"Help the aged, one time they were just like you, drinking, smoking cigs and sniffing glue." Even Jarvis must be 50 years old now. Just goes to show, it's all relative; ask a 5-year-old what they think is old and they tell you a 12-year-old. Positively ancient.

This Tuesday sees the start of Bealtaine, a month long celebration of creativity in older people. This year it's anchored by the central question: What kind of old do you want to be?

We all need to anticipate the growing needs and demands of people who refreshingly see age as a state of mind rather than a cut-off point. There is experience to impart and a multitude of benefits in tapping the mindset and wisdom of those who have been around the block a few times.

Mainly, for 'older' people, it's simply a case of being visible. This issue is dedicated to the elderly lady who, when we said it was good to see her, replied: 'It's good to be seen.'

It's nice to think of old age as a second childhood, but without the peer pressure.

Who thinks grey is the new black this week? Ciaran, Michael, Kate or Camille

Somewhere in a different time on my street, a young women was sitting gossiping, sewing buttons for 'all the grand ladies', making dresses and - above all - plans.  My nan is 90 this year and despite being unable to visit me on South William St. anymore, still has a much better hand with a sewing needle than any of us, as well as a strong pride in her exceptional craft. Most importantly, it gave her an independence and a confidence other women of her time never got. Without a doubt, South William Street had - and still has - an important role to play in the lives of Dublin women and their fashion. This talk by the wonderfully engaging fashion historian Ruth Griffin, who learnt her own  trade at the London College of Fashion, will fill you in on Dublin's rag trade, from the grit to the glamour. / Rachel Ray 

For anyone who fell in love with Amélie all those years ago, Audrey Tautou can do no wrong. I was warned I may fall into a "deep lesbian reverie" about her watching this but to be honest was too busy laughing at her hulking ogre of a love interest in the teeniest running shorts one could ever imagine. The film starts with the picture perfect Nathalie plus charmingly handsome male lead until he goes out jogging dum dum dum...and things start to take a turn. Between the mentions of Ikea, the beautiful lilt of the Swedish language, and comments such as "I could go on holiday in your hair" we follow a rather hilariously awkward relationship developing between our twiggy heroine and a kind friendly giant. Lessons learnt, Paris, Pez and personality can make for an enjoyable rom com of the French variety. / Sarah Maguire

The raggedy posters in O'Donoghues looking down as you slurp pints, the cracked cobbles of Trinity, Guiney's shop sign, the hefty bossoms of Molly Molone, the fireside couch in the Library bar when its pissing rain outside...Jaysus, Dublin, sometimes I love you. Dublintown.ie, a new website  - conceived to highlight what the city has to offer and realised through a collaborative effort - launches tonight by way of party and exhibition of images of all those things that collage the collective city experience. Al Hooi and Philip White and others have been shutterbugging their way around the city, snapping those iconic sights and videoing people explaining why they love this town so much. The website itself promises to be a compendium of the best places to eat, drink, dine and shop. And it looks great... / Vernon Steel

Along with the likes of Judy Garland and Karen Carpenter, Edith Piaf remains as much of an enigma as much for her tragic life as for her singing. However, to focus merely on her troubles would be to detract from the music which is still as soaringly wonderful and fresh today as it was in her heyday. Classics such as La Vie En Rose and Non, je ne Regrette Rien still sound amazing today and here, chanteuse Derby Browne will offer her own personal tribute to the woman known as The Little Sparrow with a show packed with the music of the cabarets and cafes of gay Paris. Although this is a afternoon show expect to feel as if you are sitting on the banks of the Seine in the moonlight as she recreates the hugely emotional vocals that were Piaf’s trademark. I defy anyone not sing along. / Frances Winston

2012 is the year that Joyce's works have finally been released from some seriously strict copyright rules. It may seem a silly thing to get excited about, but in 2010 some scientists received 'cease and desist' letters for inscribing “To live, to err, to fall, to triumph, to recreate life out of life" on a fracking DNA sequence... really. This year Dublin's 'One City, One Book' is therefore very suitably James Joyce's Dubliners. There's a whole host of events on today and throughout the month, including Dubliners audio walks, drop-in readings at Sweny's, lunchtime plays, talks, performances and tours. All of which you can find out about here and many of which are free! So go out and rejoice in Joyce. It's time to reclaim this important Dubliner for Dubliners.  / Rachel Ray

This is a real delight. A colourful, energetic production of Ibsen’s classic 19th century play, somehow incorporating musical numbers, Batman and witty modern references, but remaining deeply affecting and raw in its humanity. Pivoting on the simple statement “I am first and foremost a human being”, Pan Pan’s production of A Doll House presents Judith Roddy as Nora, the ultimate trophy wife, on a startling journey of the self. Her urges to escape the labels of wife, mother, daughter and her husband’s “little squirrel” are not understood even by herself, but become increasingly dominant, turning Nora from playful and childlike into a manic, primal creature. It is unsettling, hilarious, stimulating, disturbing and the many other colours in the spectrum of human experience and emotion. Dammit, I think I want to see it again. / Aoife Concannon

John Minihan is something of an Irish Annie Leibovitz (in a good way). While working on Fleet Street he photographed The Beatles, Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Yves Saint Laurent, The Who – you name it. He is the author of the famous ‘transparent Di’ photo of Princess Diana. But the real value of his work is obvious when you look at the portraits of famous Irish writers and artists. Described by William S. Burroughs as a ‘painless photographer’ - he might have been an invisible one as well – his subjects so close and connected to the view, it seems there is no barrier of time and lens there at all. There is a feeling of relaxed intimacy with the people he photographed and was friends with, (like Samuel Beckett) that practically removes any idea of fame and publicity, showing them as great but very human. / Nadia Gativa

As the faces behind the collective, Wolf + Lamb have always been a contrasting duo. Extrovert meets introvert, carnivore meets vegan. Yet their ideas have always meshed perfectly, gaining them a loyal fan base and a record label that houses some of the most uniquely talented DJs and producers in the US. Their collaboration with Soul Clap sees a further meshing of ideas, where the two duos produce smoldering house flecked with hip-hop and R&B. Don’t expect a traditional ‘versus’ set though; as their DJ-Kicks release proved it’s more about defining their niche in the most interesting fashion. What gets me most about these guys is that they don’t take themselves too seriously; a fact you can almost feel from in front of the decks; a fact that makes you smile amidst the dark and sweat of the chewed-out dance floor. Win Tickets / Jerath Head

Sometimes you don't want a load of awkward waiters hanging over you asking about the wine - the two of you fawning over a bottle like it's some invisible emperor's new clothes. Sometimes all you want is a stiff drink and a bite to eat, in a nice atmosphere.  That's just what BITE offers - 'posh' fish and chips and an array of cocktails to chase it down.  The menu is limited, but specialised, with so many tasty sides and sauces that you'll never have the same meal twice.  They're still smoothing out some bumps, but the atmosphere is cosy and personal and they also have a lovely concealed terrace if you just fancy a drink.  Perfect for a quiet date / catch-up and definitely for that Saturday morning hangover cure.  Unless you want a bad case of plate envy though, upgrade your chips to VVIP - they're epic. Get there, switch off, eat and...vegetate. / Rachel Ray

There's a slow burning brilliance to Ane Brun. The reassurance of a gifted and supremely talented song-writer blossoming with time. Slowly, yet inexorably, Brun is increasing her fanbase here in a transition that has seen her move from Whelans (1996) to Vicar Street (tonight) between her breakthrough album A Temporary Dive and her latest It All Starts With One. The Norwegian born, Swedish based, chanteuse taps the endless flow of Nordic talent, collaborating with the likes of Jose Gonzalez (Worship) and First Aid Kit (Do You Remember) for two contrasting sounds all pirouetting beautifully on her surround sound vocals. Where once you may have darned your finest Nordic woolie for Stina Nordenstam or of late Agnes Obel, make sure to save a stitch for Brun. Win Tickets / Zach Joyce

It’s all you would expect– great music and smooth rastamen smoking ganja. But far more than that, it is an electrifying homage to Marley’s spiritual connection to the music as a way of life. Stretching from his childhood in Kingston’s Trenchtown all the way to the historical concert at the birth of Zimbabwe, the documentary is a slowburning collection of memories and stories that deliver the whole flavour of Marley’s world and his short career.. Full to the brim with amazing footage of legendary concerts, interviews with characters like the original Wailers, and a look at the roots of reggae - from Desmond Dekker to producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry - Kevin Macdonald’s documentary won’t disappoint. Marley does what all good music documentaries do, allowing you to relive the energy and excitement that produced a musical legend. / Roisin Agnew

One Saturday a month, the focus shifts from the Hilfiger flagship on Grafton Street to its naughty little sister nestled on Trinity Street in the heart of Dublin's trendy café culture. Hilfiger Denim isn't just the place to go if you're feeling brave, and are considering going for a double denim look (and on Saturday, you can do that at a discounted rate...) but it is also a friendly little hub of musical friendliness. Hilfiger could probably get anyone to play their stores; heck, I know Olly Murs gets his cable knit jumpers there, but being a bit cool and edgy, they're getting Irish acts, some small, some very small, and giving them a leg up by giving them a place to play and a stylish audience. Flipping the record-company kids the bird. So if you're about on Saturday, I happen to know where all the cool kids will be. / Gemma Shine

I saw these pieces originally exhibited at the Venice Biennale. It’s great to show them again in Ireland for all to inspect what represented us. On second viewing I was instantly struck by the stainless steel box frames being displayed with the exact same viewing possibilities. By that I mean the sculpture, both in the RHA and in the Irish Pavillion, was located with stairs nearby allowing you see the piece from a balconied area. Obviously there’s much more to Walker’s work then a response to his 4’ 4’’ life. The 176 boxes which are locked together differently each unveiling are symbolic of attitudes and economics here and abroad and represent ideas of unity and a need for fluidity of expectations. However, an appreciation one can also take from this work is that you are able to look over and down on it as well as walk beside and around it. / Georgia

Apologists for the joyless honking onanism of Swindon's got talent/X factory etc would do well to catch a screening of Scorsese's magisterial, epoch-defining film in tribute to Levon Helm, who sadly died earlier this week. It documents the final live performance of The Band, that collection of prodigiously talented dudes who once backed Dylan. In what is perhaps the greatest concert movie ever made, Robbie Robertson & Co are joined on stage by a roll-call of the most important musicians of their generation. Expect bravura performances, with highlights including a gak-addled Neil Young and Van Morrison sporting a burgundy loon-panted disco suit. Songs to beat the band, a true tour de force. Win Tickets / Mr & Mrs Stevens

Bill Cunningham is one of the most important people in Fashion, according to Anna Wintour. He has been taking photos of how people in Manhattan are dressed as they go about their daily business since the flower children congregated in Central Park. This documentary is a fond insight into the octogenarian's work and life, though he makes no discinction between those. It's a pleasure to see him talk about his photos - joyous, giddy, "maahv'lous" as he would say. His approach is utterly democratic - it's 'all about the clothes'.  This is a touching portrait of a rare bird - a man of integrity, honesty and intense individuality working within an industry where so little of those qualities exist. Kudos to Better Fashion Week for allowing us to see it again. To quote the man himself "he who seeks beauty will find it". Win Tickets / Mr & Mrs Stevens

When I first heard about Molly Crabapple I started wondering how a combination of eccentricity and level-headed practicality can be reflected through art. It’s not every day that you read about an entrepreneurial artist who mix business skills with a sizzling imagination. Her Week In Hell project, where she locked herself into a hotel room for a week and covered every inch with her own brand of hallucinatory Victorian-inspired illustrations caught the imagination of the world's media. With over 120 arty saloons of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School around the world (which she founded in 2005), Molly’s spirit ignites the imagination of thousands. Tonight she visits her Dublin posse to talk about art, money, fame, DIY and how the future belongs to self-sufficiant multi-media mutants. / Anna P

Walking around Arbour Hill one finds cultural trinkets on almost every corner. One such trinket is the beautifully preserved Lillput Press building. On first inspection it might appear to be a shop or a gallery, nestling there amongst other treasures like the Sitric Composting Community Garden, The Joinery and Lilliput Stores, but it's not. It's even better than that – it's a publishing house that specialises in Irish Literature and it is arguably the jewel in this small artistic community's crown. Listen at Lilliput is an evening of music set in this intimate venue which allows you to explore contemporary music through the likes of Clang Sayne and also benefit from the odd bout of story-telling and improvised soundscaping. You'd certainly be experiencing the rich and varied cultural community that thrives around Stoneybatter. / Jessica Hayden

For some of us, Bombay Bicycle Club were one of those bands that slowly edged their way onto our musical radar, jostling for position along with the multitudes of other indie rock bands that emerged from the latter half of the 00s. It can be a curse to miss out on the hype, and attempt to enjoy a band after your more trendy friends have told you how good they are. Fortunately, their debut alone (an album written by four lads fresh out of high school, might we add) is enough to dispel any doubts. A broad and ever-evolving songwriting style has further captivated fans with each successive release; it’s a sound so sweet and uplifting and personal that you’ll be forced to hug the person next to you. And if that person isn’t there just because those trendy friends said they should be, no doubt they’ll hug you back. Win Tickets / Jerath Head

Ever think that when it comes to documenting your life Instagram just isn't enough? Little Green Street Gallery may have the perfect solution. Dublin-based photographer Kate Nolan will be teaching weekly classes on documentary photography. Kate's work includes various 'zines and publications while her ongoing project Neither has been exhibited in London, Minneapolis, Cardiff and the distant land of Kailiningrad, Russia. As well as the practical photographic techniques one would expect from such a course, you will be taught of the research, preparation and skill that goes into creating photographic narratives. Participants will also be given the chance to exhibit their results in the gallery. What's stopping you? Get snap happy! / Shane Gormley

How to specify the essence of Cinnamon. Impossible, really. Among the many restaurants and cafes in Ranelagh, this place managed to sustain a buzzing crowd within two months of opening. Comprising a myriad of whatever you could desire makes their late opening hours ideal. A large square space divided by shelves of deli goods allows you to easily transition ’tween different worlds and you can spend the day dancing through flavours. Colourful wallpaper encircles lounge chairs in the chill zone, a spidery lamp lazily lighting relaxed conversations. Giant laundry pegs turns your attention to the kitchen in an elongated section for upbeat weekend brunches. Evenings in the wine corner adjourning the entrance provides the dinner setting, whilst the petite patisserie arrangement along the counter reminds you why you love Paris. / Amalie Christine Elvang

This movie has been a well documented labour of love for its star Glenn Close and her efforts have proved totally worth it. She is completely unrecognisable as the titular Albert – a woman in 19th century Ireland who has been forced to live as a man in order to survive. Despite this she still dreams of happiness and has ambitions to open her own shop and share her life with a companion. When a painter called Hubert Page (an amazing performance by Janet McTeer) is employed at the hotel in which she is working she realises that he too is hiding a secret and starts to think that her dreams may not be so far fetched. This is simply sublime, beautifully shot, with thoughtful performances and, thankfully, not a dodgy Irish accent in sight. It is thoroughly deserving of all the plaudits it has received and a worthy testament to Close’s vision. / Frances Winston

The 20 chairs/20 Architects exhibition is a pretty simple concept. 20 architects choose chairs they love, and they are exhibited. However, it's not a predictable line-up of Bauhaus design, with accompanying captions simply reading 'Greatest design EVA', oh no. While some of the chairs are pretty iconic - Arne Jacobson's Egg Chair, for example, others are rustic; like the faded blue Greek simplicity of John Toumey's choosing, or the native Irish sturdiness of Valerie Mulvin's choice. It's remarkable to see them opposite the modernism of Arne Jacobson's Ant Chair and the Red/Blue chair, which is weirdly reminiscent of Yves San Laurent's Mondrian. Of course, there are the old faithfuls, such as the Thonet chair, which you probably perched on back in the days when your feet didn't even reach the ground. / Kate Frances Coleman

Having pitched up in Earlsfort Terrace and the Unitarian Church, the Trailblazers pulled off a sweet coup in taking over The Special Criminal Courthouse last month. Where once Robert Emmet and Wolfe Tone took the stand, a jury of more sympathetic peers filled the benches. This splendid setting provided an added buzz to this series which acts as a divining rod tracing the sources of inspiration for eclectic go-getters and do-gooders. Among those in the mix tonight are Dominic Campbell (Bealtanie), Colm O’Gorman (Amnesty), Kaethe Burt O’Dea (Lifeline Project) and Maeve Higgins (comedian and host of the equally excellent Enlightenment Night). Katie Kim is on hand with some tunes. I’m secretly hoping their next venue will be the zoo! Win Tickets / Michael McDermott

The Green on Red is such a versatile space. Last time I went, I got creeped out and fled from a pretty ominous looking prejection, but this time I found myself in a gallery filled with rainbows and light. Spiky rainbows, but still... Joyce's use of colour is spectacular; what might say 'Ikea children's cushions' if an uncreative soul such as myself attempted to daub them on a canvas in the name of art, pop when applied in geometric assortments. Earlier work used these colours in a charmingly unsteady approach to the geometric look, but this exhibition punches you in the face with its threatening use of shape and variety of textures juxtaposed with rather benign, friendly colours. The only word I can really use is splendiferous. / Cora Burke

Over 400 years after the Bard wrote this epic, audiences still resonate with the tale of a Scots nobleman who turns cold blooded murderer and madman following a prophecy from three mysterious weird sisters. It’s themes of power, ambition and guilt still ring true and there aren’t many people who aren’t familiar with the story. This ensemble piece sees the story tackled by the first year students from the Conservatory’s BA in Drama (Performance). In this interpretation Macbeth is transplanted to a post apocalyptic world and his fatal muses The Witches are interpreted in a way never seen before.  This production only serves to prove the continuing relevance of this masterpiece and is a must for fans of Shakespeare or just those who like seeing a new spin put on classic texts. / Frances Winston