Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital have expressed their support for the teachers who are currently facing redundancy at BIMM Dublin.
It was revealed last month that BIMM Dublin – one of Ireland’s top music colleges where both Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital met – is planning on reducing its workforce by around a third. As reported by RTE, Lecturers at the college will have to reapply for their roles under a restructuring plan, which has been described as the “Uber-isation of lecturers” by union representatives.
The college normally employs 135 employees and about 53 of them are at risk of redundancy. As reported by the Irish Independent, the lecturers were allegedly told that they would be able to apply for 18 new positions, indicating that 35 positions would be made redundant. The staff have also claimed that the terms offered with the 18 new jobs will see pay effectively halved for successful applicants. Last week, roughly 100 students staged a protest in solidarity with the lecturers, with more demonstrations planned.
The Murder Capital recently took to their official Instagram stories to share a statement sharing their solitary with the teachers at BIMM as well as the impact they had on the band.
“The BIMM Dublin lecturers’ experience and stewardship gave us a firm grasp on how to dig deeper into our craft. This opportunity of guidance and mentorship cannot be taken away from any current or future students of the college, nor should these dedicated lecturers, all accomplished musicians themselves, be taken for granted by any measure whatsoever,” they began.
They continued: “Without the heart of the lecturers, the two buildings themselves are just skeletons. It’s the people that fill these halls and classrooms with both inspiration and ambition that deserve respect. The students deserve better, the Irish and international music scene deserve better, but mostly the lecturers themselves deserve a lot better. We are in total solidarity with them all.”
Members of Fontaines D.C. have also spoken out about the roles being made redundant. The three-time Grammy-nominated and BRIT award-winning band all met while studying at the college prior to reaching international success.
Deego relembrou os tempos de faculdade em Dublin com essas fotos ao lado de Carlos e Grian! Eles estudaram juntos na BIMM, onde tudo começou. 🥰🩶 pic.twitter.com/H1wo3ONCK5
— Fontaines D.C. BR (@fontainesbrasil) January 30, 2025
Fontaines D.C.’s Conor Deegan told the Irish Independent that the band are “saddened” by what is happening at BIMM and explained: “It’s the place where we met and were encouraged to call ourselves songwriters. Music became the focus of our lives there.”
He continued: “Our lecturers encouraged us to follow our own way in music and taught us so much. It would be a real loss for Irish culture to lose any of them and the space they give for young artists to dream.”
Last year, a video of a pre-fame Fontaines D.C. covering The Strokes’ ‘Reptilla’ while attending BIMM Dublin in 2014 resurfaced online, five years before the release of their breakthrough debut ‘Dogrel’.
The gig was also discussed back in 2020, when BIMM shared an update on its website to celebrate the band hitting Number Two on the UK Albums Chart back in 2020, with their second album ‘A Hero’s Death’.
Speaking to RTE about the changes in the college, A BIMM spokesperson said: “The proposed changes are a direct response to student feedback we have received, in which they have asked for greater staff availability and a more engaged and accessible teaching workforce.
“Students will continue to have access to a wide pool of industry talent, including full-time Senior Lecturers and Associate Lecturers in specialist areas, all of whom will receive an equitable level of remuneration.”
They continued: “We are committed to preserving BIMM’s intimate, hands-on learning environment and we believe these proposed changes will further strengthen students’ learning experience.
“It is not the case that 35 people will be made redundant. We are proposing to reallocate lecturers to the new positions and anticipate that the breadth of experience and industry connection available to our students to be maintained.”
