With Dublin Pride this weekend, RSVP Live chatted to Sam's Collective, who run LGBTQIA+ events all over Dublin and beyond after creator Sam was inspired across the pond
BY ERICA CARTER
22:09, 23 JUN 2023
Despite the fact that LGBTQIA+ spaces are becoming more common across the country, it's still rare to find one that is centred around creativity and fun rather than alcohol.
Sam Stewart, also known as Sam In The City, is an artist and creator from Dublin who started Sam's Collective, which puts on LGBTQIA+ friendly events all around Dublin.
They started off inspired from their time living in New York and wanted to bring some of the energy from open mic nights there back to Dublin.
Sam told RSVP Live: "I was living in New York for a good few years and I had always gone to open mics there. They were the safest place for me to go and express myself and my creativity.
Then when I moved home, I couldn't find somewhere that reflected that. There are definitely open mic nights in Dublin but none with the safety of those I had been to previously. There were queer spaces, but nowhere to safely express yourself in this way.
"I wanted to incorporate the two together, so for Pride Week last year I decided to do it myself - it was a very spur of the moment type thing."
The open mic night was a roaring success, as so many people from all over Dublin loved the idea of a safe space to express their talents in front of an audience - whether that was through music, poetry, comedy or anything else.
From this, Sam's Collective has grown and expanded to fortnightly open mic nights, as well as markets, coffee meet ups and other creative events across different parts of the country. They are even hosting a party for Pride this weekend.
"I didn't consider the community that would be built from it," said Sam. "A lot of audience members come and they aren't performers. They love to watch the show and make friends and mingle.
"It's a space that's open for everyone. As long as there's no hate, that's all that I care about. As long as you uphold that safe space, everyone is welcome."
You can check out upcoming events from Sam's Collective here and keep an eye on their Instagram here.
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