Bealtaine Gathering 2023

Age & Opportunity’s Bealtaine Festival celebrates the arts and creativity as we age. The Bealtaine Gathering is a day of networking, showcasing good practice, discussion and feedback on the festival as Age & Opportunity look ahead to 2024.

The Gathering is an opportunity to hear about the challenges and needs of event organisers around the country, in addition to showcasing interesting and inspirational events from the previous festival, and providing practical supports for local organisers.

This year’s Gathering takes place in the beautiful surrounds of the National Gallery of Ireland and will bring together the Bealtaine community of organisers, artists, partners and supporters to look at different issues of community, diversity and new directions in Age & Opportunity’s work.

Age & Opportunity look forward to hearing how they can better support you to plan fantastic events for Bealtaine 2024.

Topics and Speakers

• Introduction by Dr. Tara Byrne, Arts Programme Manager and Bealtaine Festival Artistic Director, Age & Opportunity
• Keynote address, Diversity Works Both Ways: Reciprocity is Vital, Conny Groot, Director of Culture Generation Foundation and Schaduwhelden, Netherlands.
• Case studies on Building Temporary Communities, Katy Hewison, Dance Limerick, Emerging Artist Creators by Richie Keane, Fatima Groups United, The Power of the Collective by Catherine Marshall, Na Cailleacha.
• Considering the New: Circus for Older People, by Lucy Medleycott, ISACS.
• Focus groups: Discussion and feedback.
• Launch of Creative Enquiry Report (Cork) & performance excerpt from ‘Built on Bridges’ which will feature dance soloist Kevin Hayes, and the Mayfield Men’s Shed Choir directed by Susan McManamon.
• Artist panel: Diversity in our work – how can we avoid tokenism? Chaired by writer, activist and educator Oein DeBhairduin and featuring Carmel McKenna, Reels on Wheels, Han Tiernan, Unshrinking Violets (Bealtaine 2023) and Kevin O’Shanahan, Music Alive, speaking about the Creative Enquiry project, Cork.
• Closing thoughts from Laurence McKeown, writer and recipient of the 2023 Age & Opportunity Creative Ageing Writing Award.

Full schedule and booking information
https://BealtaineGathering23.eventbrite.ie