Dundee Contemporary Arts will open its doors to art lovers on Wednesday April 28.
The galleries, print studio, create space and shop will welcome visitors again, under COVID restrictions, with Jute Café Bar taking bookings from two days before on April 26.
“We’ve been on tenterhooks since we had to close our doors last November,” says Beth Bate, director of DCA. “It’s been strange thinking of the building with the installation in place, waiting for the right moment – but that moment is here.”
Film fans have a longer wait for restrictions to be lifted on the cinema. “We just have to hold on that little bit longer for the cinema. There’s a pencil-in date that’s come from the Scottish Government but we have to wait to see whether things are going in the right direction before those restrictions lift.
“Our DCA at Home video on demand platform has been a huge success. We’re seeing loads of visitors from our usual audiences, but also people who are joining us from all across the UK and sometimes even internationally.
“These are all films that have been hand-picked by the DCA team. I think that’s one of the main reasons it’s been so successful. It’s not a case of scrolling through thousands of films on a generic platform. The team know our audiences.
“All our online activities during lockdown have been great for us and our audiences.”
Although visitors will be able to move through the building, the team need to implement the same restrictions that existed before the building closed last year.
“We still have to adhere very carefully to all the safety measures that were introduced last September. Social distancing is key of course, so there will be restrictions on numbers and there will be ticketing for different parts of the building.
“Getting people back in the gallery, artists back in the print studio, and families back in the create space will be so exciting for us.
If you're excited to head back to @jutecafebar when they reopen on Mon 26 April, you can book your indoor table for food and soft drinks here: https://t.co/0MeS4A2sKD
Tables on the terrace area will work on a first come first serve basis. pic.twitter.com/OnK8j5yT1f
— DCA (@DCAdundee) March 22, 2021
“Jute Café Bar can serve food and and soft drinks indoors, but we can also offer alcohol with food on the outside terrace. We can once again be that social hub that the DCA has always offered.”
The installation that has been awaiting visitors since last year is Ghost Calls by Emma Talbot. It imagines a time in the future when humans are looking at more ancient ways of living through crafting and making having been rejected by a capitalist, technology-driven society.
“It’s no irony that the installation that has been in place behind closed doors is Ghost Calls,” adds Beth Bate. “I keep imagining the empty building as strangely ghostly.”
There will be more information on the DCA website over the coming weeks regarding the opening exhibitions and ticketing.
