The Creative Schools pilot programme’s Creative Associates are helping children and young people to challenge themselves in exciting new ways.
The roll-out of the Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools pilot initiative is in full swing across the 150 schools selected to take part in the pilot phase of this innovative and exciting programme. The aim of Creative Schools is to support a culture of creativity for students within the school environment and to build collaborations and partnerships between the school and their network of local cultural and creative resources.
Over the last few weeks, a team of Creative Associates have been taking part in special training before heading out to their matched schools to meet with principals, teachers, parents and students. Each Creative Associate is either an artist with a background and expertise in working with children and young people or a teacher who has developed an arts practice. The Creative Associates will work closely with the school community to develop a bespoke Creativity Plan for each school.
The plan will respond to the ideas, needs and opportunities of each school with the aim of building creativity across as many aspects as possible of the day to day school life of the students.
“Putting creativity and the arts at the heart of school life is something that I am passionate about. The arts challenge us to think differently and can change how you look at the world” said Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD pictured above with Liam McEldowney and Layla Rose McCloskey from Glenswilly National School, one of nine Creative Schools in County Donegal.
Find out more about the Creative Associate who has been matched to your local Creative School here.
Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme to enable the creative potential of every child. Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, with support and input from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
