Posted by Updated / Wednesday, 14 Jan 2026 14:30
Artists and creatives at The Complex arts centre in Dublin’s north inner city are hoping for a last-minute lifeline to halt their eviction from the premises.
The multi-disciplinary space opened at its Arran Street location in 2018 and includes a large performance venue, gallery, artist studios and a jazz club.
The Complex’s lease on the premises expires today and the building is to be sold.
Founder and CEO Vanessa Fielding said she had hoped they would be retained in any new developments on the site, but they were unable to generate the funding required to buy in.
She said they have been clinging to the hope that State funding can be secured to keep it open and have made several appeals for the Government to intervene.
In response to a query from RTÉ News, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance said it was a matter for the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
It has previously advised the arts centre that it does not provide funding for the purchase of buildings, saying it was working closely with Dublin City Council (DCC) to provide 60 artist workspaces through the ‘Space to Create’ programme.
Many in the cultural sector fear the fate of The Complex arts centre is hanging by the thinnest of threads.
“We’re asking for the whole lot to be saved and retained for the city,” Ms Fielding said.
“We need Government support. We either need it to support a commercial lease and give a guarantee, or we need some part of government or Dublin City Council to purchase the building.”
Sinn Féin Leader and Dublin Central TD Mary Lou McDonald raised the issue of The Complex in the Dáil this afternoon and called on Government, DCC and the Arts Council to “save this project”.
“The Complex has proven itself as a valuable resource in the heart of Dublin inner city. Decades of work have seen this centre go from strength to strength. Its contribution is widely recognised,” she said.
“We are not prepared to lose it – the arts community and the wider community have made their feelings very clear. The Complex must be saved.”
On Monday night, DCC passed a motion, brought by Green Party Councillor Janet Horner, committing to finding a solution for The Complex.
“It’s us as a city that’s going to lose out of it closes,” Ms Horner said.
Ms Fielding said she does not know what the future holds for anyone involved in The Complex.
“In terms of the artists resident here, it’s a tough call, it’s their livelihoods at stake,” she said.
“And my staff, it’s just so sad that we’ve built something fantastic and they’ve all been let go, it broke my heart to do it.”
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