Recently, the programme for this year's Bealtaine festival has been revealed, which features a range of queer events. Beginning in May, the festival is "Ireland’s national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age," the organisers said.

Founded by the Arts Council and the HSE, Bealtaine 2023 includes a range of workshops, poetry readings, and street performance pieces. With the greater goal of creating an event where everyone feels welcome, the festival has many LGBTQ+ themed events, such as the Unshrinking Violets programme, a series of events exploring 50 years of lesbian activism in Ireland.

At the beginning of the festival, several online events will take place. These include online discussions and film events such as the online screening of Holding Our History, a short film that was developed as part of the Rewind Fastforward Record (RFR) initiative. The film will premiere on May 12 at 7:30pm and tell the story of a group of queer people and their personal histories.

The community centre and queer café Outhouse is also participating in the festival and will be hosting a free exhibition from May 17 to 26, featuring protest ephemera and photographs from the private collections of key pioneers in the country's queer rights movement.

Outhouse is delighted to welcome @BealtaineFest

🗓️ May 17 to May 26

♀️ "Unshrinking Violets: 50 Years of Lesbian Activism", An exhibition exploring the archival and social history of Lesbian activism.

Find out more at https://t.co/C8jxlxJSYi https://t.co/f3Un4mpgh4

— Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre (@Outhouse_Dublin) April 4, 2023

The Unshrinking Violets: 50 Years of Lesbian Activism programme, which begins on May 17, will be one of Bealtaine's highlights. Francis Fay and GCN's own Han Tiernan curated and produced the fascinating series. With the support of Cara Holmes and Monica Flynn, the exhibition pays tribute to the remarkable achievements of activists throughout Ireland, beginning with the formation of the Sexual Liberation Movement in 1973.

Along with the organisers of Unshrinking Violets, the Outhouse is hosting a screening event of Ger Moane and Sonya Mulligan's Outitude on May 24, which is a "heartfelt documentary that attempts to get to the core of what it means to be lesbian."

"Personal stories tell of the diversities of identities, tales of coming out, experiences of homophobia and the varied types of activisms that offer a kaleidescope of the richness and diversity of our lesbian community," the producers said about Outitude.

Ticket information and more about the official Bealtaine 2023 programme can be found here!