New initiatives for 2026 aim to broaden the cultural horizons of Dublin
With a culture and history as rich and vibrant as Dublin , it’s important to find a way for communities to forge lasting connections between people and the place that they live.
This is the ambition of Dublin City Council Culture Company who hosted over 1,000 workshops across the city in 2025. With cultural projects for more 15,000 attendees and boasting a digital reach of 1.19 million, the Culture Company aims to broaden its horizons even further in 2026.
Through collaborations with citizens, communities, cultural organisations, businesses, and Dublin City Council itself, the Culture Company encourages community participation across Dublin neighbourhoods. Inclusion is a major focus of the initiatives they spearhead.
One example of this is the 12,000 people who attended creative workshops at their Richmond Barracks cultural space in Inchicore last year. Another important project explored 300 years of the lives of the women of 14 Henrietta Street through textile artwork created by their artist in residence Orlagh Meegan-Gallagher.
Fully accredited as AsIAm Autism Friendly, Culture Company endeavours “create meaningful and enduring cultural connections by focusing on programme accessibility and sustainability.” In 2026, this will include the launch of a new Mobile Museum programme, which will take the full experience of 14 Henriette Street project beyond the building to people who, for a variety of reasons, cannot access it.
14 Henrietta Street is a social museum of Dublin life that provides guided tours exploring the changing circumstances of the capital, family life across the centuries, and historical political tensions. Through the support of the Culture Company, this project peels back the layers of history housed within the building’s walls.
Collaboration is another core tenant of the Culture Company, as they have come together with artists, communities and organisations to deliver 228 workshops in sports centres and local areas to 2,547 participants and 43 community groups and sports clubs. In 2026, they will work with the council’s Planning and Property Development to collect oral histories of locals, workers, traders and former council staff for Smithfield Wholesale Fruit Vegetable and Flower Market.
Connecting with those who aren’t always provided appropriate events and assistance is another important part of the Culture Company. This includes former Lord Mayor Emma Blain’s work with community development teams to organise the Afternoon Tea Dance. This saw over 100 groups of older people, Alzheimer's and dementia sufferers across the city invited to participate.
The Culture Company has also appointed six Dublin City Historians in Residence to work across the city for 24 months from January 2026. This group of experts lead school visits, workshops, and guided tours across the city, and in 2025 had an audience of over 8,500 with over 70 workshops and 190 events in libraries and civic centres.
One way the Culture Company engaged with the people of Dublin last year was through the production of a short film highlighting Kilmainham Mill’s role in history, heritage and community, screened as part of Dublin Festival of History. In 2026, they aim to expand and grow their Cultural Audit and Map, which maps out culturally significant spaces around the city.
The Culture Company also focuses on the importance of education and devised a Hands-On-History course for primary school teachers. This is accredited by the Department of Education and gives teachers the tools to use council resources to make history come alive for their students.
With a new company strategy planned up to 2030, Dublin City Council Culture Company has plenty in store for upcoming years. Through a focus on the development of a vibrant cultural environment in Dublin, this initiative supports and shines a light on all the small things that make the city special.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme