The Dublin Castle is a legendary pub and music venue in Camden Town that has recently been renovated with the help of young volunteers – as part of a community initiative with Dulux and partner, Volunteer it Yourself (VIY).
The iconic venue was the old stomping ground of music legends including the likes of Madness, Coldplay, Oasis, Blur, The Killers and The Arctic Monkeys – all of who graced the stage throughout their successful careers. The now renewed Dublin Castle was also hugely popular with Amy Winehouse, who could even be found behind the bar serving customers.
With live music venues taking a huge hit in recent years due to the pandemic, the young volunteers have helped to deliver an exciting fresh start for the venue. Its refreshed new look has helped Dublin Castle to offer a fantastic platform to welcome new bands and audiences to the stage.
The redecoration is part of the Dulux Let’s Colour initiative, which brings communities together through of power of paint. With the help of Dulux’s partner, Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), the project presents young people with the opportunity to learn trade skills whilst refreshing community properties.
Manager of the iconic music location, Henry Conlon commented: “We got involved with this project through the music venue trust because we were amazed by the differences they could make to young people.”
He continued: “With prestigious companies like Dulux supporting this project – we had to get involved! The project is great for teaching young people different trades and then in turn helps keep grass routes music venues like ours keep going.
“These venues help support young artists, when playing here it’s often their first experience in front of an audience. The revamp will prove greatness for Camden and the London live music scene and in turn UK music.”
The recent renovation was executed by a team of young people who were accompanied onsite by qualified trade mentors, who assisted them in the work and helping them to build skills and confidence in their work.
For the project, the team painted the main stage area, where global musicians have played, in Dulux Trade Diamond Matt Rich Black and the bar area was refreshed with a lick of Dulux Trade Diamond Matt Pepper Red.
Henry, who has been at The Dublin Castle since 1974, added: ” It’s great we won’t have to decorate for quite some time now! These venues take a knocking over the years – some quality paint on the walls that has professionally been applied makes a huge difference.”
Skills trade mentor, Alan Dalton, described how impactful these projects are: “We have noticed working with these young people on these projects supported by Dulux, that many go away with a can-do attitude. They feel accomplished and ready to get involved with the places that they have helped renovate.”
The Dublin Castle is open 12-5.30pm Monday – Friday. For more information about its upcoming performances visit: https://thedublincastle.com/
