Sam GreenwoodFor as long as club culture has existed, the artwork has been part of the experience. Flyers were often the first introduction to a night, a promoter or a sound. They gave parties their own identity, and in many cases became just as memorable as the nights themselves. It’s something we’ve always taken for granted, but it’s worth protecting.
There’s a reason certain flyers, record sleeves and club identities stay with us long after the event has passed. They were made by people with a connection to the music and the culture surrounding it. Every design had its own thinking behind it. Not everything needed to look polished or follow a trend. Sometimes the rough edges were exactly what made it work. That’s part of what made club culture interesting in the first place.
Ireland has no shortage of people who can do this. There are brilliant designers, illustrators and visual artists working within our own dance music community, many of whom are already contributing to the scene in their own way.
Yet there’s an increasing tendency to reach for AI rather than put that work into the hands of someone who actually does it for a living. The talent is here and there’s absolutely no way we should stop using it.
Nobody is suggesting that technology doesn’t have its place, but there’s a difference between using a tool and replacing the people behind the work. Promoters, DJs, photographers, designers and artists all contribute to the culture we enjoy every weekend. If we want a club scene with its own identity, we need to support the people giving it one.
That means putting value on their work, paying them for it and giving local creatives a reason to keep doing what they do. If you’re a promoter, venue or putting on nights and aren’t sure where to find a designer, give us a shout. We’re always happy to point you in the right direction. There are talented creatives working across the dance music community and all over the country, and we’d love to see more of them getting the opportunities and recognition they deserve.
The people behind the artwork are a huge part of the culture.
