Participatory arts encompass collaborative, community and place-based, and socially engaged arts, where professional artists work alongside individuals and communities to shape artistic content, processes, and outcomes. This approach ensures that creative work reflects lived experience, encourages shared ownership, and supports meaningful cultural engagement.
Through its various funding schemes and the annual arts grants programme, Sligo County Council supports Sligo’s arts infrastructure and cultural organisations to deliver inclusive accessible participatory arts programmes for the citizens of Sligo.
Across Sligo, the Arts Service also collaborates with a range of partners to delivers participatory programmes in community, healthcare, cultural and public settings – expanding access to the arts and supporting inclusive, creative experiences for all. Supported by the Arts Council, we strive to ensure cultural provision across the county is inclusive, accessible and aligned with national policy priorities around health, wellbeing and community participation and will continue to develop this strand of our work into the future.
Arts + Health
Sligo Arts Service has a sustained commitment to Arts + Health practice, supporting quality, professionally led creative programmes that promote wellbeing, social connection and lifelong engagement with the arts. The programme has included intergenerational projects, initiatives for older people, and community-based programmes delivered through Arts in Health residencies, participatory arts projects and the Bealtaine Festival.
Supported by the Arts Council, Sligo Arts Service works in partnership with a range of partners including Age Friendly Sligo, Healthy Ireland, Creative Ireland the HSE, Age & Opportunity and Sligo-based artists and arts organisations to deliver the Arts + Health programme.
Folk:Lure
Folk:Lure is a new Arts + Health pilot programme from Sligo Arts Service. Launched in 2026 and supported by the Arts Council and Creative Ireland, the programme is curated by Andy Parsons.
As part of Folk:Lure, a new Arts + Health Artists Panel has been established to support creative practitioners working in care and health settings and to provide sustained engagement opportunities between artists and older people. Panel members were also invited to propose both once-off and ongoing projects for inclusion in the 2026 Bealtaine Festival programme.
A new Creative Council with representatives from the Arts Service, Age Friendly Ireland, local arts organisations, the HSE and the PPN has also been established. This consultative forum will collaborate to ensure programming responds directly to older people’s interests.
Two new artist residencies, promoting sustained arts engagement with older people, informed by best practice models is being piloted and delivered in partnership with the HSE in daycare settings in Collooney and Easkey.
2026 Folk:Lure Artists in Residence are Medbh Gillard and Miriam Needham
Bealtaine Festival
The Bealtaine Festival is a further expression of the Arts Service’s commitment to arts participation, creating opportunities for older people to engage meaningfully in creative activity.
Delivered annually in partnership with artists, healthcare providers and community organisations and complimented by programming initiatives from local cultural venues and the library service throughout the county, Sligo boasts a multi-disciplinary festival that takes place across care settings, cultural venues and libraries, places and spaces throughout the county.
Through workshops, residencies, talks, performances and exhibitions, participants are supported not only to take part, but to shape and create work that reflects their experiences and creativity. In 2026 Sligo Arts Service launched two new artist focussed initiatives for older artists that included a new Artist Residency opportunity at Tyrone Guthrie Centre and an online session around “Documenting & Organising your Work”
As part of our wider Arts + Health programme, Bealtaine plays a vital role in promoting wellbeing, connection, and lifelong engagement with the arts.
Download the 2026 Bealtaine Festival programme Here: