The Donegal Bealtaine Festival 2023 are delighted to announce the commission of a collective of local crafts people to facilitate several workshops in their special areas of interest to celebrate creativity in older age throughout Donegal.  For the past 26 years, Bealtaine has grown into Ireland’s largest co-operative arts festival with over 3,000 events taking place throughout May last year in cities, towns, and villages throughout the country.  The national Bealtaine festival, coordinated by Age & Opportunity in partnership with local authorities and arts and older people’s organisations, features older people as artists and performers, as event organisers and as audiences and participants. The Donegal Bealtaine Crafts Collective include several workshops in a variety of craft disciplines ranging from:  The Weaving of a Willow Sweet Pea Planter with the Willow Woman, Helena Golden; The Art of Weaving & Spinning with local Spinning Wheel maker Johnny Shiels; Origami-The Art of Paper Folding with artist Cathal McGinley; Card Making & Plant Pot Decorating with crafter Rhona Hannigan AND Ink Art & Poetry with Illustrator and Poet Kim Sharkey. Crafts has always been an important element of the Bealtaine festival. The festival gives people an opportunity to try a craft for the first time or return to crafting as an adult and reawaken a past interest.  So, from Ink to Willow, join a workshop at the Donegal Bealtaine Crafts Collective and reignite the creatives. 

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.