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This is Not My Beautiful House II

As we get older, the spaces and places we inhabit need to be more connected, accessible, and secure, without compromising on beauty.

This is Not My Beautiful House II, which was developed in partnership with Create, the National Development Agency for collaborative arts and the Irish Architecture Foundation, was the second in a series of Bealtaine seminars exploring key issues impacting on our social, economic and cultural rights to adequate housing, public space and cultural and creative lives as we get older.

The seminar, which took place on 30 May in the dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire, specifically looked at how the arts and creativity can generate debate about choice, participation and rights, with, and for, older people in relation to the planning and design of social and built communities. It also considered how collaborative arts and architectural practices can influence a paradigm shift in how, as a society, we think about housing and public space beyond a top down and market-led model, to more community orientated and sustainable frameworks.

Over the course of a day, the seminar drew on current trends in research, policy, planning and creative practices engaged in developing alternative designs for intergenerational living within a spatial justice frame. We interpreted spatial justice as the organisation – in terms of the acquisition, development and management – of public spaces and places and how these processes generate forms of justice (and injustice) in societies.

This event was aimed at policy makers, community workers, researchers, architects, artists, planners and older people active in housing issues as well as the general public.

Opening address was given Helen McEntee T.D., Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People and Chaired by Catriona Crowe (Academic and Archivist) with a keynote by Prof. Jan Baars (Philosopher/Critical Gerontologist based in the Netherlands). Speakers included The Decorators & Joe Coveney, Prof. Mary P. Corcoran, Prof. Gerry Kearns, Jack Keyes, Dr. Deirdre O’Mahony, Dr. Sophie Handler, Lois Weaver, Fionnuala Rogerson, Sinead Shannon, Dr. Christine McGarrigle and Sarah Wigglesworth.

This is Not My Beautiful House II was a Seminar as part of Age & Opportunity‘s Bealtaine Festival 2017, which uniquely celebrates the arts and creativity as we age. The festival was run by Age & Opportunity, a national organisation that promotes active and engaged living as we get older.

NO REPRO FEE 30/05/2017. A seminar exploring choice, participation and rights in relation to older people and the planning and design of social and built communities called "This Is Not My Beautiful House II" organised by Age and Opportunity togather with Create and Create and Irish Architecture Foundation in The Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Pictured are (LtoR) (in front) Tara Byrne Bealtaine Festival Director, Karen Smyth CEO of Age & Opportunity, Minister Helen McEntee and (in back) Prof Jan Baars, keynote speaker, Ailbhe Murphy Director of Create, Nathalie Weadick Director of Irish Architecture Foundation, Paul Collins of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

NO REPRO FEE 30/05/2017. A seminar exploring choice, participation and rights in relation to older people and the planning and design of social and built communities called "This Is Not My Beautiful House II" organised by Age and Opportunity togather with Create and Create and Irish Architecture Foundation in The Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Pictured are (LtoR) (in front) Tara Byrne Bealtaine Festival Director, Karen Smyth CEO of Age & Opportunity, Minister Helen McEntee and (in back) Prof Jan Baars, keynote speaker, Ailbhe Murphy Director of Create, Nathalie Weadick Director of Irish Architecture Foundation, Paul Collins of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

NO REPRO FEE 30/05/2017. A seminar exploring choice, participation and rights in relation to older people and the planning and design of social and built communities called "This Is Not My Beautiful House II" organised by Age and Opportunity togather with Create and Create and Irish Architecture Foundation in The Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Pictured are (LtoR) (in front) Tara Byrne Bealtaine Festival Director, Karen Smyth CEO of Age & Opportunity, Minister Helen McEntee and (in back) Prof Jan Baars, keynote speaker, Ailbhe Murphy Director of Create, Nathalie Weadick Director of Irish Architecture Foundation, Paul Collins of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

NO REPRO FEE 30/05/2017. A seminar exploring choice, participation and rights in relation to older people and the planning and design of social and built communities called "This Is Not My Beautiful House II" organised by Age and Opportunity togather with Create and Create and Irish Architecture Foundation in The Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Pictured are (LtoR) (in front) Tara Byrne Bealtaine Festival Director, Karen Smyth CEO of Age & Opportunity, Minister Helen McEntee and (in back) Prof Jan Baars, keynote speaker, Ailbhe Murphy Director of Create, Nathalie Weadick Director of Irish Architecture Foundation, Paul Collins of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

NO REPRO FEE 30/05/2017. A seminar exploring choice, participation and rights in relation to older people and the planning and design of social and built communities called "This Is Not My Beautiful House II" organised by Age and Opportunity togather with Create and Create and Irish Architecture Foundation in The Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Pictured are (LtoR) (in front) Tara Byrne Bealtaine Festival Director, Karen Smyth CEO of Age & Opportunity, Minister Helen McEntee and (in back) Prof Jan Baars, keynote speaker, Ailbhe Murphy Director of Create, Nathalie Weadick Director of Irish Architecture Foundation, Paul Collins of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

NO REPRO FEE 30/05/2017. A seminar exploring choice, participation and rights in relation to older people and the planning and design of social and built communities called "This Is Not My Beautiful House II" organised by Age and Opportunity togather with Create and Create and Irish Architecture Foundation in The Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Pictured are (LtoR) (in front) Tara Byrne Bealtaine Festival Director, Karen Smyth CEO of Age & Opportunity, Minister Helen McEntee and (in back) Prof Jan Baars, keynote speaker, Ailbhe Murphy Director of Create, Nathalie Weadick Director of Irish Architecture Foundation, Paul Collins of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

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