Over 101,000 people took part in the 2010 Bealtaine festival, one of Ireland's biggest arts festivals. From dance to cinema, painting to theatre, Bealtaine showcases the talents and creativity of both first-time and professional older artists.

More than 500 Bealtaine organisers staged over 2,500 events in theatres, libraries, along river banks, in arts centres, residential care centres, beaches, galleries, cafes and day care centres all over Ireland. ‘The festival has been growing in popularity, size and quality year on year - but 2010 has seen an enormous leap in attendance at events,' said Sue Russell, Media Coordinator for Age & Opportunity. 

 

Bealtaine, the national festival celebrating creativity in older age, is coordinated by Age & Opportunity and includes events organised by hundreds of partner organisations. The festival encourages greater participation in the arts by older people as artists and performers, taking part as both event organisers and audiences, everywhere from national institutions to local parish halls. The ethos is one of fun, empowerment and exploration.

The figures released today are based on reports from Bealtaine organisers. The numbers organising events are up by 27% with increase of 23% in number of events. One county alone, County Mayo,  recorded attendance figures of 25,000 at a variety of events they organised throughout the county.

‘We made great efforts this year to raise awareness of the festival and we were helped greatly in this by cooperation with Iarnród Eireann and Dublin Bus. Having a Bealtaine Festival storyline in RTE's ‘Fair City' was a tremendous boost in raising the profile of the festival,' said Rebecca McLaughlin, Festival Coordinator.

The festival was independently evaluated by Irish Centre for Social Gerontology. The report entitled ‘The Bealtaine Festival: A Celebration of Older People in the Arts - an Evaluation' found that Bealtaine demonstrates the social and health benefits of participatory arts activities, over 86% of participants said it improved their quality of life. The research provides a compelling argument for reviewing older people's involvement in the arts in the light of future demographic trends.

Further information www.ageandopportunity.ie

 

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