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Bealtaine, a national festival celebrating creativity in older people, takes place across Ireland each year in the month of May. The Third Age Foundation organises various activities or events as part of Bealtaine and also participates in Bealtaine events organized by other organisations. The month of May is a blaze of creative activity, with the creativity of older people creating the flames. In early Spring each year, all TAF members interested in the Arts engage in discussion about plans for Bealtaine. Some years, members decide on a theme and build activities around it, other years, the focus is on a particular event and other activities are planned around that. The Bealtaine plan evolves over time and then everyone gets cracking to deliver! In 2008 the theme chosen for bealtaine was memories. Our members were involved in several arts and craft project (Chance Encounters, memories are made of this), Movement to Music Classes, a reminiscence project which resulted in the production of a CD ("I remember it well"), and a Concert and celebration of all the work produced this year took place in St. Joseph's Hospital at the end of May. The previous May (2007), the focus of our Bealtaine activities was in St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Arts and Craft group created a number of pieces of artwork throughout the year and displayed these at an exhibition in May in St. Joseph’s. Our drama group performed a comedy piece entitled The Wedding and the combined talents of many other members, including performances from some of our Choral Group, resulted in a superb concert for residents of St. Joseph’s Hospital. The previous year, in addition to performing a concert St. Joseph’s Hospital, other activities included visits to the Solstice Arts Centre for a theatre performance of The Crock of Gold, a visit to the Diamond Cinema, Navan for The Philadelphia Story, some story-telling and ballroom dancing. As part of the Bealtaine festival this year, members of the Third Age Drama Group will perform in a theatre in Temple Bar on Saturday 3rd July.
| How it started: | We were aware of Bealtaine from our earliest days and thought it was a great way of getting non-members involved in our activities. In the mid-1990s, we began with a limited Bealtaine programme of events – each year, the programme of events seems to grow!
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| Currently: | Preparations begin in March-April each year, as we get ready for the events in May. During May, the events take place and Summerhill and the surrounding area is alive with the smells, sights and sounds of Bealtaine.
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| Funding: | No external funding
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| What they say: | “Our Bealtaine programme is never about being a social service to aid the elderly. It’s all about doing interesting things, being creative, having a bit of fun – what ever our age.” Paddy D’Arcy, TAF Arts tutor |
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Arts & Drama 
