SpiritStore Art Cafe at the Sarsfield Bar, Limerick city
The SpiritStore produced a collection of diverse cultural activities hosted in the unique environment of a Limerick landmark, both the inspiration for the project and our name, ‘SpiritStore’ came from a building, a corner Georgian premises, opposite the Hunt Museum in Limerick...the following Visual Arts Ireland article puts the project in context. (VAI Artist Bulletin Sept. '09)
"The SpiritStore presents a collection of diverse cultural activities hosted in the unique environment of a Limerick landmark, the vacant Sarsfield Bar/ Spirit Store. It is an inclusive social space for cultural exchange. Both the inspiration for the project and its name, ‘SpiritStore’ came from a building, a corner Georgian premises, opposite the Hunt Museum in Limerick. Closed now for almost five years, the bar was mythologically difficult to get served in. When I asked Limerick people about the bar, their stories were recounted with great affection, the bar conjured up a huge degree of sentiment. And as I first began to test the concept of opening a temporary social space in that building I realised that the support for the project was based, to a point, on reopening the doors of that old bar. The initial support was also compounded by the fact that the building stood at one corner of a stalled development block in the city, rendering a large portion of Limerick dormant, to the dis-ease of the city community. In that context, SpiritStore, as a project title was apt, not only in acknowledging the buildings heritage, but apt metaphorically too, in it’s wish to keep, to store or to contain the spirit of collaboration, generosity, experimentation or energy that the project would tap into or inspire.
On the surface the SpiritStore project is not new, either in form; the Dadaist gave us Cafe Voltaire in post first world war Switzerland when they drew a cultural community together to experiment under the roof of a café, nor is it new in situation; artists have negotiated to reenergise empty space, or ‘slack spaces’, made available since the 1970’s, through economic turndown. So this project is about timing, the question then is when is a context and a community ready?In the ten years I’ve been in Limerick I’ve gathered some understanding of the context to imagine why this project can succeed as a vibrant social space. First, Limerick is small, the population is approx 100,000, there’s an intimacy that affords a speedy network. If a project sparks the imagination, support follows quickly. Stakeholders in Limerick, over the past few years have grown to expect collaboration since for instance Dagdha Dance Company opened its doors and called in diverse practitioners and extended its collaborative network. Theatre in Limerick has long called on a variety of disciplines to support play-making in the city, the spirit of cooperation is vibrant here. Also, new interdisciplinary courses at Limericks third level colleges are breeding grounds for interdisciplinary practitioners. Current economic conditions have meant that there are people with free time to participate in projects. Graduates are not leaving immediately after qualifying, and have chosen to stay and find alternative ways to kick start a career in the city where their social network is strongest.
Since the financial slump strips cities of vibrancy and every empty space is a barren reminder of financial troubles, some advantages are found in this condition. This project taps into resources that would not have been made available in more affluent times. When I set out to find the owner of the Sarsfield bar and asked for the space for free, the owner immediately understood the advantage for him in the deal, so the barter is fair. And here in Limerick it’s not just artists who are recognising the worth of exchange of space for energy; Creative Limerick is a City Hall led initiative to negotiate the use of vacant windows in city centre slack spaces on behalf of college graduates.
In the coming weeks The SpiritStore project seeks to infuse this reclaimed space with a fertile collection of talks, performances, debates / discussions, screenings, readings, meetings and chance encounters with musicians, writers, visual artists, film makers, and collectives.
This inclusive experiment is an open invitation for all of Limerick to experience. Whether the motivation is based on supporting cultural practice, or giving support for people who are willing to work hard to address a closing city centre, the SpiritStore project is set to cultivate new audiences.
For my part as the doors open I see the continued experiment as holding a space where the mythology is reclaimed, where new audiences are welcomed, where reflection supports practice, and where documentation disseminates the experience for others to draw on."
Marilyn Lennon
Published Sept '09 Visual Arts Ireland, Artist Bulletin
On the surface the SpiritStore project is not new, either in form; the Dadaist gave us Cafe Voltaire in post first world war Switzerland when they drew a cultural community together to experiment under the roof of a café, nor is it new in situation; artists have negotiated to reenergise empty space, or ‘slack spaces’, made available since the 1970’s, through economic turndown. So this project is about timing, the question then is when is a context and a community ready?In the ten years I’ve been in Limerick I’ve gathered some understanding of the context to imagine why this project can succeed as a vibrant social space. First, Limerick is small, the population is approx 100,000, there’s an intimacy that affords a speedy network. If a project sparks the imagination, support follows quickly. Stakeholders in Limerick, over the past few years have grown to expect collaboration since for instance Dagdha Dance Company opened its doors and called in diverse practitioners and extended its collaborative network. Theatre in Limerick has long called on a variety of disciplines to support play-making in the city, the spirit of cooperation is vibrant here. Also, new interdisciplinary courses at Limericks third level colleges are breeding grounds for interdisciplinary practitioners. Current economic conditions have meant that there are people with free time to participate in projects. Graduates are not leaving immediately after qualifying, and have chosen to stay and find alternative ways to kick start a career in the city where their social network is strongest.
Since the financial slump strips cities of vibrancy and every empty space is a barren reminder of financial troubles, some advantages are found in this condition. This project taps into resources that would not have been made available in more affluent times. When I set out to find the owner of the Sarsfield bar and asked for the space for free, the owner immediately understood the advantage for him in the deal, so the barter is fair. And here in Limerick it’s not just artists who are recognising the worth of exchange of space for energy; Creative Limerick is a City Hall led initiative to negotiate the use of vacant windows in city centre slack spaces on behalf of college graduates.
In the coming weeks The SpiritStore project seeks to infuse this reclaimed space with a fertile collection of talks, performances, debates / discussions, screenings, readings, meetings and chance encounters with musicians, writers, visual artists, film makers, and collectives.
This inclusive experiment is an open invitation for all of Limerick to experience. Whether the motivation is based on supporting cultural practice, or giving support for people who are willing to work hard to address a closing city centre, the SpiritStore project is set to cultivate new audiences.
For my part as the doors open I see the continued experiment as holding a space where the mythology is reclaimed, where new audiences are welcomed, where reflection supports practice, and where documentation disseminates the experience for others to draw on."
Marilyn Lennon
Published Sept '09 Visual Arts Ireland, Artist Bulletin
