Bealtaine 2009 is fast approaching! Now is the time to begin to plan so that your organisation can be part of the national festival celebrating creativity in older age, which takes place every May across Ireland.

We would like to invite you to take part in Bealtaine, the month-long festival celebrating creativity in older age which takes place every May across Ireland.

Read here about:

The theme for Bealtaine 09

Go and open the door! - Theme for Bealtaine 2009
We are suggesting the line ‘Go and open the door’ from the poem ‘The door’ by Miroslav Holub as the theme for Bealtaine 09. The extract below is reproduced by kind permission of Bloodaxe Books.

‘Go and open the door’ is an invitation to try something new, to explore something creative this Bealtaine in recognition of the life enhancing joys of constant learning and our capacity for creativity at all stages of our lives.

It is entirely up to you whether you wish to adopt the theme or not – all quality creative events for older people will be included in the Bealtaine Bulletin both those that reflect the theme and those that do not.

Here is an extract from Holub's poem, reproduced by kind permission of Bloodaxe Books:

The door

Go and open the door. 
Maybe outside there’s 
a tree, or a wood, 
a garden,

or a magic city.

Go and open the door. 
Maybe a dog’s rummaging. 
Maybe you’ll see a face,
or an eye,
or the picture 
of a picture.

Go and open the door. 
If there’s a fog 
it will clear.

(extract)

Miroslav Holub, Poems Before & After, trans Ian Milner et al. (Bloodaxe Books, 2006) 
 
Suggestions for Bealtaine events
Bealtaine aims to inspire people to try something for the first time, take it up again, or to reach further. We actively encourage collaboration for mutual benefit and emphasise the contribution which older people may make in terms of a lifetime of skills and experiences.

If you represent a national cultural institution, an Active Retirement Association, a regional arts centre, a library or a nursing home, day care centre or hospital, you may find some of our suggestions give you food for thought! Also, check out the 2008 Bealtaine Bulletin and read about Festival 08 to give you a flavour of events organised last year. 
 
Suggestions for events and activities which we hope will help get your ‘creative juices’ flowing for Bealtaine 2009

Looking for funding?
You may be able to secure some funding to help you organise your event. Here is a list of some potential funding bodies you may wish to apply to. 
 
Other useful information
When organising a Bealtaine event, you may find yourself asking some of these questions:

How do I explain the link between my event, Bealtaine and Age and Oppportunity?  
 
I will produce some printed materials to advertise my event - how can I design these printed materials so that they are suitable for the audience? 
  
What term should I use to refer to older people? What is an older person?
 
If you would like to include the Bealtaine logo in your printed materials and/or web site, please email us and we will forward it to you.  
 
List of relevant funders/grant-making bodies you may wish to apply to 

Other information about Bealtaine, including text about Bealtaine which you may like to use in your own printed materials, tips on how to improve the design of printed materials to make them more legible for your audience and advice on preferred terms to use when referring to older people and an indication of ‘What is an older person?’  

Each year, we produce the Bealtaine Bulletin, giving an overview of events around the country, and a detailed County Listings, giving contact details of organisers in each county. If you would like your event included in the County listings and considered for the Bealtaine Bulletin, you must send us details on your event by 14 February 2009, using the official application form, available for printing here.

You may like to take a look at the information about Bealtaine 09, which we have just sent out to potential organisers of events.