Since its first incarnation as the anti-capitalist social centre Seomra Spraoi, Jigsaw has served as a focal point for creativity in Dublin City – countless collectives of musicians, artists and activists called it home and it served as the base for the left-field programming of Dublin Digital Radio (DDR) for many years. 

The announcement of its closure last week has reignited the ongoing conversation around the rapidly diminishing cultural infrastructure in Dublin. The growing sentiment amongst artists is that the policies of successive neoliberal governments have been at best indifferent and at worst hostile to creative expression in the capital. 

To get a better sense of the discontent brewing Dublin’s creative quarters, DDR DJ Jack Hevey, who makes music under the Boyfren moniker and wrote a thesis on the cultural landscape of Dublin while studying at the University of Amsterdam, spoke to The City to give his perspective. 

Hurley also consulted former Jigsaw and DDR regulars sohotsospicy, a DJ and producer who recently released her debut EP, and the up and coming Irish electronic producer Rory Sweeney who recently shared the track Freak as part of the City Imp Records compilation Chancers.