My Job: I want to be creating things that are of value
Dave Smith is managing director of Micromedia and has created a series of cultural developments in Dublin.
Micromedia, an advertising company specialising in music, culture and the arts, began life built around a flyer and poster network.
“It was the zeitgeist of cultural information at that time,” Dave Smith recalls of the early days.
“We called ourselves ‘advertising channel architects’ as our installations were handcrafted, considered and attuned to their environment.
"Our goal has been to build vibrant, creative and engaging outdoor channels that deliver for our clients whilst adding value to our towns and cities.”
Micromedia has since pivoted into a digital out-of-home company with more than 225 screens and now includes the country's first solar-powered outdoor advertising billboard.
“It took nearly a year of planning from having to assess and choose a workable site that offered suitable space and the correct orientation for the solar panels, to overcoming challenges with a flat roof that required ballast to hold the panels.
"We then had to work out the requirements in relation to the number of panels needed to ensure it could operate 100% off-grid even in the depths of the winter months.”
He points out their proposed digital billboards, currently in the planning stages, include a cultural and community content remit of 45%, along with a curfew, which include place-making benefits in addition to helping extend the life span of the hardware.
In the mid-2000s, Dave was involved in securing funding for skate parks to be built in the capital, which evolved into a popular arts, graffiti and street sports festival, Kings of Concrete, which ran for seven years.
His subsequent project was Mabos, the rejuvenation of an old disused warehouse on Hanover Quay in Dublin into a multi-purpose arts and events space.
“The vision was to re-imagine what a shared space can be, a place that often blurred the lines between work/play, personal/professional and which was well loved by its many frequenters.”
Both Mabos and Kings of Concrete were difficult projects to get off the ground, he recalls: “Only through hard graft and support from one faction of Dublin City Council, the events department, did it really manage to do so.
"I feel nowadays that both those projects would get a lot more support and that's a healthy, positive sign. I think there's been a real shift over the last decade, a better understanding of the interconnectivity of society and how important it is to support the overall eco-system in a city.”
His current side project is The Space Between on Fenian Street, an open canvas incorporating yoga, meditation, online talks, workshops, community initiatives and creative expression.
“The Space Between is going great and I'm really proud that we navigated the pandemic, as not every space was so lucky. It's a testament to the great team there and the support of people who frequent it.
"With regard to the future, I have an idea for a new kind of space that I think would be a wonderful addition to the cityscape, but I don't want to jinx it as it's in the nascent stages.”
The bottom line is important to Dave Smith, incorporated into projects he believes in and which will better benefit the lives of those capital city dwellers who use them.
“Profit is important as it allows things to survive and hopefully thrive. Achieving commercial viability is a metaphorical pat on the back that what you're doing is supported, whether by people or companies, depending on what it is.
Regarding his commercial lineage of Kings of Concrete, Mabos, The Space Between and now taking Micromedia into the large format digital arena, he admits to promoting “a shared ethos that runs through everything, a really exciting galvanising prospect to me”.
Dublin is a challenging space for artists and creatives now, he says.
“It’s the toughest I’ve seen and it's such an integral part of a city that needs assistance. One way to do that is by supporting spaces that facilitate artists and creative endeavour.
"We may not be able to solve the housing issue but at least if there's tangible support for grassroot cultural spaces and studios it solves that part of the puzzle and I’m hopeful that this is something that's achievable.”
This year he launched ‘The Mabos Initiative’, an annual bursary of €20,000 allocated directly to grassroots spaces to facilitate their growth and viability. “It's a really meaningful project for us and the cumulative impact of this to the city over time is hopefully something of value.”
Looking to the emerging generation of Irish entrepreneurs, Dave Smith is optimistic about what he terms "conscious business" — meaning a better understanding of the totality of the business.
“We live in a fascinating time of increased transparency and this poses both challenges and opportunities, but ultimately it bodes well for the budding entrepreneurs of the next generation — and for consumers.”
As to the most useful business lesson learned so far in his career, he says "relatedness" helps in how you choose to relate to situations that traditionally may have been overwhelming or challenging but you can also see as having growth potential for you and therefore be of value.
“Ultimately how you relate to things comes from within and is a choice. That can be a liberating and empowering thought process and definitely one that can enrich your life, making it all just a little bit easier to navigate.”
