth
Dr Diane Payne , Dynamics Lab, UCD
Dr Anne Mulhall, School of English, UCD
Dr Seán L’Estrange, School of Sociology, UCD
Dr. Kieran Allen, School of Sociology, UCD
Veronica Barker, School of Sociology, UCD
James Redmond, rabble magazine
Cathleen O’Neill, Kilbarrack Community Development Project
Louise Bayliss, SPARK
Dr. Alice Feldman, School of Sociology, UCD
Dr Amanda Slevin, School of Sociology, UCD
Dr Mary Madec, Villanova University Centre at NUI, Galway
Dr. Conor McCabe, School of Social Justice, UCD
Sive Bresnihan Anti-Racism Network Ireland
Dr Moynagh Sullivan, School of English, Media and Theatre Studies, NUI Maynooth.
Monica Insinga, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD
Dr. Michael Byrne, National Institute of Regional and Spatial Analysis
Dr. Patrick Bresnihan, Provisional University
Dr Marie Moran, School of Social Justice, UCD
Dr. Sinéad Kennedy, School of English Theatre & Media Studies, NUI Maynooth
Henry Silke, School of communications, DCU
Ciara Fitzpatrick, NUI Maynooth
Garratt Mullen (Show Racism the Red Card),
John Bissett (Spectacle of Defiance and Hope),
Dr Niamh Gaynor (School of Law and Government DCU),
Anti Racism Network Ireland,
Canal Communities Intercultural Network
Joan Somers Donnelly, Theatre-Maker
Dr. Kate Antosik-Parsons, Humanities Institute, UCD
Cormac O’Brien, School of English, Drama, and Film, UCD
Sinéad Molony, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD
Dr. David Landy, Department of Sociology, Trinity College
Paul Candon, Department of Sociology, Trinity College
Dr Clíona Ó Gallchoir, School of English, UCC.
Dr Jones Irwin, Education Department, St Patrick’s College
Dr Margaret O’Neill, School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication, University of Limerick.
Dr Jones Irwin, Education Department, St Patrick’s College
Leslie Sherlock, Children’s Research Centre, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College
Dr Karl Kitching, School of Education, UCC
Kerry Guinan, NCAD
Marianna Prontera, TCD
Fiona Hallinan, artist
Hannah Fitzpatrick, Basic Space
Kieran Clifford, fatbaby collective: art and activism
Stephen Hughes, DCU
John Buckley, IADT/Gradcam
Richard Howard, TCD
Dr Miriam Haughton, University of Ulster.
Ciaran Lawless, UCD
Dr. Jean Cushen DCU
Maria Mulvany, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD
Dr Tina O’Toole, School of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication, University of Limerick
Dr. Debbie Ging, School of Communications, DCU
Dr. Cian O’ Callaghan, Department of Geography, NUI Maynooth
Cristina Flesher Fominaya Senior Marie Curie Fellow, Department of Sociology NUI Maynooth
Dr. Philip Jones, Middlesex University
Keith Spiller, Research Fellow, Open University, Milton Keynes
Dr. Nathan Eisenstadt ,University of Bristol
Benjamin Cope. Acting Director of the Laboratory of Critical Urbanism, European Humanities University, Vilnius.
Duygun Erim, Assist. Prof., Visual Communication Department, Izmir, Turkey
Dr Elissa Sutherland, Department of Geography, Monash University, Melbourne
Dr Libby Porter, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Melbourne
provisional university 
Great to hear this support exists for The Exchange! I didn’t hear about this petition; Exchange’s other petition has over 2000 supporters! Keep up the good work PU!
Karen Till, Geography NUIM
[…] to challenge the closure, for example writing an opinion piece for a newspaper, organizing a letter of support which was signed by over a hundred leading academics and artists and which appeared in one of the […]