1. Presentation to
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

4. 0

11. More and more of life's processes and difficulties
are being medicalised. Medicine cannot solve these
problems. It can sometimes help but often at a substantial
cost. Worst of all, people are diverted from what may be much
better ways to adjust to these problems...If health is about
adaptation, understanding and acceptance, then the arts may
be more potent than anything that medicine has to
offer.
Richard Smith. British Medical Journal Editorial. (Dec 2002)

12. Above the water-line ‘hard factors’
Below the water-line ‘Soft factors’
Senior
Ministers
Better
Services
Whole
System
Change
Older
People
Reps
Better
Planning
More
Staff
Agencies
Co-operating
More
Money
Stereotyping
And
Visibility
Valuing
The
‘Elder’
Fear
Of
Change
Ageism

13. Why Arts?
What kind of Arts?

15. Frances

19. I knitted a scarf in black and amber – though the
amber has yet to be added; I will see what happens
in September and maybe add it then! I thought the
event was great fun when it was happening. I’d
been taught to knit in school so picked it up very
easily again for Bealtaine.
John, Thomastown Day Care Centre, Kilkenny

20. We did caps, scarves and a hat. We had great
fun losing stitches and wool running out. On 16
June, I will take them to Oxfam for selling along
with some pictures of the knitters - they are a
great bunch of ladies all in their 70s and 80s.
Tess, Cahirciveen ARA

21. From Oxfam Ireland's
point of view, this first year
being involved with the
Bealtaine festival has
been a complete success
and we look forward to
working together in the
future.
Sheila Powers,
Oxfam Ireland

22. www.timeslips.org

23. As a choreographer, where the
work is developed with the
dancers, by them, through
them, each individual’s input is
very important. To have this
luxury of working with such
experienced and mature people
is great for me because it’s
giving me something I don’t
have.
Riónach Ní Néill,
Macushla Dance Group

26. Global Issue
By 2030 half the population of Western Europe will be over 50 with a life
expectancy at that age of a further 40 years. This will be historically
unprecedented as we have never before had a region of the world with
over half its population over 50.
Dr Sarah Harper Professor of Gerontology at Oxford University and Director of the Oxford
Institute of Population Ageing

27. Every 2nd
girl child
born today
will live to
be 100
1st time in
history, more
people
65+ than
under 5
65+ = 30%
EU by 2050
80+ fastest
growing age
cohort.
LONGEVITY More Centenarians
Increasing
Currently by
5 hours per day
2.5 years per decade
A Different World?
A Different Europe?

28. IMPLICATIONS?
• Global inequality in longevity
• Intercontinental Qualification
• Shift in life-course and life-succession
• Affects on the Generational Contract

29. HEALTH SECTOR
• Shift from acute medicine to chronic disease
• Mobility of healthcare, transferable pensions and skills - migrant workers
enabled to care for ageing populations
FINANCIAL SECTOR “Adapt our financial systems”
• Silver market take over Green economy as influencer
• Drawing pensions for 30/40 plus years?
• Support Ratio from 6:1 to under 2:1
• A need to promote productivity as we age

30. AND OUR RESPONSE IS FESTIVALS ?
Are you joking?

32. Why Festivals?
KEY CHALLENGES
• National and Local
Planning hasn’t
engaged with age
• Divided into sectors
• Individuals didn’t plan
to live healthy and long
• Planning is made by
people – change
thinking
• Resourcing change
FESTIVAL OFFER
• Experiment and experience
• Threshold hesitation
• Broker
• Promote
• Annual
• Limited time frame
• Change Theory

33. Museums
Arts Institutions
Active
Retirement
Groups
Arts
Centres
Nursing
homes
Artists
Local
authority
offices
Health
settings
Libraries
Festival

34. Irish experience

35. Historically arts not a priority in Irish public policy
• Barriers:
o Economic determinism
o Low priority – not on policy agenda
o Harsh economic climate did not encourage participation
o Unequal opportunity – education, socio-economic
background

36. Bealtaine Festival
1996 2013
Number of events 52 3500+
Number of participants 7000+ 112000
(25%)
Number of counties
involved
8 28
Number of organisers 36 700

37. What is “Bealtaine” ?
A month-long nationwide
celebration of creativity as we
age
The creativity of older people, of
us as we age, and artists who
explore age

38. What happens?
A Collaborative Arts
Festival
•Commissions
•Produces
•Promotes
•Partnerships
•Invitations

39. Where?
• National and
Regional Cultural
Institutions
• Public Libraries
• Community groups
• Active Retirement
Associations
• Day and Residential
Care centre
• Individual artists

40. What happens in Bealtaine?
• Diverse organizations
make Diverse art
• Different artists
different art- 3 types
• All ages of ageing
• A Nationwide festival
made Locally
• A place in time for
individual and
organizational
encounter and
experiment

41. “nobody seemed anxious to
leave. The whole experience was
magic and plans were being
voiced for next year’s event.”
Lana McNamara, Donegal Regional ARA

42. Dawn Chorus, Wexford

43. Dawn Chorus, Dollymount,
Dublin

44. Dawn Chorus, Dundrum, Dublin

45. Professor Eamon O’Shea
Dr. Áine Ní Léime
Irish Centre for Social Gerontology
National University of Ireland, Galway www.bealtaine.com

46. Health and social benefits: evidence from literature
• Key factor in adaptation to ageing
• Benefits to physical health, well-being a and
increased morale
• Reduced loneliness
• Increased social engagement
• Maximising capabilities

47. Self-expression
“I have to say I have found my voice since
joining in this group” – (member of writer’s
group)”
Personal development
“You learn a lot….when I started I knew practically nothing about
modern art…it gives you an open mind, that you take a thing
in….you look and examine” Social networking (Visual arts programme participant)
“I have formed a big circle of friends who are interested in
smilar activities” (member of writer’s group)
Quality of life
“It gave me a new lease of life. I’m a widow and I live alone.
It’s marvellous to have something to get out for – to get
involved in and then to forget your pains and aches and get
completely immersed in the whole thing”

48. It is community in its purest
form; a coming together.
I didn’t hear ‘I can’t’ rather
‘let’s try it’!
Edel Ryan, coordinator

49. Engagement with the community (87%)
“I’m out and about more and meeting people. I’m also becoming more
aware of people and their needs” (Member of Active Retirement
Association)
“It has broken down the walls of the hospital and it has involved
everyone, especially the community.. If we ask them they always come
up trumps..”
(Bealtaine organiser in a hospital)

50. Bealtaine has fostered sustained growth and development:
o Awareness and engagement in the arts – enhanced creativity
o Personal development, self-esteem, Q.o.L
o Social connectedness
o Enhanced profile of older people
o Co-operation among NGO’s, state agencies and services and older people
o Content of a national TV soap opera
o International network
Culture a named element in National Positive Ageing Strategy (2014)

51. I felt emotional and privileged to be involved in something so immensely
positive. Bealtaine makes me believe that people are good.
Sandra Adams
Director Mill Theatre

52. How start?

53. Gwanwynn - Wales
Luminate – Scotland
Lange Leve Kunst - Netherlands

54. AMERICAN MODEL

55. Living healthier for longer is perceived as a drain on resources
despite older populations being the wealthiest.
Why America?
• 40 million aged 65 and older.
• 89 million by 2050. 20%
• Richest generation in US history
• $2.3 trillion dollars disposable income.

56. Creative Aging International
Aim
• Combine entertainment industry with social enterprise
• Brings commercial and non-profit entities into direct
contact and engagement
• Co-develop product and services
• Begins with the largest and wealthiest demographic in
the US
• To reimagine the potential of aging populations

57. Creative Aging International
How
• Uses a festival and community based
entertainment brand
• To build a social agenda for aging populations

58. Big Top
Nightly Entertainment

59. Big Top
Nightly Entertainment

60. Daytime Engagement
Working together
Big Top is Common Ground
Participation + Momentum = Quality
Nurture not Control

61. Daytime
Engagement and Working together
• Symposia, discussion forum, debates
• Example and best practice
• Bring key influencers and agencies together to
develop innovative and lasting approaches
• Convenes information exchange and collaboration to
identify and marry economic benefit with social
agenda
• Attractive event employing behavioural economics
to nudge behaviour change

62. Daytime Engagement
Harder to reach fruit

63. Transport
Commercial
Entertainment
Education
Third
Sector
Arts
Local
Authority
Health
NationalA
gency
Festival

64. They say life begins at
40; how wrong that is.
Mine began the day I
heard the ad for the
project. I met 23
strangers there who are
now in daily contact.
Our lives are taken up
with our orchestra which
we are continuing to
run. Who needs therapy
when you can have an
orchestra!
Geraldine McKibben,
Blow the Dust participant Cork
Changing the picture

65. Revenue
Sponsorship
• 75K per season in first two
seasons in each territory
• 150K per season thereafter
Bar Income
• 25% of gross bar take.
• Bar partner in each
territory
Auxiliary Programming and non-core
income
Anchor Show Box Office
• Box office Based on a conservative 70% sales
in a 650 capacity venue, and a combination of
ticketed sales and on site visitors the festival is
projected to attract nearly quarter of a million
people per year.

66. Growth
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
2 Cities
$1,457,651 Income
5 Cities
$4,031,628 Income
Please note that online audiences not included
6 Cities
$5,362,954 Income

68. FLIP OUR THINKING
From Health Towards Culture?
Frail / High
Dependency
Specialist Care
Transitional
Not a Problem
Largely Ignored
Entering
Old Age
Person
Centred
Support
Unleash these
unasked
resources
Intensive
Support
Tailored Care

74. Come join the dance?