Bealtaine
Bealtaine 2012–Mayo County Council Arts Office | Celebrating creativity as we age
It’s that time of year again! Mayo County Council Arts Office is almost ready to embark on a month long programme of activity for Bealtaine 2012. This is the seventeenth year of Bealtaine, Ireland's national celebration of creativity as we age – co-ordinated nationally by Age and Opportunity (an agency set up to challenge negative attitudes to ageing and to promote greater participation by older people in society). Bealtaine aims to involve older people in the arts, through expression and active participation. It also encourages older people to engage as an experienced audience for all art forms. Please contact us at 094-9024444 Ext 7558 or mayoarts@mayococo.ie if you would like more information or a brochure.
The Programme
During May 2012 Mayo County Council Arts Office will be working with Active Retirement Associations throughout Mayo as well as some of the community nursing units throughout the county. The main features of this years programme are:
The Green Bough
Mayo County Council Arts Office and Library Service are currently inviting submissions from people who wish to be included in a collective Bealtaine publication, ‘The Green Bough’. This broadsheet publication will showcase work created by older people from CountyMayo. Submissions can include poems, photographs, short stories, prints, or drawings. Application forms are available on www.mayococo.ie or by calling 094-9047558 or by emailing mayoarts@mayococo.ie .
Closing date for receipt of applications is April 24th 2012. ‘The Green Bough’ will be officially launched by Cllr. Austin Francis O’Malley, Cathaoirleach Mayo County Council on Thursday 24th May 2012 at 12.30pm as part of the ‘Blossoms in May Event’ at Lough Lannagh, Castlebar
Blossoms in May
This year we are providing older people in the community with an opportunity to be involved in a day of creative celebration. The Blossoms in May event will include a morning of creative workshops (10.30am-12.30pm), followed by a light lunch and launch of a special Bealtaine Publication ‘The Green Bough’ (12.30-2pm) and ending with a theatrical performance of ‘The Three Fat Women of Antibes’ (2.15-3pm). There are workshops in Visual Art, Storytelling, Dance & Photography.
The occasion will provide people with the opportunity to also meet up with members of other active retirement groups. Cllr. Austin Francis O’Malley, Cathaoirleach Mayo County Council will join participants for lunch and to launch ‘The Green Bough’ on the day and music will be provided by Mayo Abbey’s internationally recognised exponent of the Irish harp, Gráinne Hambly.
In the afternoon, the Bealtaine audience is in for a real treat – Julie Sharkey will be performing her one woman show ‘The Three Fat Women of Antibes’. Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s celebrated short story about three best friends who diet, Julie the snowman brings the words of The Three Fat Women of Antibes to life while Somerset Maugham describes the action.
If any members of your group are interested in participating on the workshops please contact the Arts Office on 094-9047558 or download the application form www.mayococo.ie . Workshop places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and booking through the Arts Office is essential – application forms are available on www.mayococo.ie or by calling 094-9047558 or emailing mayoarts@mayococo.ie .
Communal Weaving Project
Artist & Facilitator Merovee Guerin will be working with people at theSacredHeartHospitalin Castlebar to create a Community Weave. Residents, staff and visitors alike will be welcome to contribute to this project. The weaving frame will remain at the centre from April 24th and Merovee will be on hand on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday afternoons and Fridays to offer instruction. No experience required and all materials will be provided. Merovee is an experienced artist facilitator and has facilitated weaving projects for Bealtaine 2011, Westport Arts Festival 2010, Mayo Intercultural Action, Mayo Rape Crisis Centre and other events.
Music in Care Settings
As part of the Bealtaine programme this year a unique mix of musicians from Mayo Artsquad will be visiting a number of care settings in the county bring music and song to the residents and visitors of St Brendan’s Village in Mulranny, St. Augustines’s CNU in Ballina and the D’Alton CNU in Claremorris.
Collaborative Artworks with Mayo Artsquad at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life.
Mayo Artsquad, the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life and Mayo County Council Arts Office will continue to work in partnership this year, building on the collective experience of New Ground over the past three years. Artsquad and a number of artists will facilitate creative projects at the Museum from the end of May and through the months of June and July. All members of the public and visitors are welcome to join in to create collective artworks using recycled and traditional materials. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to visit the Museum, enjoys its facilities and engage with your creative side.
Arts venues throughout the county as well as Mayo County Council Library Service will also have a variety of events on offer during Bealtaine ranging from talks to workshops to films and much more.
All details of the programme are listed in the Bealtaine brochure which is available from the Arts Office. Please contact us at 094-9024444 Ext 7558 | 7471 or mayoarts@mayococo.ie if you would like more information or a brochure.
BALLINA ARTS CENTRE
Barrett St, Ballina, Co. Mayo.
T: 096 73593
Printmaking Workshop for Older People
Friday 11th May, 11am – 3pm (with a break for lunch).
Printmaker Marianne Heemskerk will lead this special Printmaking Workshop for Older People, in Ballina Arts Centre’s new Printmaking Studio. The workshop will be an introduction to a number of printmaking techniques and is aimed at beginners.
Adm: €7 (reduced price)
Bealtaine Film: My House in Umbria
Director: Richard Loncraine,USA,UK,Italy, 2003, 103 minutes
Friday 18th May, 2pm
My House in Umbria is a 2003 movie, based on the novella of the same name by William Trevor, starring Maggie Smith and directed by Richard Loncraine.
Emily Delahunty (Maggie Smith) is an eccentric British romance novelist who lives inUmbriain centralItaly. One day while travelling, the train she is on is bombed by terrorists. After she wakes up in a hospital, she invites three of the other survivors of the disaster to stay at her Italian villa for recuperation. Of these are the General, a retired British Army veteran; Werner, a young German man; and Aimee, a young American girl who has now become mute after her parents were both killed in the explosion.
As the group recovers from their ordeal (in which the General lost his daughter, and Werner lost his girlfriend and suffered considerable burns to his arm), the explosion is being investigated by Inspector Girotti, a local policeman. Responding to the warmth and kindness of Mrs Delahunty and the others, Aimee begins to speak again, while the local authorities seek out any relatives who might be able to take her in. They eventually locate her uncle, Tom Riversmith, a university professor in theU.S.He agrees to take Aimee back to theU.S.to live with his wife and himself, though they have little time for raising children and are particularly concerned about trying to raise a child who has been through such a traumatic experience as well as the Professor who had no experience raising children.
Mrs Delahunty works hard to find common ground with Aimee's uncle and eventually convinces him to leave Aimee with her inItalyrather than taking the child back toAmericato a loveless home. Meanwhile, Inspector Girotti discovers that Werner was involved in the terrorist attack on the train.
Adm: Free
LINENHALL ARTS CENTRE
Linenhall St, Castlebar, Mayo.
T: 094 9023733
E: linenhall@anu.ie
Wednesday 23rd May @ 3.00pm
My House in Umbria
USA,UK, Italy 2003 103mins
Adapted from William Trevor's novella of the same name, My House in Umbria stars Dame Maggie Smith in an Emmy-winning role as a British romance novelist living inItaly who survives a terrorist attack on a train toMilan. After a tragic train accident, she invites the three other survivors from her compartment - an orphaned American girl, a crusty British general and a troubled young German - to recuperate in her handsome villa, as a police inspector investigates exactly what happened.
Set in the sprawling Italian countryside, this charming film boasts a top-notch cast starring Ronnie Barker, Chris Cooper, Timothy Spall and, of course, Maggie Smith.
Adm.: Free
LOCAL ARTS: VARIETY CONCERT
Wednesday 30th May @ 8.00pm
Castlebar Active Retired Group Variety Concert
Castlebar Active Retired Group presents its ever-popular annual Variety Concert with music, songs, dancing, poems, storytelling and more at the Linenhall. The concert, for all ages, is part of Bealtaine, the national festival celebrating creativity in older age. So prepare to be entertained by some of Castlebar’s youngest at heart, together with friends from the community.
Part of the Linenhall Arts Centre’s Bealtaine programme of events. The Linenhall Arts Centre acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council in making this performance possible.
Adm.: FREE
Please note: A complimentary tea and coffee reception will take place from 7.30pm prior to the concert.
(Castlebar Active Retired Group was established in 2000. The members meet once a week, on Wednesdays between 3.00pm and 4.30pm at the Welcome Inn onNew Antrim Streetin Castlebar. Newcomers are always welcome.)
ÁRAS INIS GLUAIRE
ÁISLEANN BHÉAL AN MHUIRTHEAD, BELMULLET,
T: 097 81079
For the month of May Áras Inis Gluaire will celebrate Bealtaine. Bealtaine is about celebrating creativity as we age. Some of our events include an exhibition launch on Friday 4 May which will run for the month; access cinema and the Irish Film institute will present the 2012 Bealtaine Film Tour screening of ‘My House in Umbria’ Friday 11 May at 2.30pm; screening of the documentary ‘Hands’ by Sally and David Shaw Smith on Friday 4May & Thursday 17 May at 2.30pm; creative writing workshop on Wednesday 9 May and 23 May from 2pm to 4pm; basket making with Ciaran Hogan on Wednesday 16 May from 1.30pm to 4.30pm and storytelling with seanchaí Eddie Lenihan on Friday 18 May at 7.30pm. All events are free of charge. For more information, contactLorraine on 097 81079.
On Friday 04 May 2012 at 5pm David Shaw Smith will open an exhibition by participants of ‘Mayo County Councils Mentoring and Networking Scheme’ from around Mayo. This scheme is a collection of art work by older people created through Mayo County Councils Mentoring & Networking Scheme. These works have been collected over previous years & are truly a celebration of creativity in older age! Admission free. All welcome.