Taking place in the month of May, Bealtaine is the annual nationwide festival celebrating the arts and creativity as we age. The national festival is run by Age & Opportunity, the national organisation that promotes active and engaged living as we get older.
Mayo County Council Arts Service runs an extensive Bealtaine programme, which includes workshops in various artistic disciplines, artist talks, performances in care settings, gallery tours, and a variety of other events.
The Arts Service has worked with Active Retirement Associations and other organisations for older people. All art forms have been covered over the various Bealtaine Programmes, including theatre, literature, dance, visual arts, circus and music.
To view the full 2025 programme of events for this year’s festival in Mayo please click here
To learn more about the Bealtaine Festival nationally go to: www.bealtaine.ie.
Drawing Workshop with Clare Henderson
Date: 6th May 2025
Time: 13:30
Venue: Co-Working Space, Innovation Quarter, Ballina
Booking: Email [email protected] or call 0949064086
Details: Join visual artist Clare Henderson and view her artwork in the Co-Working Space, Innovation Quarter, Ballina. Followed by a drawing workshop using charcoal and erasers. Clare will guide participants in choosing a subject, using a viewfinder, setting up your drawing area and using the materials.
Azure Tours
Date: 10th and 17th May 2025
Time: 14:00
Venue: Custom House Gallery & Studios, Westport
Booking: Email [email protected] or call 0949064086
Details: Artist, Maggie Morrison, will be leading two Azure Tours of After the Storm by Cathy Carmen and Gold Mine Gauteng, South Africa by Judy Carroll Deeley at the Custom House Gallery and Studios, Westport. An Azure Tour is a dementia inclusive visual art tour. For those living with dementia, an Azure Tour is an accessible way of engaging with art, in which a trained facilitator wil guide participants through the exhibition, while actively encouraging conversation and responses to each work.
Artist Talk with Colm Brennan
Date: 13th May 2025
Time: 14:00
Venue: Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar
Booking: www.thelinenhall.com or 0969023733
Details: Join sculptor Colm Brennan for a talk on his work and a visit to his sculpture, ’98 Remembered, in Market Square, Castlebar. Colm Brennan is a a founder member of the Sculptors Society of Ireland, and is a Director of CAST Bronze Foundry in Dublin. Colm’s sculpture, generally in bronze or combining bronze and stainless steel, travels twin paths of abstraction and naturalism. His work varies in size from large outdoor monumental sculpture to small studio pieces.
Sean Nós Singing Workshop with Colm Brennan
Date: 14th May 2025
Time: 18:30
Venue: Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar
Booking: www.thelinenhall.com or 0969023733
Details: Enjoy an introduction to Sean Nós singing with Colm Brennan as part of Bealtaine 2025. Suitable for beginners, this two-hour workshop will provide you with an introduction to Sean Nós under the experienced guidance of Colm Brennan, sculptor and singer.
Writing Your Memoir, Workshop with Gerry Boland
Date: 24th May 2025
Time: 10:00
Venue: Ballina Library
Booking: Email [email protected], or call 0949064086
Details: In this full-day writing workshop, poet and author Gerry Boland explores the memoir genre. Taking tips, strategies, approached and styles from a number of celebrated and lesser known memoirs, Gerry will help you to decide what kind of memoir you would like to write. Writing exercises will play an important role, as you tease out ideas and try out different styles and structures. By the end of the day you should be further along the road towards that memoir you’ve been thinking about writing for far too long!
Gerry Boland is a poet and author with ten published books. he has wide experience of leading writing workshops in poetry, short fiction and memoir.
The workshop runs from 10am-4pm with a couple of short tea breaks and a half-hour break for lunch.
This programme is strategically funded by Mayo County Council in partnership with the Arts Council.