What does research in arts and humanities contribute to our understanding of ageing, and how does it synergize with this major arts festival with and for older people?

Chaired by Professor of Medical Gerontology at Trinity Institute of Neurosciences, Des O’Neill, this conversation will look at how our age, where we live and how we are raised, determines our norms and values around ageing. Panellists include Professor of the Sociology of Ageing at University College London, Paul Higgs, Professor in Contemporary British History at King’s College London, Patricia Thane and Senior Lecturer in Music Therapy at the World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Dr. Hilary Moss.

In 2022, the Bealtaine discussion series will explore concepts of home, ageing in place and the impact of age itself on perceptions and framings of ageing. These conversations take place amidst the constitutionally protected status of the home in Ireland, the recent Homecare Bill, as well as the homelessness and housing crisis. These conversations also note the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic in both reframing understandings of how society ‘manages’ residential care for older people and a renewed emphasis on the importance of home. The 2022 series is devised in association with the National University of Ireland Galway.