Bealtaine Festival

27/08/2026

25/08/2026

Age & Opportunity is delighted to announce that the Bealtaine Gathering 2026 will take place on Wednesday, 14th October at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.
We are excited to confirm that Rita Ann Higgins, one of Ireland’s most acclaimed poets, will join us as a special guest speaker. See below for more information on Rita Ann Higgins.

This year’s Gathering will also focus on inclusion as well as offering a timely opportunity to reflect on developments in the arts and ageing sector in Ireland.

We welcome the participation of all those engaged in the arts and ageing sector and those involved Bealtaine over the years or are newly engaging with its mission.

Our full programme will be announced in early September when booking will also open.

If you would like to be added to the register of interest and receive notifications about updates and booking information for this event, please email [email protected].

Keynote speaker: Rita Ann Higgins

Rita Ann Higgins was born and lives in Galway. Her latest publication Jiving with Wasps New & selected poems demonstrates the extraordinary psychological insight, moral depth and social vision of a body of writing that puts human vulnerability, resilience and responsibility front and central stage. Correspondingly, her work also joyously celebrates the many dreams and belief systems – no matter how seemingly illogical or insufficient – that enable people to retain their sense of self-respect and hope. Catriona Clutterbuck The Irish. Rita Ann is presently writing a six-part series for TV.

24/08/2026

Artist Awards Deadline Reminder

Applications close tomorrow for our Creative Ageing Writing Bursary, Professional Development and Emerging Artist Awards.

Artists age 50+ encouraged to apply. Each awards offers €1,000 to a successful applicant.

Please note in 2026 we are changing to an artform-based submission cycle for the Emerging and Professional Development Artist Awards. This year we are accepting applications from artists working in the performing arts only.

For more information and to apply: visit our website www.bealtaine.ie
Queries or support: [email protected]

Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

19/08/2026

We are delighted to announce that Úna Curley and Ina Olohan have been awarded the 2026 Age & Opportunity Meath Louth Arts Offices Tyrone Guthrie Residency Awards. The awards, in partnership with Age & Opportunity, aim to support professional artists aged 50+ to develop their practice, by creating time and space to think and reflect on their work and to bolster their peer network. Each artist will undertake a funded week-long residency in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre including a stipend.

Ina Olohan is a mixed media artist based in Kells, Co. Meath. The images she creates are the result of weaving together different processes - print, photography, stitch and collage - to create layered artworks with a strong narrative element.

Úna Curley is a socially engaged visual artist, facilitator, and Creative Director of Rush Not Studio and Gallery in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. Working across textiles, print, photography, sculpture, and participatory arts, her practice explores community, heritage, sustainability, and well-being.

Based in rural County Monaghan, The Tyrone Guthrie Centre is a cross-border organisation that offers time away, space to work, and opportunities for collaboration and networking for artists and ‘other like persons’ that facilitates the development of their practice across all art forms.

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon Louth Arts Office

13/08/2026

We are delighted to announce that Emma Fitzpatrick and Deborah Grimes have been awarded the 2026 Fingal County Council Age & Opportunity Tyrone Guthrie Residency Award. This award aims to support professional artists aged 50+ to develop their practice, by creating time and space to think and reflect on their work. Each artist will undertake a funded week-long residency in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre including a stipend.

Emma Fitzpatrick is an Irish fine art printmaker based in Dublin. Her work explores landscape, time, and human presence through monotype and etching, rooted in the remote natural landscapes of Ireland's west coast.

Deborah's first foray into screenwriting came in 2014 with the Irish-language short Lá Bréa Chuige (TG4/ROSG). In 2019, she directed an English language short, The Yellow Dress, which screened at over 50 international festivals and picked up several awards.

Based in rural County Monaghan, The Tyrone Guthrie Centre is a cross-border organisation that offers time away, space to work, and opportunities for collaboration and networking for artists and ‘other like persons’ that facilitates the development of their practice across all art forms.

12/08/2026

We are delighted to announce that Frances Moore has been awarded the 2026 Kilkenny County Council Age & Opportunity Tyrone Guthrie Residency Award. Frances will undertake a funded week-long residency in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and receive a stipend. This award aims to support professional artists aged 50+ to develop their practice, by creating time and space to think and reflect on their work.

Frances Moore is a Kilkenny-based poet and creative writing facilitator. A past recipient of the Annie Deeny Prize at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, her poetry and essays have been broadcast nationally on RTÉ Radio 1 (Arena, Sunday Miscellany) and published in print and digital journals, including THE SHOp, Eunoia Review, and the Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet.

Age & Opportunity Arts is a dedicated programme which supports the participation and representation of all older people in cultural and creative life in Ireland.

Based in rural County Monaghan, The Tyrone Guthrie Centre is a cross-border organisation that offers time away, space to work, and opportunities for collaboration and networking for artists and ‘other like persons’ that facilitates the development of their practice across all art forms.

Kilkenny Arts Office The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon HSE Ireland

06/08/2026

Clare-Based Musicians Aged 50+ Invited to Apply for €15,000 Bealtaine Festival Commission

New music commission to premiere at Bealtaine Flagship Festival 2027 in Ennis.

Age & Opportunity and Clare County Council have announced that applications are now open for a major new music commission for a Clare-based musician aged 50+, offering a bursary of €15,000 to support the creation of an original work that will premiere at the Bealtaine Flagship Festival 2027 in Ennis.

The commission forms part of the landmark partnership between Clare County Council and Age & Opportunity following the recent announcement that County Clare has been selected as the Regional Hub for Bealtaine Festival 2027, Ireland’s national celebration of arts and ageing.

The opportunity is open to musicians, composers and music creators aged 50 and over who are based in County Clare. The successful applicant will receive funding to develop and present a new work as part of the festival’s flagship programme, which will take place in Ennis from 20–22 May 2027.

The commission seeks to celebrate the creativity, artistic ambition and contribution of older artists, while creating a lasting cultural legacy as Clare prepares to welcome audiences from across Ireland for the national festival.

Applications are now invited from eligible Clare-based musicians aged 50+. Full application details, eligibility criteria and submission guidelines are available through Clare County Council Arts Office.

Clare Arts Office Clare County Council Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

16/07/2026

Applications are now open for the Age & Opportunity 2026 Creative Ageing Writing Bursary, Professional Development and Emerging Artist Awards.

These awards are part of our ongoing commitment to supporting artists aged 50 and over in Ireland. They aim to recognise both emerging talent and the importance of continued professional development and support in later life.

Each award offers €1,000 to a successful applicant and is designed to support artists at different stages of their creative journey.

Please note in 2026 we are changing to an artform-based submission cycle for the Emerging and Professional Development Artist Awards. This year we are accepting applications from artists working in the performing arts only.

Deadline: 12pm Tuesday 25th August 2026
For more information and to apply: Link in bio or on our website www.bealtaine.ie
Queries or support: [email protected]

08/07/2026

Open Call: Artist Care Exchange

Age & Opportunity is pleased to offer a unique professional development bursary for up to three professional artists with an interest and background in the arts and older people in a care context.

The Artists Care Exchange (ACE) bursary is intended to help artists develop their skills, contacts and professionalism so that they can work more confidently and expertly with older people in a care setting. ACE also aims to help artists understand the various ways to find paid work in this developing field.

Eligible professional artists from a wide range of art forms are encouraged to apply to ACE, including but not limited to: visual arts, film, dance, theatre, literature music, circus and multidisciplinary arts.

📅The deadline for applications is 12pm on Wednesday, 5th August 2026.

👉Find out more: https://ow.ly/TYVM50Zlt73

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon HSE Ireland

27/05/2026

We’re delighted to partner with Expressway for Bealtaine Festival 2026 🎨🚍
Enjoy direct, comfortable travel to events across the country — making it easier than ever to experience our performances, workshops and community programmes this May 💛
Plan your journey and be part of it ✨

Age & Opportunity HSE Ireland The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon