Arts Initiatives:
Bealtaine Festival
A month long festival in May featuring performances, exhibitions, discussions, workshops and readings by artists, and community groups, working in different art forms all over Ireland. Find out more here.
Artist in Residence in a Care Setting
This opportunity creates access to the arts for older people in care settings as well as supporting artists working in care settings. Find out more here.
Visual Arts Residency
Our visual arts residencies encourage creative relationships between professional artists and artists with learning disabilities, and support professional artists as part of their ongoing practice. Find out more here.
Creative Exchanges
QQI Level 6 Training Course which trains participants to plan and facilitate arts activities for older people in care settings. Find out more here.
Cultural Companions
Creates local networks of like-minded people interested in arts and culture who can accompany each other to cultural events. Find out more.
The Gathering
An event bringing together our local and national Bealtaine Festival partners for a day of networking, inspiration, discussion and feedback on the festival. Find out more.
Azure
Azure explores how people with dementia-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s, and the people who care for them, can have a deeper involvement in cultural institutions and can participate in cultural activities. Find out more.
Arts Initiatives:
Bealtaine Festival
A month long festival in May featuring performances, exhibitions, discussions, workshops and readings by artists, and community groups, working in different art forms all over Ireland. Find out more here.
Artist in Residence in a Care Setting
This opportunity creates access to the arts for older people in care settings as well as supporting artists working in care settings. Find out more here.
Visual Arts Residency
Our visual arts residencies encourage creative relationships between professional artists and artists with learning disabilities, and support professional artists as part of their ongoing practice. Find out more here.
Creative Exchanges
QQI Level 6 Training Course which trains participants to plan and facilitate arts activities for older people in care settings. Find out more here.
Cultural Companions
Creates local networks of like-minded people interested in arts and culture who can accompany each other to cultural events. Find out more.
The Gathering
An event bringing together our local and national Bealtaine Festival partners for a day of networking, inspiration, discussion and feedback on the festival. Find out more here. Find out more.
We believe that, whether you are 8 or 80 years old, we all should have access and opportunities to attend and participate in the arts and to realise our creative potential. Fresh thinking, bold experimentation and creativity are all fundamental to delivering a high quality of life for older people.
Research shows that arts programmes involving music, visual arts and drama, among other activities, have a profound influence on the quality of life of older people, with positive impacts on health, psychological well-being, confidence and autonomy as well as other benefits such as:
- happiness
- mental wellbeing
- reduced stress
- improved cognition
- sense of identity and personhood
- increased self-esteem and confidence
- reduced boredom.
