Bealtaine Week 1

Welcome to Bealtaine 2010!  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing stories, telling tales and picking out some events from around that country that caught our eye.

This year’s Bealtaine kicked off with the ‘Blow the Dust’ orchestra performing to the throngs in Heuston Station. A wonderful surprise was the amount of strangers we met on the day who were already taking part in Bealtaine events. And there was dancing (we have video to prove it… even the Iarnród Éireann staff couldn’t resist the power of Bealtaine see http://vimeo.com/11261339 ). Keep up with Bealtaine on Facebook too at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bealtaine-Festival/78012726946 and we can’t wait to see your ‘In Stitches’ scarves - patterns downloadable from Bealtaine.com

Congratulations to all of the schools who took part in the National Grandparents Day in Schools event last Friday. Launches of Bealtaine programmes are taking place all over the country right now. Our own Catherine Rose, with some operatic help from the ‘Pre-Madonnas’, is launching the North and South Tipperary County Council Arts Services & Tipperary Libraries’ Bealtaine programme.

We’ve picked out a few upcoming treats or interesting events over the next seven days. For a full listing in your area, please go to the website and check out ‘What’s on Near Me’.

Film Update

‘Dean Spanley’, the access CINEMA / IFI Bealtaine Film Tour , sponsored by Seven Seas Active 55, will be on in the Irish Film Institute, Samhlaíocht in Tralee, Fermanagh Film Club in Enniskillen, Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise, Friends of the Elderly in Bolton St, Dublin 1, Newcastle West Film Club in the Desmond Complex, the Caha Centre in Ardrigole, Beara, Kenmare Film Society in the Carnegie Arts Centre and Birr Theatre and Arts Centre.

Other cinema events include:

• the classic film series in Tullamore Library on Tuesdays in May at 11.30am and Thursdays in May at 3pm
• in Sligo, there is a film première of five short films called ‘Seeing the Hidden’ on Friday 7 May 12noon - 2pm. The films explore the cultural richness of the local community and the creativeness that works to build and benefit it. They have been commissioned by Sligo Arts Service for Bealtaine 2010
• ‘Set in Stone’ in Cork’s Red Cinema at 11am on Saturday 8 May. This is a documentary celebrating the tradition of stonemasonry and tells the story of the masons of Cork and a way of life which has now all but disappeared

Wouldn’t it be nice

"It's nice to meet our friends once in a while" is an exhibition by Michael McLoughlin which was commissioned as part of the Per Cent for Art scheme for St Agnes Road in Crumlin. This exhibition focuses on ways people meet up. It celebrates how important having a club, group or circle of friends is, how important it is to be able to have an association with the people around you, your community, where you live. It’s all part of feeling ownership, belonging or connection. Michael is also making a book to record community groups and captures the spirit of the community. Mary Lynch, Community Arts Officer in the Area has been supporting this work, which has involved over 150 older people locally. The Preview of this exhibition is on Thursday 6 May between 6pm - 8pm in the LAB Dublin. The exhibition continues until 29 May, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Also launching this week is the latest work by Michael Fortune (who you will remember from Bealtaine’s ‘Magpie’s Nest’). His latest work, ‘The Fall of the Leaf’, a collection of superstitious beliefs from Co. Offaly, will be launched in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre at 5pm Thursday 6 May. This work has been funded by the Arts Council with support from Offaly County Council, Anam Beo and the HSE.

Café society

This year, the people of Skibbereen can see (and hear) a unique collaboration between local Active Retirement Associations (ARAs), cafés and the West Cork Arts Centre. Two poets gave a reading at the start of the year and, since then, ARAs have been responding to the poems through art. Their work will be displayed in an art trail throughout the town during May, beginning on Wednesday 5 May. Poets will ‘do lunch’ in the cafés and people can do the ‘Art Trail’ as by picking up flyers in the cafés.

Let’s celebrate!

Julie Duane, storyteller and drama tutor will be visiting Active Retirement Groups in  Laois during May with a project ‘Celebrating Bealtaine’ which involves poems which people love and remember – Julie invites anyone to come along with their favourite poem to the Active 50+ Portlaoise Group in the Parish Centre, Portlaoise on Wednesday 5th May at 3pm.

Other treats for the week:

• See Padraig Lynch’s exhibition in association with Noel Monahan’s book of poetry Curve of the Moon in the courthouse in Cavan. The Boys of St Columbs by Maurice Fitzpatrick is also launching in Johnston Central Library on Thursday 6 May
• Bundoran Community Library have an exhibition of work by Kinlough artist Betty Flanagan from 1-31 May
• Sligo’s CosCos Sean-Nós Festival Evening Session on Wednesday 5 May 6pm to 8pm, featuring a session of music dance and song, will celebrate older musicians and their music. All welcome, free admission
• Mayo is having a music residency where musicians Emer Mayock and Joe Byrne will be calling to and sharing their music and stories with a number of groups throughout the county of Mayo including Belmullet at Aras Dheirbhle on 5 May at 1.30pm, Tooreen Hall on 10 May 6pm to 7.30pm, Foxford Social Services Centre on 12 May 10.30am to 12noon, Castlebar at the Scared Heart Home 7 May, 1.30pm to 3pm
• Bealtaine’s official launch in Donegal takes place on Friday 7 May at the Regional Cultural Centre at 11.00 with a concert featuring Fergus Cleary, Aussie Bryson and Hugh McClean
• Axis, Ballymun have the annual Bealtaine Open Group Art Exhibition opening Thursday 6 May at 3pm and running until 4 June and they are also running artist talks and print workshops
• Roscommon Arts Centre is having a performance of ‘The Ones Who Kill Shooting Stars’, a new play based on a Louth beach during World War II. There is a special Bealtaine rate of 10 euro for people over 50. The performance is on Wednesday 5 May at 8pm. The arts centre will also have taster Dance classes throughout May every Wednesday 11am to 12noon and Tin Whistle classes every Thursday 12noon to 1pm. Classes are free and all welcome
• Kildare’s St Conleth Day Care Centre are exhibiting their work from the 1 to the 31 May, all welcome. Kate Connaughton of Crooked House Theatre and Crooked Sixpence has collaborated with St Conleth’s residents to record their stories through audio and through making masks
• Galway's Kilconnell Art Group will have their exhibition on Thursday 6 May, with singers and dancers too
• Who could resist a tour from the Office of Public Works, Historic Properties called ‘Gossip and Intrigue’. Enjoy the talk to be held on Thursday 6May at 12noon
• Tea Dancing with the Brian McCarthy Big Band Sound. Performance in Carleton Hall on Wednesday 5 May, 2pm to 5pm
• Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane will have a poetry workshop on Sunday 9 May 3pm to 4pm with writer Kate Dempsey. This will be a great opportunity to write new poetry or prose provoked by the art in the gallery’s collection.
• Tralee Library will be hosting the Probus Art Exhibition from Saturday 8 May
• Longford’s Bealtaine launch will take place in St Josephs Day Care Centre with special guest Mick Flavin. All welcome 10 May at 2.30pm