Welcome to our Spring Newsletter
- Our Active Programme team have planned a number of Walking Football blitz events to take place around the country in the coming months.
- Our Arts Programme are excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Bealtaine Festival in May. It’s getting so close and we want to see you there!
- Our Engage Programme team shares how our Azure initiative offers in-person (and in some cases online) gallery/museum led experiences designed for people living with dementia and their families and friends.
Karen Horgan, CEO
Following the success of last year’s Walking Football initiative, we’re planning Walking Football blitz events in Wicklow in May, Cork in July, and Sligo in September this year. The blitz events are about bringing people together and supporting those who love this sport and enjoy a bit of friendly competition. The game is designed to be safe and accessible, making it a great way to keep fit while meeting new people.
These blitz events are open to Men’s Sheds who have taken part in the Walking Football initiative and other Walking Football groups that might be interested in getting involved.
If you’re interested and want to find out more, get in touch with our Active Programme team at 01 913 3943 or email active@ageandopportunity.ie
You can also visit our website for information.
Bealtaine Festival, Ireland’s national celebration of arts and creativity as we age, is marking a milestone 30th anniversary this May. An Age & Opportunity initiative, the festival invites arts organisations of all kinds to take part by organising events that capture the evolving, playful, and dynamic spirit of Bealtaine.
Continuing the festival’s three-year theme, ‘Lust for Life’, Age & Opportunity encourages event organisers to consider the theme’s relevance and the wide-ranging experiences of Bealtaine’s audiences when planning their events.
How to get involved in Bealtaine 2025:
- Organisations are encouraged to incorporate the 2025 festival theme ‘Lust for Life’. Once the event is ready for promotion, it can be registered on the Bealtaine website.
- Dawn Chorus – organise a Dawn or Dusk chorus with your local choir.
- Tea Party – organise a Bealtaine Birthday Tea Party.
- Have images of past Bealtaine events to share? Get in touch at arts@ageandopportunity.ie
- Organise an event for National Arts in Nursing Homes Day.
- Attend Bealtaine events locally or at the Festival HQ, Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
Are you living with dementia or do you have a friend or family member who is?
Are you interested in cultural/social opportunities to join in together?
If so, you may be interested in the Azure initiative run in galleries and museums around the country.
Azure tours are free in-person (and in some cases online) gallery/museum led experiences designed for people living with dementia and their families and friends. During a tour participants explore a selection of artworks, (no more than two or three) with a guide/facilitator who has received special training to facilitate the tour. Numbers are normally limited to eight participants and afterwards, a cup of tea or coffee in the gallery/museum cafe and a chat with other participants is the norm and a key part of the experience.
Read more here about how Age & Opportunity is working to train gallery and museum staff to deliver Azure tour and check out our Azure website page.
