Bealtaine, an Ireland-wide festival, is the world’s leading festival celebrating creativity in older age. It runs from 1- 31 May. The theme for this year’s Bealtaine, ‘Have dreams and speak them without fear,” comes from the poem, “What Do Men Want?” by the award-winning US poet and novelist Anthony S. Abbott :

What do men want? I don’t know.
The right to grieve and not be mocked,
to touch and be touched, to walkbeyond the porch steps of the soul,
to have dreams and speak them without fear
To lie under the willow tree of love,
To seek truth in whispers not in shouts.
pers not in shouts

Last year, over 57,000 people over 55 took part in over 2,000 Bealtaine events all across Ireland: concerts, dancing, singing, art classes, drama workshops and plays, tours, lectures and literary events. Bealtaine is a chance to socialise, to be entertained, to debate and connect across the generations, as well as for self-expression. The full programme can be found at www.bealtaine.com. There are many different local organisers and events to suit all tastes. Highlights include Age and Opportunity supported projects like 'Dawn Chorus', 'Blow the Dust...', 'Ink', 'In Stitches', 'ICA at the National Library' and 'Project Brand New Generation'- consult the programme for the details. If you are 55 or older, Have dreams and speak them without fear'

This will be Bealtaine’s 15th year and the festival has had a profound and highly visible impact on arts practice in Ireland at local, regional and national level over this period.

Here are some of the events included:
The Abbey Theatre has a Matinee Club for low price tickets to matinees and members meet writers, directors or cast after the show. Or you can come to ‘Meet the Makers’,and join dancer Jean Butler and choreographer Tere O’Connor for a discussion of their new work, ‘DAY’ (booking essential). ‘Talking Text’ voice workshops with Andrea Ainsworth, using text from

Macbeth. There are also ‘Assisted Performances’, which feature sign language interpreted, audio described and captioned performances and two dedicated wheelchair spaces in the auditorium. TEL Box Office 01 878 7222

Access.
The Irish Film Institute, IFI, in The Studio Building, Meeting House Sq., D2.
Has a Nationwide film tour of ‘Dean Spanley’ sponsored by Seven Seas.
TEL 01 679 4420. They also have a monthly film programme for over 55s, Wild Strawberries, where 4 euros will get you a film and a cup of coffee before the 11 am show the last Wednesday and Friday of each month.

CoisCéim Dance Theatre 14 Sackville Pl., D1m is offering ‘Dance Arias’, free dance classes [not too strenuous] in 7 centres, followed by a free public performance in the Mansion House. In partnership with Dublin City
Council Arts, Sports & Leisure and Community Development. TEL Philippa Donnellan 01 878 0558.

Dublin City Council Arts Office-The Lab, Foley St., D1. Citywide dance project with CoisCéim; workshops in various art forms; exhibitions; free concerts; song-writing project; theatre; artist talks; tea dance; film screenings;
National Drawing Day workshops. TEL Ann Marie Lyons 01 222 7305

Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane Parnell Sq. N, D1. ‘Performance, Poetry and Portraits at the Hugh Lane’; Macushla Dance Company perform ‘Tipping Point’; Bealtaine Writers Group respond to portrait collection and will read for children; interactive tour; poetry workshop; lunchtime talks; conservation tour; ‘Chris Morris – Observing in Silence’. TEL Katy Fitzpatrick 01 222 5553

Dublin Dance Festival, 26 South Frederick St., D2. ‘RoS Indexical’ and
‘Spiraling Down’, two works by choreographer Yvonne Rainer; ‘Swimming with my Mother’ by David Bolger and ‘A Corpo Libero’ by Silvia Gribaudi; ‘Young People, Old Voices’ by Raimund Hoghe. Many works explore questions around age and youth. An additional strand takes into account the inclusivity of contemporary dance – body types and abilities as well as chronological age. A symposium will be held to stimulate debate and fresh perspectives (pre-registration required). TEL Box Office 01 672 8815 For Brochure.

So, go out and enjoy if you are 55 or older. If not- get your parents to try something out.