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Cruinniu na nOg 2018 'Mr Everybody'. Photo Credit Clare Keogh


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Budget 2019 brings additional €1.15m investment in the Creative Ireland Programme

Announced by Minister Madigan, the welcome increase will enable the programme to further its impact and deliver on its mission to promote individual, community and national wellbeing.

This further investment brings the total commitment to our cultural, creative and wellbeing initiative to €7.2m for 2019. Today’s announcement reaffirms the Government’s belief in cultural value and the power of arts, culture and creativity to effect real and meaningful change for everyone.

Just some the specific outcomes include:

  • Additional resourcing of the 31 Local Authority Creative Ireland Programme Culture Teams to deliver and implement their Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022

  • Expansion of Cruinniú na nÓg – a national day of creativity for children and young people. Ireland is the only country in the world to have a dedicated day of free creative activities taking place in local communities across the country

  • Expansion of the network of Creative Schools, currently numbering 150. This is a flagship Creative Ireland initiative, led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills

  • Activation and implementation of the 30 ambitious initiatives arising from the recently announced National Creativity Fund. These include a number of ground breaking research projects in areas such as creativity and mental health, working with teaching hospitals, creativity in hospices and end of life care centres – with a view to informing future government policy and enhancing wellbeing for all, whatever our life circumstances.

  • Speaking at the announcement, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan TD., said:

    “This unique initiative continues to go from strength to strength… The investment to date has allowed the Culture teams in the 31 Local Authorities to achieve greater collaboration at local level. Communities are being empowered to effect real and meaningful change through creativity.

    Thousands of children and young people will benefit from the transformational power of creative thinking both within and outside of our primary and secondary schools through the groundbreaking Creative Youth initiative.

    And we will pioneer innovative and exciting new initiatives through our National Creativity Fund which will forge new pathways for us in our journey to becoming a truly creative society.”

    Tania Banotti, Director of the Creative Ireland Programme added:

    “Through the Creative Ireland Programme, we are seeking to mobilise the huge creative forces that exist in our society. The programme is a statement of ambition: to make our communities stronger, to leave a rich cultural legacy for our children, and to bring the sheer joy of making and creating into all of our lives.”

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