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Minister O’Donovan, Minister Foley and Minister McEntee mark success to date of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 with the establishment of a new Local Creative Youth Partnership

  • Government notes the positive impact to date of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 in embedding creativity in children and young peoples’ lives
  • young people have engaged in new innovative programmes such as the Creative Youth Nurture Fund, Creative Youth on a Shared Island and I am Creative
  • Ministers announce support for an eighth Local Creative Youth Partnership in Tipperary Education and Training Board to reach seldom heard children and young people
  • a new Creative Youth School Data Mapping Tool is now available

The government has noted the progress achieved to date in the implementation of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, which aims to provide everyone from birth to 24 years with more opportunities for creative engagement in every aspect of their lives. Led by the all-of-government Creative Ireland Programme, the Plan prioritises the participation of children and young people in decision-making, and access to those that are seldom heard and most at risk of disadvantage.

To date, notable progress across the Creative Youth Plan’s strategic objectives includes:

  • new and innovative pilots such as the Creative Youth Nurture Fund and I am Creative engaging specific cohorts of young people that can typically face barriers accessing creative opportunities
  • reaching children and young people across the island of Ireland under the government’s Shared Island Initiative with Creative Youth on a Shared Island and Creative Connections
  • the growth of Cruinniú na nÓg, the national day of free creativity for children and young people with over 1300 events that took place on 7 June and the introduction of Cruinniú Lates with the support of Night-time Economy
  • since the first Creative Youth Plan in 2017 over 2,600 schools and Youthreach centres have participated in school programmes such as Creative Schools, BLAST and Creative Clusters
  • a new Creative Youth Schools Data Mapping Tool is now available, displaying the participation of schools and centres across the country in Creative Youth since 2017

Building on the expansion of Creative Youth, Minister for Culture, Communications, and Sport Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley, and Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee. today announced the establishment of a new Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) in Tipperary Education and Training Board (ETB).

This brings to eight the total number of LCYP’s that have been established in ETBs across Ireland, aimed at providing out-of-school creative activities for children and young people in their communities. Including collaboration with Hub na nÓg, the national centre of excellence and coordination on youth participation in decision making, it will prioritise those at-risk marginalisation and disadvantage.

Welcoming Tipperary ETB as the latest Local Creative Youth Partnership, Minister O’Donovan said:

“Creativity can bring joy to people and communities and it is essential that children and young people have opportunities to experience and participate in it. The Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 has unlocked access to culture and creativity for thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds and settings thanks to close collaboration with my colleagues in Government. I am delighted that this will continue with the expansion of the Local Creative Youth Partnerships. I look forward to seeing creativity flourish in Tipperary thanks to this partnership with its Education and Training Board."

Minister McEntee said:

“I very much welcome the establishment of the new Local Creative Youth Partnership in Tipperary. The success of the existing Local Creative Youth Partnerships in bringing creativity to the heart of communities clearly shows the fantastic opportunities that these Partnerships can bring, and will be of huge benefit to communities in Tipperary.”

Minister Foley said:

“Today marks a vibrant new chapter for the creativity of children and young people in Tipperary. With the establishment of our eighth Local Creative Youth Partnership, we are giving our children and young people the opportunity to show their talents. I cannot wait to see the amazing creativity that will come from this partnership in the months and years to come.”

Reflecting Creative Youth’s engagement in schools across the country since 2017, a new Creative Youth School Data Mapping Tool has been designed, displaying participation by school in specific Creative Youth Programmes such as Creative Clusters, Creative Schools and BLAST. Developed through collaboration between the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, it will help to identify areas with limited participation to date, particularly those that have greater need based on socio demographic data.

Minister McEntee said:

“The new and innovative Creative Youth School Data Mapping Tool, that I recently launched, is a welcome addition to the existing programmes under the Creative Youth Plan. In providing accurate information on where our Creative Youth programmes are being utilised, this Mapping Tool can highlight where students have access to these programmes, and where more work may be needed.”

Minister O’Donovan continued:

“The Creative Youth Plan aims to ensure all children and young people have access to creativity, culture and the arts, and we want to encourage all schools and Youthreach centres to participate in the various Creative Youth programmes on offer. This interactive map can help inspire and guide further engagement, especially in areas that can benefit the most.”

Further details on programmes under the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027.

For more information about the Creative Ireland Programme and Creative Youth, visit the Creative Ireland website.

Notes

The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of-government initiative based in the Department of Culture, Communications, and Sport and aims to place creativity at the centre of public policy and to promote individual, community and national wellbeing through culture-based programmes.

In March 2023, the government published the Creative Youth Plan 2023 – 2027 with the aim to place creativity at the heart of children and young peoples’ lives. Focusing on birth to 24 years of age, the plan operates across formal education and training settings, youth work, the wider community. It also supports professional development for teachers, artists and youth workers.

The Creative Youth Plan is overseen by an inter-departmental working group, led by the Creative Ireland Programme based in the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, in partnership with the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Arts Council.

Local Creative Youth Partnerships (LCYPs) are initiatives led by the Department of Education and Youth in partnership with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the Department of Culture, Communications, and Sport and based in Education Training Boards, (ETB’s).

LCYPs target marginalised or previously less served cohorts. This targeted provision has seen them partner with youth services, family resource centres, early learning and care centres, community training centres, home liaison services, local authorities, arts and creative organisations and charities to reach and provide opportunities to young people in their communities.

Seven LCYPs have been established since the initiative was piloted in 2019:

  • Limerick Clare ETB
  • Kerry ETB
  • Laois Offaly ETB
  • Galway Roscommon ETB
  • Cork ETB
  • Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim ETB
  • Cavan Monaghan