The Complex is shuttered, now what?

Here's a copy of an email I just sent to 

Simon Harris
Jack Chambers
Patrick O'Donovan

I encourage everyone to please do the same. 

There are very few venues left in Dublin that could host a DCAF (without radically shrinking DCAF and transforming into a completely different event). 

We welcome any and all venue suggestions. But keep in mind we're looking for a capacity of over 300+ and hundreds and hundreds of square meters. 

Open to vacant buildings, warehouses, anything really. Just within the city centre, or we can't really call ourselves DCAF.

Simon, Jack, Patrick, 

What's the plan here? Because I've got hundreds of artists relying on Little Deer Comics in Stoneybatter (of which I'm the owner) and The Dublin Comic Arts Festival (of which I'm founder and organiser) to put on 4 festivals this year and you all just took away our venue. 

We were booked for 4 dates in The Complex in 2026. Already announced. 

Each event has over a thousand audience members.

Where are we supposed to go now? 

What's the plan?

Cause there is an easy, cheap solution on the table right now. No city centre arts venue solution will be cheaper than the 6 million for The Complex. 

And there are no other city centre arts venue solutions available right now. 

I know because the desperate state of arts and culture in Dublin means The DCAF Committee is always looking for venues.

Without the security of knowing where our next venue will be, DCAF runs the very real risk of dissolving after going strong for 9 years. We were supposed to celebrate our 30th event in 2026. We survived a pandemic, but how do we survive this? 

I ask you with complete sincerity. 

Where are we supposed to go? 

Awaiting a real solution,
-Matthew Melis