The Bealtaine Festival takes place each May throughout Ireland and involves thousands of participants in every art form. The ancient festival of Bealtaine or Beltane (held on May 1), marked the midway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, and heralded the start of summer. For the last 20 years Ireland has marked the occasion with a national celebration of creativity as we age.
Not to be held back by the current restrictions, Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, together with Age and Opportunity and Cork County Council Arts and Library Services, are bringing our exhibition to you at home. This Bealtaine exhibition celebrates the creativity of our community hospital residents who create artwork all year round through the Arts for Health Partnership Programme, West Cork.
Our online special guest Michael Plaice, Senior Executive Librarian at Cork County Council, West Cork. introduces the exhibition, ‘We are very happy once again to be associated with the annual Bealtaine exhibition and Art Trail created by clients of Uillinn’s Arts for Health programme and facilitated by such skilled and empathetic arts practitioners. Traditionally these works enhanced the walls and spaces of branch libraries in West Cork where library users and other members of the public could appreciate the creativity and imagination of the community hospital residents. This year’s online version is no less varied or creative than previous years and hopefully what it loses in physical access, it gains in the wider audience which can be reached on its online path.’
Alongside the exhibition HERE is the opportunity to participate yourself, either by taking on a creative challenge with artist Kate McElroy in her Online Interactive Activity ‘Bright Fire’ or enjoying a video session ‘Drawing with Stories’ with Arts for Health artist Sarah Ruttle, so no need to miss out due to lockdown, take a look and take part in West Cork Bealtaine at Home.
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Featured image from ‘Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin’ with partisipant on the Arts forHealth Programme and artist Sarah Ruttle, Feb 2020