Play your part in Bealtaine 2010

All over Ireland, people are busy planning events and activities for the 2010 Bealtaine festival. The Bealtaine team are currently looking for enthusiastic participants for the following projects:

• Following an extraordinary debut event on Culdaff beach in Donegal during Bealtaine 2009, Dawn Chorus is returning to waterfronts all across Ireland this year. The Association of Irish Choirs and Active Retirement Ireland are encouraging choirs throughout  the country to open their doors to retirement groups, to develop a short concert together and to sing on a scenic waterfront in every county at dawn on Sunday 30th May. To get involved, contact the Association of Irish Choirs on 061 234 823 or Active Retirement Ireland on 01 679 2142.
• The hugely successful Blow The Dust Off Your Trumpet, which began in the National Concert Hall in 2009, is taking place in both Cork and Dublin. Older people are invited to come along with musical instruments they once played but have left languishing in the attic. With help from experienced professional musicians and teachers, participants will be returning to the joys of music in a fun environment. The orchestra, created from scratch in 2009 has become a permanent older people's orchestra which meets regularly, has doubled in size, and which played a sold-out Christmas Concert in the National Concert Hall. For information on how to get involved this year, please contact NCH, Dublin on 01 417 0063 or Cork Arts Office on 021 492 4736.
• Building on its success in Bealtaine 2009, Project Brand New Generation is inviting both established and new artists to explore intergenerational experimental work together. This is an opportunity to take a risk and try something new. Participants will be making something short, showing it to an audience and seeing what comes back in a one-off performance at Project Arts Centre, Dublin. Artists who wish to participate can email projectbrandnew@gmail.com.