May is the month of the Bealtaine Festival, this is a nationwide event, celebrating creativity in older people. Sligo has so many events taking place across the county, it’s a great way to try something new, or make new connections.
Sligo County Council’s Arts Service Department plays a central role in shaping and delivering Bealtaine locally in partnership with Sligo’s arts venues, organisations, libraries and the HSE, working closely with artists and creative practitioners to present a vibrant series of events.
The festival begins at 8am on Sunday, May 3rd, when Queen Maeve Square fills with song as the Bealtaine Dawn Chorus rises with Sligo Orpheus Choir.
At Hawk’s Well Theatre, the programme leans into performance and storytelling, with work that ranges from the playful to the reflective, alongside their much-loved Lunchtime @ the Well series and participatory work with Cultural Companions.
The Model offers exhibitions by Tinka Bechert and Jack Butler Yeats, paired with talks, tours and workshops that invite you to slow down and look a little closer. There’s also the open studio, where artists Kate McDonagh, Andy Parsons and Jo Conway share their process in a more personal way.
Elsewhere, the Yeats Society opens its doors to hands-on workshops and music, while The Coleman Centre in Gurteen hosts a special Bealtaine performance. Across the county, Sligo’s libraries continue to do what they do best – creating accessible spaces for learning, creativity and conversation.
Lantern-making workshops with Sligo BID bring people together ahead of Culture Night, with intergenerational threads running through local schools. This is part of the Good Evening & Good Night Sligo event, on May 7th – you can read all about that here.
At the heart of it all is Folk: lure – the Arts + Health programme that places artists directly into care and community settings. It’s here that Bealtaine feels most grounded. Through residencies and collaborations, creativity becomes something special – a way to connect, to express, to feel part of something.
As part of this year’s festival, Sligo Arts Service has also announced targeted opportunities for artists aged 50+, recognising the importance of supporting practice at all career stages. These include a Tyrone Guthrie Centre Residency Open Call and a professional development workshop with Kari Cahill focused on organising and documenting creative practice.
The full programme runs throughout May with many free events. The programme can now be downloaded at: www.sligoarts.ie or below:
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