This Friday night is Culture Night and it marks the beginning of a fantastic opportunity for teenagers to borrow a musical instrument from Dublin City Libraries and Girls Rock Dublin. “GRD Gear Library”is the gear loan service designed for teenagers under 18 and launching on Culture Night with “Instrument Carousel” in Pearse Street Library. 

On September 20 at 6pm, 16 teenagers will take over Pearse Street branch in a fun and loud experiment involving electric guitars, basses, synths, keyboards ukulele, glockenspiel, pedal effects and drums.

By moving through different rooms and engaging with GRD coaches, participants will learn a song on each instrument, and finish by performing the song together. It’s open to teenagers of all genders. Book your place here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

From Culture Night any teenager who is a member of Dublin City Libraries can borrow their preferred instrument for three weeks with their library card. The GRD Gear Library is a collection of instruments, amplifiers and musical accessories that Girls Rock Dublin use for their summer camp and events and are now making available through Dublin City Libraries all year round. Take a look at the instrument gallery at www.girlsrockdublin.com/gear-library then call into Pearse Street library and borrow what you need.

The collection is made up of donated gear from people in the community who value the work of Girls Rock Dublin and from purchases made from funding received from Reverb.com. The library is an ongoing project and donations of gear are welcome through www.girlsrockdublin.com

After running two successful rock camps in 2017 and 2018, Girls Rock Dublin returns with a camp for 12-17-year-old girls and gender non-binary folks. The five-day event will be hosted in premium Dublin music facilities Sound Training College and Temple Lane Studios, and will be run by an all-woman team including musicians and music professionals active in the local independent music scene.

Applications are now open for the 2019 Girls Rock Dublin camp, running this Summer from June 25 to 29, the camp provides a positive, non-competitive environment where 20 campers will get to express themselves through a unique programme that combines music tuition, collaborative workshops and a refreshing DIY spirit.

>  20 Campers: 5 days

>  Form a band; Write a song; Learn an instrument; Perform on stage!

>  Previous music experience not required

All details and registration at www.girlsrockdublin.com/camp

“Launched in 2016, volunteer-led organisation Girls Rock Dublin (GRD) runs summer camps and events aimed at growing girls’ self-esteem through music creation and performance. Our events are for, and run by, people who self-identify as female (trans and cis) or gender non-binary. Providing workshops and technical training, we create leadership opportunities, cultivate a supportive community of peers and mentors, and encourage social change and the development of life skills. GRD is part of a global movement (Girls Rock Camp) that brings this type of camps in more than 100 cities around the world. Music is the means through which the movement seeks to create a positive impact at both a personal and a community level.

GRD values diversity: young people from socially underrepresented groups are encouraged to sign up. Ten scholarships will be granted to applicants from Direct Provision and low-income households.

Girls Rock Dublin is proudly sponsored by Dublin City Council, IMRO, Sound Training College, Temple Lane Studios, MusicMaker, Damn Fine Print, Reverb.com.

Our 2019 plans include a Ladies Camp (18+ y.o.) scheduled for the October bank holiday, and the launch of the GRD Gear Library, our gear loan program for teenagers run in partnership with Dublin Public Libraries.”