Bealtaine Week 2

It's been a week of launches, catch-ups and fun. Our own Catherine Rose, CEO of Age & Opportunity, launched the Tipperary Bealtaine celebrations last Tuesday. During her speech, she had a chance to acknowledge the genuine collaboration that is making Bealtaine happen in the county and to highlight the fact that every 'local' event is part of a growing international movement, celebrating creativity in older age. She was then delighted to be ‘upstaged’ by mezzo Soprano Liz Ryan and soprano Mary Flaherty, with their music and comedy turn as the 'Pre-Madonnas', a show deserving of their standing ovation. Remember you can see all the events in Tipp (and around the country) here: http://bealtaine.com/whats-near-me
 
Also, on Thursday afternoon, some of the team were crammed in with a group of over 100 artists and friends to launch 'Bealtaine Creations', a group exhibition in axis, Ballymun. Artist Lorcan Walsh praised both the work and, on seeing the programme, the deserved reputation of the painter who's work is on the cover, Camille Souter; a painter whose work is both vigorous and relevant. Axis, supported by Dublin City Council Arts Office, have a diverse Bealtaine programme for 2010 that you can download from here: http://bealtaine.com/node/93
 
This Sunday, 16 May at 2pm sees the launch of 'Ink' in the Original Print Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin. Ink is an exhibition, of photographs and interviews by Aidan Kelly, which explores the tattoos of older people. Stories from the city and stories from the sea, 'Ink' invites you to see the histories older Irish people have drawn onto their skin.  
 

Our Ambassadors

Every year, our Bealtaine ambassadors get involved at so many levels in and around the festival. Robert Ballagh launched the 'Dreams that Speak' exhibition in Temple Bar's NGG. Eamon Morrissey will soon be bringing Bealtaine to a whole new audience (more on this next week) and in the Dock at Carrick-on-Shannon, Mick Lally stars in ‘God’s Official’ on Wednesday 12 May at 8.30pm – a football comedy which won the Spirit of the Fringe Award at Edinburgh. With Paddy Moloney on The Late, Late Show last week, Veronica Dunne on ‘Miriam Meets’ and Eugene McCabe featuring in a recent Arts Lives documentary, our Ambassadors are certainly celebrating creativity in older age.

Night at the Museum

As part of Museum Night of Culture, Waterford Museum of Treasures is hosting tours throughout the night from 6pm to 10pm on Saturday 15 May. Also for history buffs, Collins Barracks are running a Bealtaine tour on Saturday 15 May on the 'The Later Work of Eileen Gray: Celebrating Creativity in Older Age' with Muireann Charleton, Museum Educator. And the Kildare Street are running a Bealtaine tour of the Irish Gold Collection on Wednesday 12 May at 11am.
 

Bealtaine Film Tour Update

'Dean Spanley' is showing in the following locations this week:

• 11 May - Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick; Caherciveen Library, Kerry; Courthouse Arts C entre: Tinahely, Wicklow; St. John’s Arts Centre: Listowel, Kerry; SGC Dungarvan, Waterford
•  12 May - Killarney Library, Kerry; The Model, Sligo; Riverbank Arts Centre: Newbridge, Kildare
•  13 May - Castleisland Library, Kerry; Conary Film Club: Avoca, Wicklow; South Tipperary Arts Office: County Museum, Clonmel, Tipperary; The Picture House: Wexford Arts Centre
• 16 May The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow
• 17 May Crosshaven Film Club, Cork

 
The Bealtaine Film Tour is an access>CINEMA / IFI initiative, supported by Seven Seas.
 
Also on film this week, Maynooth Film for All are screening 'The Rocky Road to Dublin' in NUI Maynooth on 12 May at 7.30pm. Sunniva O’Flynn from the IFI will introduce the film and there will be a discussion afterwards with Denis Condon from the School of English & Media & Theatre Studies. 
Speaking of the IFI, the film Paris '36 [French with subtitles] is on 12 May at 11am and there is a special showing of 'Whistle Down the Wind' for an intergenerational audience, so come along and bring grandchildren, newphews, nieces or whoever fits the bill on Sunday 16 May at 11am.
 

A pick-and-mix from Week 2 of Bealtaine

• Writer Denise Hall, of Court Writers Group, has been working with the O’Connell Court Writers Group who are from a sheltered housing unit. This collaboration has resulted in ‘Maurice’, an intergenerational play about ageism, which tells the story of the redemption of an older man through his relationship with a younger man. Come and see the play on Sunday 16 May at 2pm in Togher Community Centre, Cork
• Bring your own camera and explore ‘A Sikh Face in Ireland’ in the Chester Beatty Library with Glenn Jordan (FOMACS) and make your own photographic self-portrait on Wednesday 12 May at 11am and 2pm. Book your place by calling 01 407 0772.
• The Heath Ladies Group, Laois, are hosting a group painting day on Friday 14 May 11am to 3pm with a lunch. Admission is free but booking essential. Also in Laois, Ballinakill Active Retirement Group are having an afternoon tea dance in the Community Hall, Ballinakill on Wednesday 12 May from 2pm to 4pm.
• A dance residency, set up by Mayo Arts Office, is bringing together Gráinne Anderson of Dance Theatre of Ireland with a number of Active Retirement Associations in a series of dance workshops in Ballinrobe ARA, Kiltimagh and Balla.
• Donegal County Council Cultural Services will be launching the exhibition and catalogue of ‘The Landscape and Memory’ project at The Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny on Tuesday 11 May. Participants in the project come from the Lifford Community Hospital & Ballyduff Park Habinteg Centre, The Volt House, Raphoe and the University of 3rd Age, Strabane. Also in Donegal, Artlink Visual Arts Organisation, Buncrana are running 'I will remember' where artists tour Donegal, giving workshops focusing on future happenings through drawing, painting or crafts, with Donegal Library.
• A DVD of a music project carried out with residents in Raheen Day Care Centre will form part of an exhibition in Clare Library starting this week.
• St Louis Stitchers, Wexford, are launching an exhibition of work on Friday 14 May and over the weekend of 15/16 May they are holding workshops in Irish Filet Crochet by Cathy Earle and Mountmellick Embroidery by Phil O’Rourke. Also, Wexford are running storytelling houses all through May as part of Bealtaine. Full details can be found at http://www.storiesfromthehearth.ie/ and there is an event in Enniscorthy on Thursday 13 May and Clonegal on Monday 17 May.
• The Mellowchords Barbershop Harmony Chorus and the Forever Young Chorus will perform at The Red Stables, St Anne’s Park, D3 on Sunday, 16 May at 1.30pm.
•  Positive Age Monaghan will have an exhibition of work by older people in the area on Wednesday 12 May 11am to 4.30pm at Castlemanor Centre in Castlemanor Village alongside arts and crafts demonstrations by local experts.
• Tipping Point, a quartet dance performance by an intergenerational cast from Macushla Dance Club and Ciotóg, will be performed in Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane on 14, 15 and 21 May at 1.30pm.
• Cashel and Clonmel Libraries are running writing workshops with award-winning author Vincent McDonnell on Tuesday 11 May. Also in Tipp's Kilcoran Lodge Hotel, Singer Fil Campbell is presenting a selection of songs from female singers of the 1930s to 1960s on 12 May at 8pm.
•  Arklow Active Retirement Group & Carnew Community Craft Group will host craft activities and skills exhibitions. Everyone is welcome as they share their work and skills with other like-minded individuals over a cup of tea on Wednesday 12 May 2pm to 5pm. Also in Wicklow, Shekina Sculpture Garden in Glenmalure will have a Bealtaine day on Sunday, 16 May from 12noon to 6pm.
• Westmeath's Cairde Killucan Active Retirement Association will have a display of art and crafts at their cheese and wine evening on Friday 14 May, followed by a party.
• Edenderry Library are hosting a creative writing workshop with writer    Eileen Casey on Wednesday 12 May and a craft workshop on Friday 14 May at 10.00am.