The Arts Council Invites Schools Across Offaly to Apply for Creative Schools Initiative

The Arts Council has invited schools across Offaly to take part in their Creative Schools initiative, opening up the programme to another 150 schools, bringing the total number to 300. Running for a second year, the initiative is an exciting opportunity for schools to understand, develop and celebrate their engagement with the arts, empowering them to bring about real change in the way they work.

Participating schools are provided with funding and expertise to enable them to explore the potential impact of the arts and creativity on school life. Participating schools are supported to develop and begin to implement their own Creative School Plan, connecting them to the full range of local and regional cultural resources and opportunities.

In addition, all schools receive a further range of supports including a grant of €4,000 and training for teachers in the school.

Arts Council Chair, Prof. Kevin Rafter, said:

“The Creative Schools initiative is already a huge success, and has proved a wonderful way to encourage children and young people to become involved in the arts. I would strongly recommend teachers and parents to consider applying to be part of the programme this year.”

Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Government’s Creative Ireland Programme, puts the arts and creativity at the heart of children and young people’s lives. The initiative is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Creative Schools aims to understand, develop and celebrate the arts, as a core aspect of school life, and to foster children and young people’s creativity and participation in the arts as an integral part of their education in Ireland.  Creative Schools recognises that the arts are a powerful means through which children and young people can explore communication and collaboration, stimulate their imaginations to be inventive, and harness their curiosity. Engagement in the arts and creativity requires rigour, discipline and resilience nurturing learners’ sense of agency and self-worth. This combination of skills underpins all successful learning.

Opportunities for Schools:

All Department of Education and Skills primary and post-primary schools, special schools and Youthreach centres across the state are eligible to apply.

Interested schools should:

• Step 1 – Get online to find out morewww.artscouncil.ie/creative-schools
• Step 2 – Register your school today (this can take up to 5 working days)
• Step 3 – Apply online between before 19 March 2020.

The Arts Council invites applications from schools from the 18 February 2020 to the 19 March 2020. Work will begin in the new 150 schools in September 2020.

For more information see http://www.artscouncil.ie/creative-schools/