Schools Can Now Apply for €2,000 Arts Grant
Following the announcement last June of 150 schools selected for the Creative Schools programme, funding has now been made available for an additional 150. Applications can be made through the Arts Council website with a deadline of 21 March.
The Creative Schools programme, part of the Creative Ireland programme, supports arts and creativity as an integral part of education. It is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Participating schools receive one day’s training for Creative Schools Co-ordinators and two other school representatives. They will also be allocated a Creative Associate, who will support the school for up to nine days to develop a Creative Schools Plan, and assist in creating links between schools and artists or arts organisations. Schools receive a €2,000 grant to implement their plans.
Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh TD, said of the programme
It makes sense to encourage children to engage with the arts early in life. They can learn life-changing skills, and the exposure they get from music, drama and dance … can make a big difference in their overall levels of achievement and quality of life.
Director of the Arts Council, Orlaith McBride, commented that the Arts Council ‘has long been committed to the arts being a lived experience for every child and young person in the country. The doubling of this programme in 2019 is a very significant step towards this goal, and also means that there are increased opportunities for artists and creative practitioners to work in schools and to facilitate their engagement with Ireland’s rich and varied cultural infrastructure.’
€6m for Creative Youth initiative
The opportunity for an additional 150 schools follows an announcement on 14 February of €6m in funding for the Creative Youth initative. Of this, €2.36m is being allocated to Creative Schools. The funding comes from the Department of Education and Skills (€1.038m), the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht (€0.822m) and the Arts Council (€0.5m).
The Department of Education and Skills is also allocating €3.4m to Music Generation in 2019 to facilitate expansion of the programme countrywide. Further details on the expansion will be announced soon.
Finally, the €6m will also cover 15 new projects for children and young people under the National Creativity Fund.
For further information and to make an application to Creative Schools, visit www.artscouncil.ie.
