Mind The Gap

The Big Freeze

2009-09-21T03:49:00.001-07:00

On Sunday the big freeze band performed on Smithfield Plaza to a delighted audience. The space was filled with the sound of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.

Thanks to all the muscians who played.

Operetta

2009-09-21T03:45:00.000-07:00

Friday evening saw the second of the opera performances on Foster Place. Wayne Woodman performed a selection of aria from this majestic setting.

Flower Show

2009-09-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

We had ovre 50 entries to the Floxer Box competition on Smithfield Plaza on Saturday. Lord & Lady Ross came to choose the winners. Kaethe Burt O' Dea came in first, with medals also given for silver and bronze. Thanks to all who joined us on the day.

The Final Weekend of the Fringe

2009-09-17T14:24:00.001-07:00

The last weekend of the Fringe is upon us and there is still quite a bit to see and do with Mind The Gap.

Operetta
Friday 18th, 6 pm - Foster Place
(This peformance is short and snappy so get there on time to avoid disappointment).

A lone performer looks out over the
city and sings a lament to its citizens. Mind The
Gap presents a solo operatic performance on
Foster Place of arias that highlight the current
plight of the city and its uncertain future.

Flower Show
Saturday 19th, 12-3pm - Smithfield Plaza
(All materials are provided free)

Following from the tradition of
competitive window box competitions in the
Smithfield area, Mind The Gap offer you the
chance to come to Smithfield Plaza and design
your own flower box display to be adjudicated
by Lord Ross of Birr Castle, Father to Lord
Oxmantown. Take this opportunity to bring plant
life to the plaza.

Don't Quote Me
Saturday 18th, 8.30pm - 10.30pm (note time changes)

Projected on the outside
of the iconic Screen cinema, Mind The Gap
looks to the silver screen to investigate
Dublin’s current dilemmas. The city, planning,
corruption, and the fall of a nation are explored
through the history of cinema.

The Big Freeze
Sunday 20th, 3pm
(Again this will be short and snappy so get there early)

Goethe famously said
“architecture is frozen music.” Taking
inspiration from the architecture of Smithfield
Plaza, a brass band will perform The Ride of
The Valkyries by Wagner. This collaborative
performance highlights the
peaks and troughs of Smithfield Square
as a public space.

The Pod

2009-09-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

The last of the Mind The Gap alternative public seating is also to be seen in front of the Screen cinema this week. Affectionately know by the Mind The Gap crew as The Pod, this enclosed space offers the general public the chance to get away from it all for a few moments in their day. There have been a variety of unusual responses to this piece with a few people thinking it has something to do with Swine Flu. Very Interesting!!

More Benches

2009-09-17T02:46:00.000-07:00

The protable benches have been spotted in a variety of locations across the city. Here are some of the locals enjoying a rest in Smithfield during the week.

Don't Quote Me - Saturday 12th & 19th September

2009-09-13T03:58:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night the first screening of Don't Quote Me was held outside the screen cinema. You will have another chance to see this event next Saturday between 8.30pm and 10.30pm.

Operetta - Friday 11th September

2009-09-13T03:50:00.001-07:00

Friday evening saw the first of the Operetta performances on Foster Place. To the surprise of passersby and the taxi drivers this beautiful cul de sac came alive with the sound of David Scott's baritone performance from Gabriel Faure's Requiem and Verdi's La Traviata. There will be another performance at 6pm next Friday.

Public Seating - Portable Benches

2009-09-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Mind The Gap team have built a series of portable benches that you will see out and about on the streets of Dublin over the course of Absolut Fringe.

Here they are in production in the workshop

And on their first outing to the bowls on Wolfe Tone Park

Fare Play?

2009-09-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

It seems that the Fringe website has Fare play? down as sold out. This event is not sold out and if there is interest we will extend the run into next week. If you would like to book a space please email mindthegapdublincity[at] gmail.com and we can slot you in. Spaces available tomorrow Saturday 12th at 12, 12.30 or 1pm.

French Bowls at Wolfe Tone Park

2009-09-09T05:35:00.001-07:00

Mind The Gap offer you the chance to play French Bowls on Wolfe Tone Park. They may have taken up the grass but they left the perfect surface for this leisurely sport.

Games start from 5pm today and tomorrow!

Public Seating

2009-09-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

Public Seating - Monday 7th

The First of the Mind The Gap alternative public seating went out on Monday. Yesterday was a bit of a wash out so hoping to get it out in the sunshine later today.

The Hammocks went out in the sun on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We had many bemused passersby and a few delighted passengers waiting for the bus.

2009-09-07T02:50:00.000-07:00

Utopian Bus Tour

Thanks to all who came out for our Utopian Bus Tour on Saturday, check out the listings for our upcoming events this week and see you there!

Mind The Gap events

2009-09-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

SEPT 5th 4.30pm

Utopian Bus Tour – A guided tour through
Dublin with a difference. Drawing on unrealised
proposals for the city and imagining new uses
for vacant spaces, the Utopian Bus Tour will
guide you through an alternative vision for the
city. Leaves from Smithfield Square.

SEPT 12th + 19th 8-11pm

Don’t Quote Me – Projected on the outside
of the iconic Screen cinema, Mind The Gap
looks to the silver screen to investigate
Dublin’s current dilemmas. The city, planning,
corruption, and the fall of a nation are explored
through the history of cinema.

SEPT 7-12th

Fare Play? – Taking off in a taxi from Foster
Place, Mind The Gap will offer you a chance
to learn about NAMA while visiting the sites
of the nation’s current big question. Informed
taxi drivers will explain the workings of NAMA
and show you where it will all happen. Various
times, limited space, booking essential. Email
for details.

SEPT 11th 6 - 6.30pm

Operetta – A lone performer looks out over the
city and sings a lament to its citizens. Mind The
Gap presents a solo operatic performance on
Foster Place of arias that highlight the current
plight of the city and its uncertain future.

SEPT 19th 12-3pm

Flower Show – Following from the tradition of
competitive window box competitions in the
Smithfield area, Mind The Gap offer you the
chance to come to Smithfield Plaza and design
your own flower box display to be adjudicated
by Lord Ross of Birr Castle, Father to Lord
Oxmantown. Take this opportunity to bring plant
life to the plaza.

SEPT 20th 3pm

The Big Freeze – Goethe famously said
“architecture is frozen music.” Taking
inspiration from the architecture of Smithfield
Plaza, a brass band will perform The Ride of
The Valkyries by Wagner. This collaborative
performance highlights the
peaks and troughs of Smithfield Square
as a public space.

Ongoing

Public Seating – Mind the Gap will provide
alternative public seating in the city for
visitors and commuters over the course of
Absolut Fringe. Seating will be provided on
Aungier Street, Hawkins Street and other
city centre locations

Sunken Site – Hammond Lane – A series
of visual proposals will be presented for an
unused site on Hammond Lane and Church
Street. A collection of proposals taken from
an open call from designers and architects
explore the possibilities of the disused spaces
in the city.

Thisisnotashop – The hub of the Mind The Gap
operation, the gallery will host an exhibition of
ideas for the city. Inspired by the urban myth
that Santiago Calatrava designed the James
Joyce bridge on the back of a napkin, we invite
you, the viewer, to present your ideas for the
city of an ever-expanding array of napkins.
The gallery will also host The Smithfield
Archive presenting the history of the area and
unrealised proposals for its regeneration.

Watch out for other surprise events on our blog!

Contact us at

mindthegapdublincity@gmail.com

,
www.Mindthegapdublincity.blogspot.com

Fringe Box Office
Filmbase, Curved St., Dublin 2
call: 1850 FRINGE
www.fringefest.com

Thisisnotashop
26 Benburb St, Dublin 7.
www.thisisnotashop.com

The Playground Workshops

2009-09-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

Mind The Gap carried out a series of workshops with children from Mercer House to reimagine the play area in their complex. The workshops looked at constructing various play areas, devising new games for the site and imagining new play equipment for children if their age group.

The Research

2009-08-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the websites and videos that we looked at in relation to planning and architecture. There are a series of talks on TED.com that we looked at.

Click here to listen to Jaime Lerner talk about urban planning in Brazil

http://www.ted.com/talks/jaime_lerner_sings_of_the_city.html

Click here to listen to Majora Carter talk about Green the Ghetto a green space project in the Bronx New York.

http://www.ted.com/talks/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal.html

Click here to listen to Cameron Sinclair talk about how architecture can be part of tackling the world housing crisis.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/cameron_sinclair_on_open_source_architecture.html

Click here to read about a project to green an empty site on San Fransico.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/07/MNUG18GIBE.DTL&type=realestate

For a website that is Dublin specific go to Reflecting city which outlines a history of urban planning over the past decade. This site focuses on specific areas such as Smithfield, The Docklands, Temple Bar etc.

http://www.reflectingcity.com

The Beginning

2009-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Mind The Gap!

The Mind The Gap group have been meeting twice a week for the last two months to explore the potenital of open spaces in the city. We have looked at a variety of sites and some which will form the backdrop for the interventions and performances presented during Absolut Fringe. To get a flavour of what we have been looking at here are some images from the research phase of the project.

Undeveloped site - Church Street & Hammond Lane

Aerial View of Smithfield

Lane in Smithfield Apartment development

Wolfe Tone Park

The Screen Cinema

Mercer House play area

Undeveloped site on Aungier Street

Vacant space George's Street

Undeveloped Site Little Britian Street