Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools supports Primary and Post-Primary schools and Youthreach centres across Ireland to put arts and creativity at the heart of children’s and young people’s lives. 

Schools and Youthreach centres that join the programme take part in a two-year guided journey to develop a Creative Schools Plan unique to their own school, and to begin to implement it. 

Children and young people’s involvement in planning, decision-making and reflection is central to the journey. This programme offers a real opportunity for school communities to explore what arts and creativity means to them, and how arts and creativity can support their schools’ learning and development priorities.

Participating schools/centres provide opportunities for children and young people to build their artistic and creative skills, and develop additional ways of working that reinforce the impact of creativity on children and young people’s learning and wellbeing.

Key supports offered by the programme include; specialist support and advice from a Creative Associate assigned to each school/centre; training and networking; and funding to begin to implement Creative Schools Plans.

All Department of Education-recognised schools and Youthreach centres interested in joining the programme in September 2022 are invited to apply to the Arts Council.  Applications can be made from the end of March 2022 until the new deadline, 17.30pm, Thursday 16 June 2022. (Now Closed)

All Department of Education-recognised primary and post-primary schools and Youthreach centres who have not already participated in a previous round of Creative Schools are eligible to apply.

Application guidelines

The full guidelines for application are available here. All applications to the Arts Council are made through the Arts Council’s online services system. To set up an Arts Council online services account for your school/centre, please register here as an organisation, well in advance of the application deadline.

Supplementary information

Frequently Asked Questions about the key roles of ‘School Coordinator’ and ‘Creative Associate’ can be downloaded here.  Slide presentations of case-studies of Creative Schools in practice are available here, and audiovisual footage of Creative Schools activity is available on the Creative Schools Week Online Celebration 2021 page here.

Presentations from the application information clinics for Creative Schools 2022

Below is the link to a slide show that provides an overview of Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools and how to apply to join the programme. 

All the information required to make an application is in the Creative Schools 2022 Guidelines. Creative School 2022 closes for applications at new deadline, 17:30pm, Thursday 16 June 2022. (Now Closed)

FAQ