Creative Youth aims to increase opportunities for activity and participation, and to influence public policy around creativity in both formal education and out-of-school settings. We want to create a place where knowledge and creativity are equal partners in the formation of our young people, giving them an opportunity to become creative, active citizens.

The Creative Youth Plan is based on a number of key principles:

• We Listen – the Voice of the Child and Young Person is vital, they will be listened to and heard in developing and delivering our programmes.
• We Collaborate – we work together with stakeholders to increase the impact of our individual efforts, to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
• We Innovate – it is important that we honour the overall commitments made in the Plan, but we are also prepared to learn and adapt, to be open to change and new ideas, try new things, take risks and expand.
• We Are Inclusive – we will ensure that we reach as many children and young people as possible, especially those in disadvantaged areas and those seldom heard.

Since the Plan was published we have supported a broad range of exciting and innovative projects and initiatives – as well as provided some additional impetus to existing initiatives which aim to support our children and young people on their creative journeys. Some examples are:

• Song/Singing – We have partnered with Sing Ireland to encourage creative and sustainable engagement with singing and choral music for young people.
• Creative Clusters – one of our key “in-school” initiatives aiming to demonstrate how the arts and creativity can support schools to work together to address common learning challenges.
• National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) – we support the Creative Engagement programme, which encourages secondary school students to engage with the arts.
• Teacher supports – Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teachers, and for artists working in partnership with teachers, is crucial to the long-term success and sustainability of the overall Creative Youth Plan.

• Developing Divergent Thinking in the Junior Cycle Classroom – DesignSKILLS, with the support of Creative Ireland, has been developed by the Design and Craft Council of Ireland in collaboration with the Junior Cycle for Teachers schools’ support service. The programme develop students’ design capacities and competences at junior cycle in post-primary classrooms. It links professional designer makers with teachers to develop a six-hour mini-project that enables students to explore the design process. The focus is on the ‘front end’ of the process and emphasises aspects such as ideation, problem solving, divergent thinking, risk taking and experimentation.
• Early Years – we are developing an Early Learning and Care Bursary Project for Early Year Settings and developing early years CPD to support practitioners in the development of early arts education for young children.
• The Arts in Education Charter – launched in 2013 and plays a pivotal role in promoting both Arts Education and Arts in Education. The Creative Ireland Programme is committed to embracing, fast-tracking and resourcing the implementation of the Charter and the Arts in Education Portal.