Meg Bergin is creating safe nightlife spaces for women in Dublin, and we love her for it

How would you describe The Girls Room to someone who’s never heard of it?

I would describe the Girl’s Room as a community. An open, loving space for women and nonbinary people to express themselves freely, connect and have fun!

How did it come to be, why did you want to put the energy into starting The Girls Room up?

I was motivated to start The Girl’s Room for two main reasons. One being the amount of incidents regarding women’s safety, particularly in the context of nightlife. I had the idea back in January 2022. I felt it was a needed space – not as a solution, but an outlet. To give us our power back. To have this space to express ourselves freely, center our joy amidst the fear and anxiety we consistently face for simply existing.

Secondly, I wanted to build a community. There weren’t many spaces for women to come together, make friends and connect with new people. What is really beautiful about The Girl’s Room is how diverse it is, you see so many different people from all backgrounds and walks of life mingling and connecting – where they probably wouldn’t cross paths otherwise. It’s a very healing and unifying environment too. I think it’s fair to say we are conditioned to internalised misogyny – the idea that we are competing with one another or that we must perform for the male gaze – and this space is a massive f*ck you to that ideology.

At the centre of The Girl’s Room is safety, both physical and emotional, and community.

I had no prior experience working in events, I was totally new to the space. I was learning as I go – and still am! It’s given me confidence to be a beginner in so many other areas of my life too and helped me to spend less time thinking and more time just doing and trying things out. It has changed my world completely, to be honest.

Could you paint a picture of what these events are like? What’s the reception been like?

The Girl’s Room feels like a massive gaff party or a reunion. It looks and feels completely different to a regular nightclub experience. Since our first event in June 2022 it was evident people at our events feel much more comfortable and secure to dress how they want, dance how they want, kiss who they want, and to be fully present, which is a massive deal when you think of how hyper aware we might need to be in a typical nightlife context.

Some people hop up on stage to have their main character moment while others enjoy the chill-out areas where we have pop up shops from female and nonbinary-owned businesses at each event. It feels like everyone has a familiarity and a level of care and consideration for each other which is just so lovely!

You organise all of the promo, book the spaces, vendors and DJs, and run the socials — what’s involved in the creation of The Girls Room?

A lot! Exactly as you said, there are a lot of moving parts with The Girl’s Room. We also do promo shoots for each of our events based on the theme. I invite people who have attended the events to take part in the shoots and work with BabyGirlFilms (a.k.a. Nicola O’Reilly) to bring the visions to life. These shoots have become synonymous with Girl’s Room now and are so much fun to direct and be involved in, it really shines through in the end results!

Tell me a little about The Spotlight Sessions.

I launched curated last year – somewhat impulsively. I’ve fallen in LOVE with the Irish music scene over the past two years. I’ve attended a lot of local gigs and shows. I’m super passionate about supporting up-and-coming artists and reject entirely the scarcity mindset that can be so prevalent in competitive industries.

curated is a platform that allows me to curate live music showcases, gigs, exhibitions and other kinds of events – open to everyone and all about celebrating and connecting the creative scene. Some really exciting things are coming soon for curated I can’t wait to share!

We had our first Spotlight Sessions showcase back in December 2023 with performances from Rachel Mae Hannon, Wendy Godfrey and Saibhin. It was everything I’d hoped it would be. The audience was attentive, present and so supportive of the artists. When I put on these gigs, I want the crowds to feel connected to the artists and to set a standard that centres love and celebration.

What’s been a highlight for you so far?

There are far too many standout moments to choose one but honestly, aside from specific moments and any accolades, the highlight is the beautiful people I get to connect with through The Girl’s Room and curated. I’ve made my most cherished memories, met my favourite people and had the most unreal experiences. I never expected any of this so I am just super grateful always that I get to do what I love with people I love.

What are your goals from these projects?

My goal for these projects is honestly to keep going. I haven’t got it all figured out and I think there is beauty in that because it leaves the path open to go in so many directions. One thing for sure is that at the forefront, it will always be about love.

You’ve been called ‘a woman who makes other women feel safe’, which is the height of praise. Even on your own social channels, your confidence is infectious — what kind of words of wisdom or advice would you give to a younger person seeking direction?

That is so sweet, thank you! Gosh, when I speak to younger women and girls, I always come back to the same thing. I always felt like a bit of an outsider growing up and even in my early 20s.

The main reflections I would like to share are:

You are not here to be perfect, you are here to be you. Allow yourself to try things, figure yourself out, be a beginner. The sooner you practice showing up as your authentic self (scary, I know) the sooner you will align with opportunities, people and spaces that truly resonate.

Everything is projection. There is no need to attach yourself to external praise, validation or lack thereof. People’s perception of you is a reflection of their internal world. Focus on being more of what you want to see in the world.

Focus on how your life feels, less on how it looks to others. Everything these days is about the aesthetic and while we can appreciate things looking put together, it’s very rarely reality. If you need to, clear out your Instagram following, spend more time within community meeting people who are relatable and real, spend more time exploring your interests – you create your world, don’t let anybody else determine it for you.