Culture, Conversations and Creative Vision with DCC Culture Company

Early in her career Iseult Dunne realised that not everyone’s journey into culture is through the ‘traditional’ channels and there were ‘invisible’ barriers to access for some. She challenged the status quo and has created a world-class model democratising culture in the capital. She is now responsible for leading the delivery of Dublin City Council’s Culture Strategy. 

As CEO of Dublin City Council Culture Company, she recently unveiled its five-year strategy, which is based on real people, meaningful connections, and creativity at its core. It highlighted how the organisation has connected 700k people in communities across Dublin to culture directly in their local areas in recent years. THE HIVE was on board to provide strategic communications advice, amplify the message and convey the overall vision and impact of the organisation. 

Tea & Chats is the heartbeat of this plan - a citywide listening programme where artists and facilitators gather over tea to understand what Dubliners value. These conversations shape inclusive cultural experiences across the capital. To mark the launch, poet Stephen James Smith was commissioned to craft Talk To Me, a piece that is inspired by a decade of Teas & Chats discussions, a poignant reminder that culture truly grows from community voices. 

Congratulations to Dublin City Council Culture Company on a vision that truly connects people to place, expression and each other – culture as it should be. If you’re interested to learn more - check out Iseult’s article on RTE website here.